1735 Homann Heirs Map of Corsica During its Revolution

This is a 1735 Homann Heirs map of Corsica. The map's outline and detail are considerably advanced over maps of the island prior to 1734. It thus significantly represents the first major improvement in the mapping of Corsica since Jansson's 1644 map - which was the dominant model for throughout the 18th century. The firm of Homann Heirs themselves produced a map of Corsica in 1732 based on the Jansson model, making it all the more striking that they should update it with the present map so soon after.

A Mysterious Source

The map is credited in its cartouche to Johan Vogt, a captain in the army of the Holy Roman Emperor (Charles VI). Vogt is otherwise unknown, but the map was timely: in 1731, the emperor began sending troops to Corsica on the behest of its Genoese to put down a revolution. By 1732, twelve thousand Imperial troops were on the island fighting an unwinnable guerilla war against Corsican patriots. A treaty was negotiated in May 1732, in which the Genoese retained power but implemented reforms. Nonetheless, Genoa returned to the practices that inspired the initial revolt, resulting in a second explosion of violence shorly after. (This offered the German adventurer Theodor von Neuhoff the opportunity to successfully snatch kingship of Corsica until he was thrown in an Amsterdam debtors' prison.)

A Closer Look

The map represents a fresh cartographic perspective on Corsica. The copious mountains depicted reflect the baffling prospect the island's terrain offered to both the cartographer and the professional army of which he was almost certainly part. It depicts the island in detail, labeling cities, towns, and villages, as well as rivers and mountain ranges. Text along the mountainous spine of the island notes, in German and Latin, that the plains atop the highest mountains are covered with great pine trees: a daunting prospect for any armies wishing to move unobserved. Several major cities are illustrated, including Bastia, Saint Florence, Rosoli, Bonifacio, and Porto Vecchio. Emphasizing the military source of this map, a table in the upper right enumerates, from each Corsican province, the number of men available for military service (an early manuscript hand gives a total of 22,990). The present map would be later credited in copies made by Ottens in 1737, in 1769 by the French mapmaker Robert de Vaugondy, and by the Spanish mapmaker Lopez. Ottens' map retained the military service table, but Vaugondy considered the information no longer relevant.

The Cartouche

The map has a beautiful old color title cartouche - unusual in a Homann map. The design is an improved engraving of the same scene appearing on the earlier Homann Heirs map of the island. The title and source of the map are presented as if in the maw of a sea monster, which is flanked by two monstrous fish. To the left, a sailor with a plumb line stands with his foot on one fish's head; to the right, Neptune blows a shell horn while waving a flag bearing the 'Moor's head' arms of Corsica. A merman swims up to present the god of the sea with a tribute of red coral. Atop the sea monster, a musketeer sits with a ferocious wolf.

Publication History and Census

We are aware of two states of this map: the first, printed in and around 1734, lacks the imperial privilege; the privilege appears on examples printed in and after 1735; ours is an example of this second state. Examples of the map appear in the Homann Heirs composite atlases. We see 27 examples of this state in institutional collections.