The Ferraris map or map of the

Austrian Netherlands The Austrian Netherlands was the territory of the Burgundian Circle of the Holy Roman Empire between 1714 and 1797. The period began with the acquisition by the Austrian Habsburg monarchy of the former Spanish Netherlands under the Treaty of Ras ...

is a historical map created between 1770 and 1778 by Count Joseph de Ferraris and includes 275 sheets published at the original scale of 1/11.5. The map was made in response to a request by Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine. It is the first systematic, large scale mapping of modern-day

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

and parts of

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

History

The topographic survey was performed on a territory corresponding to today's

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

as well as some territories now belonging to

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

and the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. There are three original versions of the map. The

Royal Library of Belgium The Royal Library of Belgium ( ; ; , abbreviated ''KBR'' and sometimes nicknamed in French or in Dutch) is the national library of Belgium. The library has a history that goes back to the age of the Duke of Burgundy, Dukes of Burgundy. In ...

, the Austrian National Library and National Library of the Netherlands each have one.

Importance

The Ferraris maps reflect the detailed state of the Southern Netherlands towards the end of the

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

, just before the start of the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution, sometimes divided into the First Industrial Revolution and Second Industrial Revolution, was a transitional period of the global economy toward more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes, succee ...

that drastically transformed landscapes. Looking at the maps today, it is obvious how much the areas have changed over time as people began to have a bigger impact on the environment. Nowadays, Ferraris maps have multiple uses. Environmental organizations often use them to describe the "original" (i.e. pre-industrial) state of an area. The maps can also help identify archaeological finds and engineers can consult the maps to check for soil stability, since the maps feature mining pits that no longer exist but can still pose a danger.

References

External links

* * {{URL, https://www.kbr.be/en/the-ferraris-map/, The Ferraris map on the website of the Royal Library of Belgium Maps of the Netherlands