Beleg van Mons, 1709 1709

In 1709, Samuel Du Ry de Champdoré created this drawing titled "Siege of Mons" in pen. The star-shaped fortifications dominating the plan, known as trace italienne, are more than mere military architecture; they are symbols of power and control. This design, a response to the rise of gunpowder weaponry, became emblematic of a city's strength and the reach of its rulers. But the star motif is much older: we see its echo in the radiating plans of ancient temples and the geometric layouts of Renaissance ideal cities. In this plan, lines of defense stretch out like the rays of a star, a pattern deeply rooted in our collective psyche. This speaks to our primal desires for order and protection. The map is both a practical document and a potent symbol—a fusion that touches on the very essence of human ambition and fear. Consider how the desire to defend our territory transcends time, with its cyclical progression, re-emerging, evolving, and acquiring new meanings in different historical contexts.