Archiepiscopatus Cameracensis

Highly embellished map of an area in France steeped in military history

This decorative map by the Blaeu family is centered on the historic city and French archbishopric of Cambrai. Though today the region is comfortably within the borders of France, around the time of publication it was a battleground between the Holy Roman Empire, the French Bourbons, and the Spanish Hapsburgs. A series of letters next to each place name identifying its association (see legend, lower right) is likely representative of these ongoing conflicts.

The military history of Cambrai is not restricted to the 17th century, however, and the area played a pivotal role in later years. The city was the Duke of Wellington’s headquarters for the British Army of Occupation after Napoleon’s defeat, and its suburbs played host to the first large scale tank battle in human history in the winter of 1917.

Two decorative cartouches are included within the image, as well as the coat of arms of the city of Cambrai in the upper right. The double headed eagle, still in use today, is emblematic of the region’s history under the Holy Roman Empire, while the papal adornments reflect the ecclesiastical organization of the region.