Lancement du livre Cartographie et pouvoir. L’Atlas de Jacques de Deventer
Brussels, Belgium
The Atlas of Jacques de Deventer
In the second half of the 16th century, Jacques de Deventer, at the request of Philip II, produced plans for more than 250 cities in the Spanish Netherlands. The book explains how this atlas, generally interpreted as a military document, was in reality influenced by political questions. Profile of the cartographer, urban franchises and political organization of the former Netherlands played an essential role in the construction of this urban cartography. The characteristics of these plans are also studied in order to better understand the place they occupy within the history of cartography. Vision of the city, perception of space or processes of representation are all aspects analyzed. They allow us to understand that, despite a disturbing result of modernity, this collection is largely dependent on the codes of its time and is more a political document than a military one.