French department - Hautes Pyrenees

Dept. des Hautes Pyrenees' Steel engraving with original outline hand-colouring., 1856, from Levasseur's Atlas National Illustre. This area is home to the wine producing region, Madiran. Madrian is best known for producing a powerful red wine made from the Tannat grape. This area also makes a number of cheeses, including Tomme Noire des Pyrenees and Roquefort cheese. The map proper is surrounded by elaborate decorative engravings designed to illustrate both the natural beauty and trade richness of the land. There is a short textual history of the regions depicted on both the left and right sides of the map. Levasseur was an important French engineer, cartographer, and engraver of the mid 19th century.