A New Map of the Napoleonic Project after the Siege of Tarragona in 1811

The Council of Tarragona has acquired an unpublished map of the city showing fortifications proposed by the occupying Napoleonic Army during the 1808-1814 Peninsular War but never built. Consequently, the map illustrates a little-known moment in the history of Tarragona not addressed by any material...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Imago mundi (Lympne) 2022-07, Vol.74 (2), p.287-293
Main Authors: Ortuño, Patricia Terrado, Bes, Joan Menchon
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Archives & records
Cartography
Catalonia
historical maps
Marshal Louis-Gabriel Suchet
Napoleonic Army
Peninsular War
projected planning
Spain
Tarragona
Topography
urban cartography
Urban planning
urban reform
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Summary:The Council of Tarragona has acquired an unpublished map of the city showing fortifications proposed by the occupying Napoleonic Army during the 1808-1814 Peninsular War but never built. Consequently, the map illustrates a little-known moment in the history of Tarragona not addressed by any material in military archives. The proposed reduction of Tarragona would have cut the upper part of the city into two zones, entirely changing the area's topography. The French strategy was to consolidate the whole city in a way that would more effectively reinforce it and reduce its vulnerability to flank attacks. The map presents a unique, urban example of the important role mapping played in Napoleonic military strategy.
ISSN:0308-5694
1479-7801
DOI:10.1080/03085694.2022.2130536