Marseille Ville considerable de Provence fameux Port sur la Mer Mediterranee

Title

Marseille Ville considerable de Provence fameux Port sur la Mer Mediterranee

Description

City map of Marseille in France with title cartouche, city index, mile indicator, and compass rose.

dated 1702

Artist

Fer, de (1646-1720)

Nicolas de Fer ( 1646 - 1720 in Paris) was a French cartographer and geographer. He also was an engraver and publisher. De Fer was the youngest of three sons of Antoine de Fer, who was also a cartographer. When he was 12, he became the apprentice of Parisian engraver Louis Spirinx, and made his first map, of the Canal du Midi, at the age of 23. After the death of his father in June 1673, de Fer was so successful at improving the firm that, in 1690, he became the official geographer to Louis, Dauphin of France. With support from the Spanish and French Royal Families, de Fer also became official geographer for Philip V and Louis XIV, the kings of Spain and France, respectively. Because of this, his maps became Bourbon propaganda, endorsing French King Louis XIV. His business flourished, producing town plans, atlases, wall maps, and more than 600 sheet maps.He made maps of places in Europe and North America, including New Spain, places fortified by Vauban, the Low Countries, and the War of the Spanish Succession. In 1698, de Fer published a map of North America, which included a depiction of beavers building dams near Niagara Falls. Seventeen years later, Herman Moll published an identical map as his own, known as the -Beaver map-. De Fer became the official geographer for His Catholic Majesty in 1720.Two of his sons-in-law, Guillaume Danet and Jaques-François Bénard, continued the company after de Fer's death on 25 October of that year until around 1760.

Historical Description

Today, Marseille is the second largest and oldest city in France. Marseille is the most important French and a major European port city on the Mediterranean. According to ancient legend, the city was founded when Greek sailors from Phocaea explored the Mediterranean coast. Greek sea traders from Phocaea in Asia Minor regularly visited the southern coast of France near the mouth of the Rhone in the 7th century BC to trade tin and bronze with the Ligurian tribes in return for pottery and jewelry. Sheltered landing places were rare on the rugged and rocky coast, so they headed for the natural harbor of today's Marseille, where the galleys were protected from wind and waves. According to Herodotus, immigrants from Phocaea arrived in the city again around 545 BC. They had fled after Harpagos, general of King Cyrus II of Persia, had conquered Phocaea. There were repeated conflicts with the Celtic tribes dominating Gaul and in 125 BC Massalia called on the troops of the Roman Empire for help against attacks by Gallic tribes. The city remained part of the Roman Empire until its end and gradually lost its Greek character. At the beginning of the 5th century AD, the Saint-Victor monastery was founded on the south bank of the Old Port, which was to be the residence of the bishops of Marseille from 750 to 960. The city was fought over several times and fell to different ruling empires. Marseille became an independent republic around 1218, but was incorporated into the French crown in 1481. In 1575, it was handed over to Henry III. In 1660, Louis XIV withdrew Marseille's liberties and the city became a normal maritime and trading town. The people of Marseille had always been proud and independent and were known throughout the country for their willingness to rebel against the authorities and the king. In 1792, the city sent 500 volunteer fighters to support the new government during the French Revolution. The song sung by the Marseille fighters in the streets of Paris became known as the Marseillaise. On July 14, 1795, the Marseillaise was declared the French national anthem.