Blaise François Pagan

Blaise François Pagan, Count de Merveilles (1604 - 1665) born with Avignon of a noble Neapolitan family. It was used in the armies as Louis XIII and Louis XIV and was Maréchal of Camp.
Military engineer, it devoted himself to the study of mathematics for which it had a passion. He wrote treaties on the geometry, astronomy and the fortifications. Its house was the appointment many scientists. Pagan in particular published in 1640 a work entitled the fortifications of the Count of PAGAN in which it develops theories which largely inspired by many military architects. One can thus consider that he was the Master and the inspirer of famous the Vauban. Moreover, its work was almost only theoretical.

The military engineers designed strong castles and fortresses, because the discovery of the powder then the control of its implementation revolutionizes the fortification and the art of the war. The superstructures should then be reduced, to bury, remove the dead angles. With the appearance of the metal ball which dislocates the walls, the architectural tradition must be erased in front of the tactical requirements. To be an engineer, the knowledge of architecture is not enough any more, it is necessary to be also broken with the art of the attack and of the defense of the fortified towns, it is necessary to be a man of war like the Count of PAGAN.

Systems of fortification are invented by the most famous engineers. The Count de Pagan presented a system in which the plan of the fort becomes complicated, defenses double and of the definitely detached works of the body of the place make their appearance. He reinforces the outside with ditches, ravelins, half-moons and contregardes. The first treaty of fortification appears in 1600 and has as an author JEAN ERRARD who develops the principle of the staging of fires. Pagan adds another basic concept: in-depth spreading out. The idea is to multiply the works, of which the loss does not threaten the place itself, to slow down the adversary in its progression towards the total catch of the fortress. For example, the bastion comprises a tiny room which, if the attacker manages to seize some, should then be taken all while being about it under fire.

The Count de Pagan was invited to Malta in 1645 to advise the Order of the Knights during the construction of the fortifications of FLORIANA. Its stay is concluded by the publication from a highly critical detailed report/ratio which removed all the doubts which could remain on the capacity of the French engineers. BLONDEL OF the SMALL CROSSES, the young engineer who accompanied it, was persuaded by the Council about remaining in MALTA in order to direct work as well as the construction of a new strengthened city with MARSALFORN OF GOZO whereas two Italian architects had already presented plane, reports/ratios and models. Although this last project was abandoned, the achievements of BLONDEL at this period were more than satisfactory, and they were the subject of a decree of the Order published in 1659.

Pagan also travelled to South America. It went up part of the the Amazon. He wrote an account of voyage: historical and geographical Relation of the large river of Amazones in America (1655). He advised with Mazarin, in his dedication to make so that France controls and colonizes the area.

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