Departement de la Dordogne.

Title

Departement de la Dordogne.

Description

Decorative hand-colored map showing the historical landscape of Aquitaine with the city of Périgueux (Dordogne department); the magnificent border depicts the country and its people. Map index on the left and right.

ca. 1850

Artist

Lemercier / Levasseur (1838-1875)

Huge Parisian firm of lithographic printers founded by Joseph Rose Lemercier (1803-1887), who began as the foreman for Langlumé in 1825. Working on his own account from 1827, 1829-36 in partnership with Bénard association formed in 1837 according to IFF catalogue for Joseph Lemercier. The firm was still active in 1841.

Historical Description

Aquitaine is a historical region in the southwest of France on the Atlantic coast. Today it is largely part of the region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The region is known for its long history, its wine production, and its important trading cities. Already in ancient times, Aquitaine was part of the Roman Empire. In the 12th century, Aquitaine became politically very important through Eleanor of Aquitaine. Through her marriage to Henry II, the region came under strong English influence. During the Hundred Years’ War, Aquitaine was an important conflict area between England and France. It was not until 1453 that France finally succeeded in reconquering the region. In modern times, Aquitaine developed into an important trading and economic region. The city of Bordeaux in particular became world-famous through the wine trade.