Plan et environs de Barcelonne

Very rare detailed plan of Barcelona and its surroundings, published by Baillieu in 1705-1706 in the context of the War of the Spanish Succession, shortly before the siege of 1706. At this date, the Franco-Spanish fleet tried without success to conquer the city controlled by Charles of Habsburg. The subtitle (“Levée Sur les Lieux Par un Ingenieur”) tells us that the plan was made by a military engineer, which explains its topographical accuracy and detail in fortifications.

It is a very rare plan, since it was not published in an atlas but sold loose; very few examples have come down to us.

It should also be mentioned that this plan belonged to the collection of Ramón Soler, author of the Atles de Barcelona, the reference book on the iconography and historical geography of the city. This map by Baillieu appears with reference number 101 in Ramón Soler’s work, and was illustrated with a photograph of the present example.