Map of Calais, France circa 1695.
Description:
The map is upside down, the north and the sea being at the
bottom. On that map, you can see 2 forts. The small one called
"Risban" controls the entrance to the harbour and pirates would not
pass by. For the big one, called "Citadelle", they had to destroy 1/3
of the old English town. The main square in the middle of the city is the
Market Place, and the main buildings there are the townhall, next to the Watch
tower. From the top ot that tower, they looked for ennemies coming from the
sea, mainly English. On the left you can guess the main church, Our Lady
church, "Notre-Dame" in French. All these buildings, except the old
townhall, still exist today and you'd easily find pictures of them by internet.
But nothing remain of all these military walls, except those of the Citadelle.
Courtesy of Phillipe Cassez of Amis du Vieux Calais
L'ensemble des cartes de France de Cassini (1750-1790),
map 6
Musée des Beaux-Arts de Calais
Olivier Levasseur is said to be a “Natif de Calais,” which
means native, so perhaps he was raised there, but not necessarily that he was
born there.
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