This map was created by Spanish cartographer Tomás López de Vargas Machuca in 1769 and published posthumously by his sons in the “Geographical Atlas of Spain” from 1804. The map depicts the Lordship of Biscay with the territorial boundaries prior to Javier de Burgos' provincial administration reform in 1833.
The Lordship of Biscay comprised, approximately, the current province of Biscay. It was bordered to the north by the Cantabrian Sea (Sea of Biscay), to the east by the province of Guipúzcoa, to the south with the province of Álava and to the west with the province of Burgos.
The estate had a complex territorial administration, but was mainly divided into the following territories:
- The Flat Earth, which comprised all the land that did not have walls, including both farmhouses and fields. It was organised into 72 anteiglesias (parishes) grouped into six merindades (districts): Busturia, Marquina, Zornotza, Uribe, Bedia and Arratia.
- The villages and the city, A total of 21 walled towns founded during the Middle Ages. The only city was Orduña, and the towns were the other 20: Valmaseda, Bermeo, Bilbao, Durango, Ermua, Guernica, Lanestosa, Lequeitio, Marquina, Ondárroa, Ochandiano, Portugalete, Plencia, Munguía, Villaro, Rigoitia, Larrabezúa, Guerricaiz, Miravalles and Elorrio.
- The Encartaciones, divided in turn into nine councils or valleys: Carranza, Trucíos, Arcentales, Sopuerta, Galdames, Zalla, Güeñes, Gordejuela and Somorrostro.
- The District of Durango, the last territory to be incorporated into the lordship of Vizcaya.
You can read more about Tomás López and his atlas in this article from the newsletter: Tomás López and the first detailed atlas of Spain (1804).
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