certainly the creation of the Royal Academy of Science, founded in 1665 by Louis XIV, who fostered civilian and military cartography and promoted initiatives which placed his country ahead in the art of making maps. The Parisian Academy worked to perfect the astronomic and mathematical geography to which cartographers owe so much; this scientific institution developed topographic cartography with the support of the Cassini family. One of its members was the author of the first topographic map of France –built on a solid geodesic frame–, a model that inspired other European initiatives. It was towards the end of the 18th century when the French school attained its greatest splendour, far ahead of the Dutch cartographers who continued to maintain more commercial, but less scientific, approaches.
The Military Archives of Stockholm contains maps of Spain and Portugal published by the following French firms: Jean Baptiste Burguignon D’Anville, (147), Nicolás de Fer (148, 149, 150, 151, 152, 153, 154, 155, 156), Guillaume de L’Isle (157, 158), Jean Janvier (159), Jacques Nicolás Bellin (160), Jean de Beaurain (161, 162, 163), Baillieux (164), Robert de Vaugondy (165, 166, 167), Rousell (168), Guillaume Sanson (169, 170) and Boissierre (171).
