A scarce 18th century plan of Corfu City

A large, separately-issued plan of the defences of the city of Corfu, which defeated a Turkish siege in 1716. Under the map on the left are the title and an extensive key in French, detailing the important buildings, including batteries, gates, churches and even the synagogue, within an elaborate martial-themed cartouche; on the right is a bird's-eye view of the walls from landward, detailing the layers of bastions, within a tromp l'oeil scroll. There is also a dedication to Alvise Pisani (1664-1741), who was elected the 114th Doge of Venice in 1735, the year of publication.

The improved walls were planned and built by Johann Matthias von der Schulenburg (1661-1747), a German mercenary in the pay of the Venetians, as the Ottomans swept through the Morea in less than a hundred days in 1715. In July 1716 the Ottoman army of 33,000 landed on Corfu and laid sige to the city, but the walls, manned by only about 8,000 defenders, withstood several assaults before the Ottomans withdrew in August. Corfu remains the only part of Greece never conquered by the Ottomans.