Spanish production
In Spain during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries there is little demand of cartographic products. We are supplied by the foreign products that were translated into Spanish in Venice, Flanders and later in Paris. The circumstances of the time are the official monopoly of the commerce with the Indians, where the necessary cartography was provided by the Casa de Contratación and therefore the most remarkable cartographers moved to America, and on the other hand, the fact that the Netherlands belonged to the monarchy, made them consider that they owned cartographic production, nevertheless they were some outstanding Spanish authors but without the necessary infrastructure to publish their works, which made Oertel and Blaeu to take advantage. It is in the second half of the eighteenth century when it appears one active cartographic publication carried out by Tomás López.
Enrique Flórez
Título: Mapa de las regiones,…de la Provª. Antigua Carthaginense.
Autor: Enrique Flórez
Lugar de edición: Madrid
Año: 1757
Dimensiones: 385 x 278 mm.
Obra: España Sagrada
Original: F.G.L
Enrique Flórez de Setién y Huidobro (1702-1773), Augustinian monk, wrote up the work “España Sagrada”, in 29 volumes whose publication took place between 1747 and 1775. First of these volumes contained a handbook that was directed to readers without formation which included a little historical review on the origin of the cartography, along with brief commentaries on the terminology and the correct map reading.
Tomás Vilanova
Título: Mapa del Arzobispado de Valencia…
Autor: Tomás Vilanova
Lugar de edición: Valencia
Grabador: Hipólito Ricarte
Año: 1761
Dimensiones: 490 x 590 mm.
Original: F.G.L
The maps of the dioceses of Valencia and Segorbe, date from second half of the eighteenth century, although they use a baroque style and technique in their designs. The map of the Archbishopric of Valencia, engraved in 1716 was attributed to Jose Joaquin Castelló, although improved by Tomás Vilanova and engraved by Hipòlit Ricarte. The chart, is of great elegance and baroque style, rich in images, coats of arms and ornaments, and includes the enclave of Vilafermosa (Alt Mijares) that belonged to the valencian diocese until the 1960's. It appears the demarcation of the creation project of a bishopric with centre in the city of Xàtiva, aspiring to Episcopal see.
Tomás López De Vargas Machuca
Título: Mapa del Reyno de Valencia…
Autor: Tomás López de Vargas
Lugar de edición: Madrid
Editor: Antonio Sanz
Año: 1762
Dimensiones: 800 x 390 mm.
Original: F.G.L
Tomás López de Vargas Machuca, Madrid (1730-1802). He was sent to Paris in 1752 on a grant by the Marqués de la Ensenada to learn from J.B. Bourgignon d´Anville the technical innovations in cartographic matter. Dismissed from the government the Marqués de la Ensenada, Tomás Lopez took over and would hold the title of geographer of the king. His work is based on the meticulous compilation of information achieved through maps, descriptions, sketches… Among his merits appears a good level of technical perfection in the engraving and impression, the harmony, neatness and elegance in his abundant work that surpasses two hundred maps. This map is copy of the one by Francisco Cassaus of 1693, and which must have comprised the project of the Atlas Particular de España, which never was published.
Título: Mapa geográfico del reyno de Valencia…
Autor: Tomás López de Vargas
Lugar de edición: Madrid
Año: 1788
Dimensiones: 730 x 790 mm.
Original: F.G.L
In the entitled Mapa geográfico del Reyno de Valencia, of 1788, made to approximate scale of 1:400.000, he recognizes the use of the previous surveys by Teixeira, Cassaus, Nolin, Inselin and Desnay as well as of writings from diverse collaborators, and he includes in the right top angle a chart of the Particular Contribución y Huerta de la Ciudad de Valencia, of 16 x 24 cm, that the regidor Vicent Or. Danvila sent to him. The toponymy appears in Spanish and the map displays the internal demarcations of the Kingdom, with the fourteen country subdivisions - districts under the jurisdiction of a local court - between Morella and Orihuela that were established by the count of Floridablanca.
Vicente Tofiño
Título: Carta esférica de la costa de España, desde Cabo de Gata, hasta Cabo de Oropesa.
Autor: Vicente Tofiño
Lugar de edición: Madrid
Editor: Dirección de Hidrografía
Grabador: Fernando Selma
Año: 1786
Dimensiones: 825 x 560 mm.
Obra: Atlas Hidrográfico de las costas de España
Original: F.G.L
In the line of the European cartography of the Age of Enlightenment he was the Brigadier of the Real Navy, director of the Marine Civil guard schools, Vicente Tofiño de San Miguel, whose work, centred in navigation charts, is supported in geodesic and astronomical methods and stands up by its great scientific quality.
Antonio José Cavanilles
Título: Mapa del Reyno de Valencia
Autor: Antonio José Cavanilles
Lugar de edición: Madrid
Editor: Imprenta Real
Grabadores: Tomás López Enguídanos y José Asensio
Año: 1795
Dimensiones: 410 x 700 mm.
Obra: Observaciones sobre la historia natural, geografía, población y frutos del Reyno de Valencia
Original: F.G.L
It appears the figure of the naturalist Antonio Jose Cavanilles, example of scientist of the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, who contributes with a Mapa del Reyno de Valencia that has been proclaimed like most meticulous, precise and of greatest scientific precision of the pretechnical Valencian maps. Copper-plate engraved by Tomás López Enguídanos and with captioning by Jose Asensio, on an approximate scale 1:524.000, it was incorporated to the first volume of his famous observations, the skilful geographic work that he published in 1795-1797 after exploring the Valencian territory. Cavanilles shaped in the map the information successfully obtained in his routes, during the years 1791 and 1793, in which he conducted operations of triangulation with theodolite and determined positions and distances by means of astronomical calculations. He recognizes the influence of the Spherical Chart of 1787, by Tofiño, explanation of the correction whereupon he surveys the coast. It is possible to mention the quality of the enclave of the Rincón de Ademuz that until then appeared back-to-back to the old Kingdom. He uses the shading technique that was used by Orase B. de Saussure which allows him to reach good aesthetic results, thus Valencian mountains adjust for the first time to the reality, with its mountain ranges aligned and grouped correctly between well differentiated valleys. There is a particular respect to the site names that it almost always transcribes in his genuine Valencian forms.
