16 - [CORSICA - LAND REGISTER - BASTIA DISTRICT]

[CORSICA - LAND REGISTER - BASTIA DISTRICT] Set of 6 folio-sized, stapled volumes, handwritten in ink. General Land Register of the Department of Corsica. Detailed descriptions of the communities of Murato, Rutali, Borgo, Loreto, Vignale, and Silvareccio. 1795 (Year IV of the Republic). Set of 6 folio-sized, stapled volumes, handwritten in ink on paper, likely produced in the 19th century based on the original documents from the late 18th century. A remarkable collection of carefully calligraphed manuscript copies, featuring ink borders, numerous topographical and statistical tables, as well as detailed descriptions of the six communities in the district of Bastia. Each volume is organized into three main sections: topographical layout, subject matter, and implementation of the project. The descriptions provide information on territorial boundaries, the division of sections, land areas, and the distribution of property among the State, municipalities, and private individuals. They also detail the types of crops, olive groves, vineyards, chestnut groves, pastures, and uncultivated land, as well as the natural resources, population, agriculture, industry, and commerce of each community. The documents also include references to the surveying, drafting, and verification of the Land Register, along with the names of the surveyors and administrative officials, as well as the dates of validation, notably in Bastia in October 1795. The Terrier Map of Corsica represents one of the most significant cartographic and land-survey projects undertaken on the island during the Ancien Régime. Undertaken beginning in 1770, during the reign of Louis XV, following Corsica’s incorporation into the Kingdom of France, this vast project was placed under the direction of Pierre Testevuide, a surveyor and cartographer, who was succeeded by Pierre Jacotin, a surveyor and cartographer also known for his participation in the cartographic work of the Egyptian expedition. Engaging surveyors, engineers, and draftsmen for several decades, this ambitious undertaking aimed to compile a methodical inventory of the island’s territory, its properties, its resources, and its populations. It produced an exceptional body of documentation, combining topographic maps, land surveys, statistical tables, and detailed descriptions of communities, offering a particularly accurate portrayal of Corsica at the end of the 18th century. The work on the Plan Terrier, which continued into the Revolutionary period, was profoundly shaped by the political upheavals of the time. During the British evacuation of Corsica in 1796, following the brief existence of the Anglo-Corsican Kingdom, a significant portion of this documentation was taken to England, where it is preserved today. These volumes, likely copied in the 19th century from the descriptions compiled in 1795, bear witness to the transmission of this documentation, which is fundamental to the history of Corsica. This is a valuable collection for the study of historical geography, topography, land tenure, the rural economy, and the daily life of Corsican communities in the late 18th century.