The effects of the Peninsular War on the cartographic production of Zaragoza

This article documents and analyses the evolution of historical cartographies of the city of Zaragoza and the effects that the French invasion (1808-1814) had on their production. The strategic enclave that the city constitutes in the national framework, as well as its special resistance to the subjugation of the invading army, represented by the two important Sieges of Zaragoza (1808 and 1809), led to the production of numerous maps as graphic support by foreign agents. In particular, the French army initially made use of existing plans compiled before the outbreak of the invasion; however, these documents were notoriously deficient in accuracy and scale, which led to poor planning and ultimately to the failure of the first siege. After this, and with a view to a new attack, the French military engineering corps undertook intensive topographical survey work, both city and its immediate surroundings, the quality and detail of which proved decisive for military success in 1809. In this research we have documented this graphic material, mostly unpublished, by consulting different European historical archives, allowing us to learn about the development and scope of the prospective work carried out around the city of Zaragoza. These cartographies not only reflect the urban configuration, the defences and its territory, but also incorporate strategic information relating to the planning of the attacks, the position of the troops and the objectives of the attacks to achieve the surrender of the city; all of which allows us to understand the extent of these actions, the landscape transformations carried out and their consequences for the city and its architectural heritage.