Nicolas de Fer’s Introduction à la Fortification, published in Paris in 1705, is a finely engraved instructional work on military architecture and defensive design. Issued from de Fer’s workshop “à la Sphere Royale” on the Quai de l’Horloge, the volume reflects his role as Géographe de sa Majesté Catholique (to the King of Spain) and de Monseigneur le Dauphin. Intended as a primer, the work illustrates in cartographic form the principles of bastioned fortification, siege warfare, and the geometric logic of early modern military engineering with reference to the many fortified towns and cities of Europe. Richly adorned with diagrams, plans, and perspective views, it draws on the traditions of Vauban and earlier theorists, making it accessible to both military students and educated readers. Though more didactic than technical, de Fer’s Introduction exemplifies the blend of scientific ambition and visual clarity that characterised early 18th-century French cartographic and architectural publications.
