De Rapin's plan of Turin besieged in 1706: the story of a city at war

The “Plan of Turin Under Siege in 1706” by Paul de Rapin de Thoyras presents itself as a historical map of remarkable narrative and visual vitality. The work depicts the Piedmontese city in the midst of the War of the Spanish Succession, at the center of one of the most famous urban resistances of the period. Clearly distinguishable are the fortifications encircling the entire city of Turin, the bridges and the green fabric of the surrounding countryside, the encamped troops, and the defensive lines.

On the map, the positions of the armies, bastions, artillery posts, barricades, and the main roadways used during the siege are clearly visible. Not only is the city rendered with almost surgical precision, but the surrounding rural areas are also populated with details that reveal the tension of military operations: troop movements, encampments, strategic bridges, and the focal points of clashes are depicted with accuracy. The atmosphere conveys a city on the brink of war, poised between threat and pride in its defense, with a visually dynamic and engaging narrative.

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Style

Rapin de Thoyras’s map fully belongs to the tradition of early eighteenth-century English cartographic engravings, enriched by the visual codes of Dutch and French cartography, which influenced the linearity and clarity of the composition. The historical context is that of the Enlightenment, marked by the pursuit of scientific rigor and the celebration of topographical knowledge.

The technique employed is hand-engraved copperplate printing, a method that allows for the greatest detail in lines, ornamentation, and captions incorporated directly into the image. Visible influences stem from the European cartographic school, where elegance coexisted with functionality. The map is not merely a military tool but also an extraordinary artistic document, combining the chronicle of war with true compositional sensitivity.

Color and illumination

The chromatic palette of the map, in its original colored version, unfolds in a range of subtle and refined tones, dominated by beige, muted greens, and delicate blues. Red accents, used to indicate strategic military points, create contrast and direct the eye toward the most significant positions. Chiaroscuro derives from the tonalities incised on the copper, amplifying depth and relief to create the illusion of three-dimensionality in the fortifications and urban landscapes.

Light, translated visually through color saturation and the control of white space, highlights both defensive lines and areas of attack, offering a solemn atmosphere in which the city stands as the focal point of the narrative.

Spatial organization

The plan emphasizes depth and spatial stratification: perspective is not central but “bird’s-eye,” a choice that allows viewers to observe both the urban context and the surrounding countryside simultaneously. Buildings, walls, and streets are organized in a way that suggests the city’s true extent, while fields and farmland emerge on the peripheries with meticulous detail.

The distribution of elements follows the hierarchy of tactical importance: fortifications are emphasized, the besieging lines appear as a compact band encircling the urban core, and each area of interest is made immediately recognizable through a system of numbering and captions that facilitate reading. The bird’s-eye representation also enhances the drama of the scene, with deep dividing lines between friends and enemies interwoven across the city’s fabric.

Composition and framing

The framing encompasses the entirety of the city and its fortifications without ever sacrificing clarity or order. The main axes are clearly defined, with the city walls at the center and the armed forces, bridges, rivers, and communication routes radiating outward in all directions. The balance between detail and readability is expertly calibrated. Points of interest are highlighted by the geometry of the bastions and the arrangement of barricades, with the composition revolving around the city’s core as the pulsating heart of the visual narrative.

The choice to portray the city from an elevated perspective allows the viewer not only to grasp the logistics of the siege but also to empathize with the anxiety and determination of a population caught between art, history, and war.

Technique and materials

Rapin de Thoyras’s plan of Turin is executed as a copperplate engraving, a technique that allows for highly effective definition of lines and details. The dimensions of the work vary depending on the edition, but printing on quality paper ensures the sharpness of contours and the brilliance of the hand-applied colors. The pigments used for coloring are natural watercolors, enhancing the brightness of the paper and giving highlighted areas an elegant brilliance without ever appearing artificial.

The tools employed include the burin and drypoint, ideal for achieving fine crosshatching and uniform engraving. The process combined a carefully planned design phase, in which the original drawing was refined and transferred onto the copperplate, with subsequent printing and manual coloring, which adds to the tactile allure of the work. This rigorous and refined approach guarantees a visual outcome that merges historical documentation with aesthetic power, establishing Rapin de Thoyras’s map as one of the finest examples of European cartographic art of the eighteenth century.