Villaret map

The Villaretkaart is named after Jean Villaret, engineer geographer at the French court and one of the creators. The map was created after one of the French conquests through our territories (1745-48). For a few years, the French took control of our territory. They sent a group of engineer geographers to map the newly conquered areas. Villaret took care of the area between Menen-Gent-Doornik to Maastricht-Liège. The part of the coast and the Westhoek already mapped a colleague between 1729 and 1730. In total, the Villaretkaart consists of more than eighty map sheets. Because of the sense of detail that offers a unique view of our regions, about a quarter of a century earlier than the well-known Ferraris card from 1770-1778. The map gives a rich picture of our cultural landscape and its evolution. This is particularly interesting information for heritage researchers, landscape and monument managers and archaeology agencies. Whether it concerns land use, landscape features, abbey domains, habitation, historical roads or toponyms, the map is a new benchmark. The Villaretkaart was unknown for years and therefore unloved. All versions are in French collections. For French researchers they were less relevant, for Belgian researchers they were not obvious to consult. The recently deceased historian Carl Vandengwhore brought the map to the attention again a few years ago. The rediscovery is his great merit.