Albert Ganado MATTEO PEREZ D`ALECCIO`S ENGRAVINGS OF
Transcript
Albert Ganado MATTEO PEREZ D`ALECCIO`S ENGRAVINGS OF
Albert Ganado MATTEO PEREZ D'ALECCIO'S ENGRAVINGS OF T H E S I E G E OF MALTA OF 1565 * The G r e a t Siege of Maita of of Christian Europe. 1565 w a s of vital importance for the survival Since the fall of Constantinople in 1453 the T u r k s had trebled the area of their Empire. Under Solyman the Magnificent, Belgrade w a s captured in 1521 and Hungary was overrun a few years later. In 1529, the T u r k i s h forces were halted at the gates of Vienna, but, by that time, Islam was in control of the Mediterranean coast through Bosnia, Serbia and Greece, northwards through the Balkans halfway to the Baltic Sea, through A s i a Minor and the Holy L a n d , E g y p t and along the North A f r i c a n coast to T u n i s and Algiers. Malta was the obstacle to the closing of the pincer from the south and to the freedom of movement of the T u r k i s h fleet in Mediterranean waters. In 1564, when he was 70 years old, Solyman decided to invade the island. T h e state of mind of the Knights of St. John w a s not then of the highest order. It is true that, since they settled in Malta in 1530, they had been gradually regaining mastery over the Central Mediterranean. But their successful exploits at sea could not erase the bitter memory, still vivid, of their defeat at Rhodes in 1522. Although they had fought like lions in their endeavours to overcome the onslaughts of the T u r k i s h hordes, they were humbled into surrendering an extremely strong fortress which had been their home for over two hundred y e a r s . Besides, the Knights looked upon Malta merely as a temporary home, and, when the T u r k i s h armada appeared on the horizon, they were still licking the wounds they had suffered through the loss of Tripoli and the Dragut raid on Gozo in 1551. F o r the Knights, therefore, the victory of September 1565 came as the apotheosis of their glory as a military Order. Undoubtedly, the Maltese and the relief forces sent over from S i c i l y had played a decisive part. But the Knights were still the main protagonists, and they were determined that their resounding victory be visually commemorated in a proper and fitting manner, as an eternal testimony to the triumph of the white cross over the crescent. T h e artist entrusted with the task was Matteo Perez de Ale ccio. * For the abbreviations used in references see the Bibliography given in Appendix IV. Because of printing difficulties abbreviations in the quoted texts are marked by full stops. 125 The artist It was said unt'l recently that Matteo w a s bom in Rome in 1547 to Antonio Perez de Alesio and a Madama Lucente. He w a s thought by some to have been a native of L e c c e , on the assumption that d'Aleccio w a s a corruption of d a L e c c e . However, a modem art historian, Alfredo Petrucci (1), has written, quite convincingly, that Perez was his father's surname, betraying the Spanish origin of his family, whilst d'Aleccio was an indication of his birthplace, namely, Alezio, a small Italian town in the hinterland of the Gallipoli district (reg'on of Puglia), known in remote times as Aietium. Its parish church is dedicated to S a n t a M a r i a d e l l ' A l l e z z a . A s the town of Alezio is practically unknown whilst Lecce, which happens to be in the same region, appears on most maps of Italy, it is understandable that some writers have identified A i e t i u m w'th L e c c e instead of Alezio ( l a ) . Matteo was heavily built and he loved company as well as good food. Wherever he went, he rarely missed to take part, on feast days, in a wrestling match or a p a l i o race, a l w a y s showing great determination to c a n y off the spoils of victory. In the early days of his artistic career, he seems to have absorbed the strong influence of Venetian painters. He associated, as a young man, with Palrna il Giovane (1544- 1628), a Venetian painter of the School of Tintoretto, who left us the only known portrait of Matteo, dated Rome 1568 ( l b ) . It appears that he arrived at R o m e during the reign of Pius V (1566—1572) and became a disciple of the school of Michelangelo (2). One of his his most intim1. Petrucci la. Gere, p. 150; Gere and Pouncey, p. 125. The confusion of Alezio and Lecce goes back at least to the 18th century when Luigi Lanzi wrote that Matteo's appellative Lecce was corrupted to Alesio during Matteo's sojourn in Spain (Lanzi, L . . Storia frittorica delta Italia. Bassano, 1795-96. T . I , p. 144 and T. I I . pp. 406 and 409. Quoted by Bern i • - p. 223). Lanzi also thought thai Matteo had added Peru \0 his name consistently used by Matteo himself both In Rome and in Maita ISee infra. Kef. 8) proves Lanzi wrong on both counts. It should be borne in mind that Matteo invariably made use of his appellative with the prefix .41 (e.g. Allecio, AlTecci, Alteiio etc.); only third parties seem to have dropped the prefix to make the appellative read Lecxo, or Leiio or Lecce. lb. Gere, p. 150 and Fig. 2. The portrait is here reproduced on P I . 14. 2, Most writers seem to have taken it for granted that d'Aleccio was a pupil of Michelangelo (Bryan, Vol. I , p.17; Benezit, Vol. I , p. 104; Scicluna, Church, p. 153; Sammut. p. 57) and one even wrote that he actually assisted the great master to paint the frescoes for the Sistine Chapel (NMM, p. 3). This is not possible if d'Aleccio effectively went to Rome between 1566 and 1572. as Michelangelo died in 1564. There seems to be no evidnce pointing to a date earlier than 1566. The Bendzit edition of 1976 still states that d'Aleccio was born and died in Rome. This is almost certainly incorrect. All the evidence shows that he died in Peril and that he was not a Roman by birth. 126 ate friends was the architect Ottavio Mascherino. He earned the protection of Charles d'Angennes de Rambouillet (Cardinal on 17 May 1570) and he was probably commissioned to work for Pope Gregory X I I I (1572—1585). In 1573 he became a member of the A c c a d e m i a di S a n L u c a (3). Three years later, after destroying with his own hand, for reasons unknown, an E c c e Homo he had painted in the O r a t o r i o del C o n f a ' . o n e he fled from Rome to Naples and later to Malta (3a) where he became the 'official' painter of the Order. During the next five years he painted several canvases for the Co-Cathedral of St. John's and other churches (4), but his magnum opus was, without doubt, the siege of Malta as represented in the frescoes decorating the frieze of the S a i a del Maggior Consigtfo at the Grand Master's Palace in Valletta. H i s w o r k went down well with his patrons for, when he left Malta in 1581, he proudly carried with him a certificate from the Grand Master, Jean Levesque de la Cassi&re, which praised the beauty and perfection of his design and certified him eccellente n e l l a s u a p r o f e s s i a n e (5). It was dated 28 June 3. in. 4. 5. Petrucci. Soria, Vol. IV, pp. 126-128.174. Bernales. pp. 222-224. The following paintings in Rome are attributed to d'Aleccio: a fresco over the door of the Sisline Chapel showing a scene from the life of St. Anthony (originally painted, according to some, by Francesco Salviati); the altarpiece at Santa Calertna delta Rota: • fresco of David and two other figures at the Oratory ut SS. Pietro e Paolo del Gonfalone; a Madonna and Saint above the main altar at San Eligio degli Orefiei. Bernales, p.225 and Gere. p.151. In 1697 another Italian Master. Michelangelo Merisi da Caruvaggio, also fled from Rome to Naples and ended up in Malta to serve the Order. He painted the Baptism ol Christ, the main altar-piece at St. John's, later replaced by tbe marble group of the Baptism by Giusepjie Mazxunli, The painting is now in the sacristy ot the church, where another painting (Christ in Limbo) is preserved which has lately been attributed to d'Aleccio (Cauchi, p. 13). In 15S0 he painted the Shipwreck of St. Paul for the Church of St. Paul In Valletta (Azzopordi 1981. pp. 14-16). and a St; Ciifhezini! lot the parish church ol the village of 7-urrieq (Axzopardi 1979; Buhagiar 1979. pp. 116-117 and pi. 14). It is surprising, to say the least, that some modern historians have written that d'Aleccio's frescoes o! the siege were painted during the reign of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt (1601-1622) (Schrrmcrhom, p. 53; Scicluna. Order, pp. 119. 125). NLM. Arch. 439. Uber 0 Hilar urn 1579-1581. L27Jrv. Petrucci has described him eccellent'usimo artitta and he praised his buan disegno. fantasia e veloce operare. During his stay in Malta, d'Aleccio lived in a house at the eastern end of St. Christopher Street, in Valletta, overlooking the Grand Harbour: it is indicated on his plan of Valletta [FOGUO DECIMO QVARTO) as Casa di Mattia P'Uiore. The modellos for the frescoes, at one time in the collection of Charles I of England, are now preserved at tht Greenwich National Maritime Museum. They are in oil on canvas and are highly detailed "and have spontaneity and vigour of handling eminently suited to large wall decora Lions". D'Aleccio's depictions of the battles "depart from strictly Renaissance illusionism and revert to a more archaic or primitive form which was well suited to the narrative content of the pictures. The partial 127 1581 (6). The etchings In 1582(7), Matteo published in Rome a collection of etchings reproducing his paintings of the siege. In all, there are fifteen plates in the book, entitled: I V E R I R I T R A 7 T I / delta guerra, et dell'assedio, et a s s a l t i dati a ( = / t a Jsota di M a l t a / Dall'armata Turchesca ('anno .1565. ne( P a . t i f t c a t o d e l t a / S a n t a m e m o r i a di PIO I W D E ' M E D I C I et s o t t o it felice g o u e m o / del u i t t o r i o s a Cap i t a n o , et g r a n M a e s t r o di M a l t a / E R A G I O V A N N I P A R 1 S O T T O DI V A L L E T T A I F a t t i gia in d i u e r s i q u a d r i di P i t t u r a dal Mag.co/M, Matteo Perez d'Aleccio (8) 6. 7. 8. adoption ot an aerial viewpoint and the variable scale of the figures are strongly reminiscent of Turkish miniature paintings found in chronicles of the time, which he may have had an opportunity of seeing. Perez paints most ot his scenes as if viewed from the Turkish lines, and only in two of the paintings do the defenders, the Knights of St, John, themselves appear in the foreground as the principal subject matter" (NMM. p. 1). See plate In that same year. d'Aleccio was elected a member of the C o n g r e g a x t o n e d e t Vtrtuojt del P a n t h e o n (5oria, p. 127; also Petrucci). This is the form commonly used in Malta to render the artist's name. D'Aleccio himself used different versions in the book being described, as may be seen hereunder Matteo Perez d'Aleccio (in the title just quoted) Matteo Perez di Allccio (in the dedication). Matteo Perez D'Allecio (in the imprint and on pi. 8) Matteo Perez de Allecio (plates 3, 7] Matteo Perez di Allecci (in the legend dedicated to Grand Master Verdala on pi. 141 Mattheo Perez de Allecio (plates. 2, 12. IS) Mattheo Perez D'Allecio (plate 3, 13) Mattheo Perez de AHexio (plates 4, 6) Mattheo Perez D'AUezio (plate 10) Petrucci is incorrect when be writes thai llie rendering ol the name on plate 6 ii * d e A t U t i o , unless he was examining a different edition of the book which the author has not seen. So far as is known, however, there is only one edition of the book. La Cassitre's certificate used the version M a t t h e o d e A l e c c i o , whilst Bishop Gargallo in 1579 referred to him as M a t t e o d a L e e i o . After his return to Italy from Malta, d'Aleccio published it number ut engravings on which his name is similar to that used on the siege engravings. Thus we findMatthaeuB Perez de Allecio (on a picture of St. John the Baptist — 1582) Matthaeus Pjerez] de Alecci (on the Martyrdom of St. Catherine) Matthaeus P[erez] F[ecit] (on the Virgin and Child — 1583) M[atthaeus] PferezJ de Aleccio (on the Conversion of St. Paul — 1583). A document drawn up in Peril in 1616 after his death refers to him us M a t e o P i r e x d e A l e c i o . Spanish writers refer to him as M a t e o P e r e i d e A l e s i o which tallies with the entry of his marriage (3 January 1598) in the parochial records of the Cathedral in Lima; he is registered as the legitime son of Antonio Perez de Alesio and Madama Lucente (Bemales, p. 234). n e l l a g r a . s a l a del P a — J l a z z o d e l l ' l l l . m o G r a n M a e s t r o in M a l t a , e r i d o t t i c o n / a c c u r a l . m a diligenza dal m e d e s i m o in q u e s t a f o r m a / O n e d i s t i n t a m e n t e si oss e r u a n o t u t t i i s u c c e s s i delta b a t t e r i e , / e t assalti dati per M a r e , et per Terra, et dei soccorsi, et u i t = / t o r i e o t t e n u t e . C o n gli norm si delta f o r t e z z e , come de' I principali C a u a l i e r i , et altri u a l o r o s i S o l d a t i che u'interuen/nero. T h e title is in a large oval at the centre of a sumptuous architectonic frame with allegorical figures. It is flanked on the left by the dedication to Cardinal Ferdinando de Medici, and by a long description of the siege on the right (9). Alfredo Petrucci commented as follows on this frontispiece: II frontespfzio, r i c c a m e n t e f i g u r a t o , £ u n m o d e l l o irreprensibite d ' i m p a g i n a z i o n e , di a r m o n i a , di e l e g a n z a , in c u i s f o c i a n o c o n t e m p e r a n d o s i le p i u d i s p a r a t e e s p e r i e n z e a r c h i t e t t o n i c h e e grafiche del s e c o l o (10). T h e frontispiece is followed by a map of Malta illustrating how the island presented itself to the T u r k i s h attackers when they started disembarking on the 18th May. T h e next eleven plates are 'picture-maps' showing the salient incidents of the siege, whilst the new city of Valletta, founded in 1566, is depicted in detail on plate number 14. T h e last engraving in the book shows a plan of Notabile (the old city) at left and a plan of the Gozo citadel at right (11). Unlike many other 16th century painters, d'Aleccio practised and cultivated the art of copper-engraving. T h e r e is evidence to show that when he left Europe for good he took with him a complete collection of DUreris prints A number of engravings signed by d'Aleccio are extant, and others w e r e executed by Pierre Pen-et after d'Aleccio's drawings (12). It is considered that d'Aleccio's fame per I ' i n v e n z i o n e , prestezza dell'o p e r a r e et i n t e l l i g e n z a delle figure rests mainly on his engravings, foremost among which the series of the Trionfo di C r i s t o and the series Assedio di M a l t a which is even more original and homogenous. Although the captions in the style of cartoons detract from the beauty of the engravings of the siege, as an ensemble they constitute "uno dei n t o n u m e n t i ptu carattertaticf defl'mctsione i t a l i a n a d e l l a s e c o n d a m e l d del C i n q u e c e n t o , ed £ un peccato che non sieno conosciute q u a n t a m e r t t e r e b b e r o " . T h e moto irresistibita evident in his plates bears testimony to what has been written that at scene time in his career d'Aleccio was influenced by Venetian art, and, in particular, by Tintoretto's paintings in the Ducal Palace (13). 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. The dedication and the description of the siege are reproduced in full in Appendices I and I I . Petrucci. T r a u l . — Enriched with figure*, the frontispiece i* a perfect example of lay-out, harmony and elegance, in which the most varied architectonic and graphic style* of the century find an outlet and become one whole. For a detailed description of the plate*, see Appendix I I I . Staatny, p. 13. Petrucci. He further comment* a* foblows: c h e d i e r o t c o e d i m a e s t o s o , dx n o b i l a sopratutlo. attravenrsa. in u n a luce d'Apocalisse, certe scene, come quelle d e l set- 128 129 Apart from being the designer and the engraver of the plates, d'Aleccio was also the publisher of the book, as m a y be gathered from the imprint: IN ROMA. APPRESSO MATTEO PEREZ D ' A L L E C I O . Whether he had his o w n printing press is not known (14), However, the copyright of his engravings was protected for ten years: C u m Priuitegio / G R E G . X I I I . P O N T . M A X . / A d Decennium / M D L X X X f J . the fame of the Order or to add lustre to the Medicis — of that there w a s no need — but per parermi questa una convenrente occasione di mostrar (oro I ' a n i m o g r a t o , et in particolare a quefl'Isota, et d q u e i signori Gran Croci, et C a v a l i e r i c h e d e l l ' e s s e r io s t a t o s e m p r e g r a n d e m e n t e f a v o r i t o d a essi, merttre in lor servitio m i s o n o a d o p r a t o ; Io ne t e n g o , et terrb fresca et p e r p e t u a memoria (17). D'Aleccio dedicated the book to his patron Cardinal Medici describing him "...uero P R O T E T T O R E d ' o g n i s o r t e di uertii, et p a r t i c o l a r t n e n t e di q u e l l a del D I S E G N O . . . " (15). He also recalled that, during the siege, together with Philip of Spain, it w a s the House of Medici that gave the most valid help to the island; both Pius I V and his father Cosimo de' Medici, Grand D u k e of T u s c a n y , d'Aleccio emphasised, had expended large sums of money to free Maita from the T u r k i s h assault, riguardando a q u a n t o d a n n o s a r e b b e stata sottomessa ia Christ iam'ta, quando tai iuogo fosse s t a t o e s p u g n a t o dal Turco (16). The siege of Malta has been described as the greatest siege in modern history. It w a s certainly the most famous in the annals of Christendom. T o quote Voltaire; R i e n n'est plus c o n n u q u e le stage de MaXte. T h i s explains why, during the successive decades, enterprising editorial houses in Italy were still issuing original 'picture-maps' published in the year of the siege. A map of 1565 by Pietro Paolo Palombi w a s reprinted by Gaspar Albertus; a plan by Nicold Neili w a s again published in the 1570s by Claudio Duchetti; maps and plans by Antonio L a f r e r i were re-issued by Pietro de Nobili in the 1580s, by Giovanni Orlandi in 1602 and again later by Henricus v a n Schoel. W h e n he decided to undertake the heavy work involved in the production of the engravings, D'Aleccio explained, it w a s not because he intended to spread Luclni's engravings timo, del nono. ioni dirt ria, del decimo opposte, cavalli tremtnti. la decit'wo. irrvertto eui lo quello spirilo di prevalcntententt lance e de! duodecimo e rematori come Matteo. picche agli scaltnl, un fiutne in piena vago di omamentale piit foglio, a jascio, tra masse cimieri. dall'arrivo del correre ed allegorica d'uom'mi del "prima "Gran che di tnarcianti corazxe, di soccorso" Soccorso": stare, del frontespizio. a un tnondo, aderisce in artiglte- meglio Transl. — quelcioi. che a There in something heroic and majestic, noble most of all-, which, in an Apocalyptic light, travels across certain scenes, such as those of plates seven, nine, ten and twelve, between masses of men marching in opposite directions, a disorderly array of pikes and lances, plumed helmets, armour, artillery pieces, trembling horses, oarsmen at the rowlocks, from the arrival ol the "first relief" to the decisive arrival of the "Great Relief", turbulent like a bursting river: a world, in brief, to which the spirit of Matteo, hankering after roaming rather than staying, is more kindred than to what is found in the markedly ornamental and allegorica] frontispiece. Another Italian writer has described the artist of the siege engravings spiritoso. e focoso (Borroni Salvadori, pp. L X X X I , L X X X I I i Hi* name is not mentioned in Masetti Zannini. Transl, — true PROTECTOR of all kinds of connoisseurship, and particularly of that of DRAWING It has been written that, by publishing the book, d'Aleccio incurred the anger of the then Grand Master, Hugo de Loubenx Verdala. who suppressed it. Possibly. Verdala was displeased that the book was not dedicated to him. However, d'Aleccio paid homage to the "Great Verdall" in the legend accompanying the plan of the new city of Valletta (pi. 14] and, apart from including his coat of arms, together with that of L a Valerie, Del Monte and De L a Cassiere, on the same plate, he re. served a special place for Verdala's escutcheon in the elaborate cartouche on the next plate. hxxzarro 14. 15. 16. 130 Transl. — keeping in mind what a lot of harm Christianity would have had to suffer, if such place were to have been taken by the Turk, It is no wonder, therefore, that, in 1631, sixty-six years after the siege, d'Aleccio's 'picture-maps' found one of the most elegant Italian engravers of the seventeenth century who decided to copy and reproduce them. It appears that then d'Aleccio had been dead for some fifteen years. He had left Italy for Spain in about 1584 (18) and four years later he abandoned Europe and settled in Perii, where he immediately became the official painter of the V i c e r o y (19). He w a s then about 41 years old. It has been recorded that d'Aleccio w a s still active 40 years later (20). However, it seems that the year 1628 w a s associated with him due to a printing error. Recently, a document has come to light w h i c h proves that in 1616 d'Aleccio had already passed a w a y (21). His copper-plates of the siege must have been by then either destroyed, lost or inaccessible, for Anton Francesco L u c i n i re-engraved the whole lot, adding another plate with a complete series of portraits of the Grand Masters of the Order of St. John from F r a Gerardus (c.1099-1118) to Antonius de Paula (1623-1636). ]/, 18. 19. 20. 21. Transl. — because I consider this to be a good opportunity to show them my gratitude, and, especially, to show it to that Island and to those Grand Crosses and Knights who had showered upon me so many favours while I was working in their service; they are still fresh in my memory, and so they will always remain. Stastny, p. 9,; Soria, p. 127, D'Aleccio followed the footsieps of Bernardo Bitti who settled in Lima in 1575. A few decades later, Angelino Medoro also established himself in Peril. These three Italian painters exercised a very strong influence on South American art by introducing the style and ideas of European schools of painting. Soda, p. 128, quoting R. Vargas Ugarte (1947) and G. Lohman Villena (1940). Stastny, pp. 11-12. 131 L i k e d'Aleccio, L u c i n i did not dedicate the book to the reigning Grand Master. It w a s dedicated to Cardinal Antonio Barberini Priore delta M a g i o n di B o l o g n a e N i p o t e di N . S . U r b a n o VIII, who would undoubtedly be glad, Lucini wrote, to see his B E E S (22) hovering above the white armorials of Malta, in the same way as they were resting in glory "on the sails of the Sacred Ship of Peter". The first edition of L u c i n i ' s engravings w a s published in Rome by Nicolfi Allegri. Although he copied faithfully the beautiful frontispiece of d'Aleccio, Lucini changed the title w h i c h became: D I S E G N I / D E L L A G U E R R A , / ASS E D I O E T A S S A L T I / D A T I D A L L' A R M A T A T V R C H E S C A / A L L T S O L A DI M A L T A / L'ANNO .MDLXV. / SOTTO I L G O V E R N O DI FR. GIO. PARISOTT O / D I V A L L E T T A G R A N M A E S T R O / Dipinti gia nella gra. Sala del Palaz.o di Malta / da Matteo Perez d'Aleccio. / E t hora Intagliati con accuratiss.ma di =/lige.za da Anton Fran.co L u c i n i Fiorent.o. Lucini's album must have been v e r y much in demand, as it w a s soon followed by two other editions. Of these two editions, I have not yet established with absolute certainty which came first; but the indications are that the "Negroponte" edition preceded that of " D e R o s s i " . De R o s s i w a s very active in the second half of the 17th Century as a printer and publisher, and the plates of De Nobili and Orlandi, among others, had passed to him (24). In this edition, no alteration w a s made to the plate portraying the Grand Masters. No alteration would have been needed if this edition came out, like the previous one, during the reign of L a s c a r i s . T h i s is highly probable, as Lascaris reigned for nineteen years. Lucini's date of death is not known, but he w a s still active in 1661 when he saw to the publication of the second edition of the maritime atlas A r c a n o del Mare by S i r Robert Dudley (24) for whom L u c i n i had engraved the plates. A number of copies a r e extant of both d'Aleccio's and L u c i n i ' s albums of the siege. T h e former is the more difficult to come by (25). " A thing of beauty is a joy for ever". This may well be said of d'Aleccio's illustrated w a r reports, four hundred years after their creation. The frontispiece of the first edition suffered some changes in the Negroponte edition: 1. 2. R o m a w a s erased and substituted by Bologna; T h e imprint Appresso Nicolo Allegri w a s substituted by A u g u s t i n u s s i n u s E.t.; Pari- 24. 3. A n additional imprint w a s inserted: to: B a p . t a Negro Pontes Forma. These alterations show that ownership of the plates passed from L u c i n i to GioBatta Negroponte, who published them in Bologna from the printing press of Parisinus. F o r m a (or formis) indicates the owner of the plates, usually a merchant dealing in prints; E.t probably stands for e x c u d i t which indicates the printer (23). In Although the year 1631 (of the Rome edition) remained unaltered, this Bologna edition could not have been published before 1636. Indeed, the portrait of Ioannes Paulus L a s c a r i s Castellar w a s added to the plate representing the Grand Masters, and L a s c a r i s succeeded De Paula in 1636. In the second Bologna edition, the name of Parisinus is preserved, but the imprint of Negroponte is substituted by that of De Rossi as follows: nella S t a m p e r i a dl / Gio. Giacomo de Rossi / in Roma a l i a P a c e . It appears, therefore, that this edition w a s also printed by Parisinus in Bologna, but this happened when De Rossi had acquired the plates from Negroponte. Giovanni Giacomo 22. 23. 132 A reference to the bees upon the Amu of the Barberini. Excudit 1* not to be confused with excidit, which has the same meaning as tnridit, indicating the engraver. We know that the plates in question were engraved by Lucini; therefore. E.t could only mean excudit. In 17th century Rome, there were two publishing houses by the name of de Rossi, one of which carried on business at Piaxxa delta Pace, the other at Pinna Navona, The former was by far the more important of the two. It was run by Giuseppe Rossi from at least 1613 until his death in 1639; Giovanni Giacomo de Rossi flourished between 1649 and 1691; he was succeeded by Domenico (fl. 1691c-172(fc) and then by Lorenzo Filippo (fl1. 1720c-1738). In 1738, the whole collection of plates amassed by the family was sold to the government of the Papal States. The business address Alia Pace became .411a Pace all'insegna di Parigi some time after Gian Giacomo took over the business (Ehrle, pp. 24, 68; also Tooley, p. 549). 1686, Gian Giacomo de Rossi published a highly decorative map of Malta: ISOJLA titie, MAL.TA/GOZZO in Data in luce alia Con Pace conforme dhettitme all'tnsegna E Giacomo map is found in the atlas mondo Pont.e COMINO Gio, Priu.o del S. da The parti del luce Con Roma 23. DI e data I'anno le 1686. Mercurio tavote % euro di Parigi COMINOTTO/cauata de Rossi/dalle Fran.s Donia Geograjico geograjiche di Gio Giacomo con Prist.' dalle, sue stampe piu in Messanensis Sculp. overo geograf del Sansone de del guida S, Rossi Pont, no- alia Pace 403 x 545mm ica Baudrand nelta recenti Roma sua in tutte e stamperia le Caxtelli. in (c.1690), Sir Robert Dudley, styled Duke of Northumberland and Earl of Warwick (1573-1649), naval commander, inventor, engineer and geographer. He left England in 1605 and later settled in Florence. Famed for his ingenuity as a ship-builder and mathematician. In 1646.7 he published in Florence Arcano del Mare, the first sea atlas by an Englishman and the first sea atlas of the whole world. It is divided in sis books; the sixth is a collection of geographical maps. Lucini's maps are outstanding examples of the finest quality of Italian engraving and calligraphy, he spent on them twelve years of his life (DNB, Vol. X V I , pp. 122-124; Bolaffi, Vol. V I I , p. 63; Porter, p. 6). 133 APPENDIX I Dedication in the frontispiece PLATE I A L L T L L V T R I S S I M O E T R E V E R E N DIS SIMO FERDINANDO CARDINAL DE' MEDICI / SIGNORE / IL SIGNOR C e r t a cosa £ Ill.mo et R.mo Sig.r che nella guerra successa nell'Isola di M A L T A I'Anno .1565. f r a T u r c h i , et Christlani, che dopo I'aiuto, et soccorso che le dette il Catholico et inuittissimo R E F I L I P P O , il maggiore, et il principale fu quelle che hebbe dalla c a s a de' M E D I C I , non hauendo guardato la Santity di P I O .1111. insieme con il Seren.mo Signore suo padre C O S M O D E ' M E D I C I G R A N D V C A D I T O S C A N A k nissuna sorte di spesa (anchorche grande) per liberare la religione di S. G I O V A N . l d a quel terribile, et sanguinoso assedio; riguardando k quanto danno sarebbe stata sottomessa la Christianity, quando tai luogo fosse stato espugnato dal Turco Per tali cagioni adunque, et per la particolare affettione che io sempre ho portatci a .V.S.Ill.tna come k uero P R O T E T T O R E d'ogni sorte di uertii, et particolarmente di quella del D I S E G N O , Ho giudicato che k nessuno meglio, et piu propriamente poteuo indrizzare questa mia opera, che a . V . a S.ria IH.ma; sapendo bene che comparendo al mondo con il Sigillo in fronte del suo celebratissimo nome, ella sard uolentieri da ogniuno riceuuta, et hauuta cara. Supplico .V.S.Ili.ma et Reuer.ma ad accettarla con benigno animo, secondo che dal sincerissimo affetto mio, pieno di riuerentia le uien presentata. Al.a quale Iddio conceda lunghi et felicissimi annj; D. V S. Ill.ma et humile et affettionatis.o Seruitore Matteo Perez di Allecio R.ma L a fatica che io mi son presa in mandare in luce la presente opera: non e stata perche mi dessi k credere di aggiungere fama con essa alia Religione, et al successo di si nobil guerra, et crescer nome alia chiaris.a c a s a de' Medici: essendo elleno per se stesse famosis.e et chiaris.e Ma per parermi questa una conuenfente occasione di mostrar loro I'animo mio grato, et in particolare il quell'Isola, et k quei Signori G r a n C r o c i , et Caualieri, che dell'esser io stato sempre grandem.te fauorito da essi, mentre in lor seruitio mi sono adoprato; Io ne tengo, et t e n * fresca et perpetua memoria. Molte furono le cagioni che mossero Soliman Ottom.ano x i j , G r a n T u r c o k uoler far la impresa di Malta, che per non esser tedioso le taccio; Dicendo solamente, che il suo principale intento era (oltie al uoler uendicarsi di tanti danni hauuti dalle galere di S . Giouanni) pigliato c h a u e s s e quell'Isola, pigliare poi la Sicilia, et Io Regno di Napoii, con animo di uenir in brieue padrone del Mondo. E t fatto il maggior apparato di guerra, che g'amai alcun de' suoi antecessor! per 1'adietro hauesse fatto, fece generale di terra Mustafa Bascta, huomo di ualore, et esperienza grandiss.a et del mare fe Generale Piali suo parente; quail si partirono da Costantinopoli alii .4. d'Aprile, et fatto alto alii Castellj s e gli affondO una naue carica di assai munitione. A l i i .ii. poi di Maggio tutta I'armata si troud i n Nauarino, quale era di .158. uascelli d a remo, undici Naui, et noue Maoni, e tre Caramusali; et fu fatto giuditio che in tutto, l'essercito ariuaua al numero di ottanta mila pc-rsone, con prouisione per tre mesi per il uitto, et per l a guerra; et portauano .60. Cannoni di batteria che tirauano Ottanta libre di palla fra li quali erano cinque Basilischi, che ne tirauano .i60. et due Murlacchi di estrema grandezza, portati apposta perche con il grande terremoto che faceuano, hauessero a rompere le cisterne tira.do .300. libbre di palla, con prouisione di poluere, et balle per cento mila tiri; Con gli legni acconci per fare gli gabbioni per l'Arteglieria; et diuersi altri istromenti per cauare, et far bastioni; et altre uarie materie per empir' i fossi. I I Generale dell'Arteglieria era Topgi. Bascta, et haueua seco cinque Ingegnieri. L a Capitana generale era di . 3 1 . banco, et eranui cinque huomini per banco et haueua tre fanali. Quella di Mustafa era di .28., et quella del G r a n T u r c o di .27. sebene egli non u'era in persona. E r a n o saperbamente dorate, et dipinte; Quali alii .18. di Maggio in Venerdi si trouorono in Malta, doue dettero fondo h un luogo chiamato il Mugiaro, et nel uoler mettere in terra furono alle mani co i nostri; et poi la notte del Sabato partitisi, uenero a M a r z a Syrocco, et messero in terra, doue k un casale detto di S.ta C a t a r i n a scaramucciorno con gli nostri, et l'altro giorno si accostorno alle fortezze, doue fu fatto quasi un fatto d'arme: per cio che ne morirono da mille de i loro, con poca perdita de' nostri; et uenuti poi ad accamparsi alia M a r z a , ui condussero per terra Tarteglieria, et la munitione, et alii .28. del medesimo assediomo Sant E r m o , battendolo con .30. pezzi, doue furono tirate diciotto mila cannonate. Onde dopo cinque assalti datili (nei quali morirono piu di .4000. Turchi de' megliori, CO. molti Arais, fra' quali morl Dragut famosissimo ccrsaro ferito k caso nella masciella da una scheggia di pietra fracasata da un tiro darteglieria che uenne di C a s t e l ,S. Angelo) finalme.te presero S. E r m o la uigitia di .S. G i o u a n i ; hauen- APPENDIX II Description of size in the frontispiece PLATE I Brieue ritratto de i successi & assalti dati dalla Armata del T u r c o alia Isola di Malta l'anno i565. 134 doui tenuto l'assedio .29. giomi, doue us n gran crudeltA sopra q u e i i pochi Caualieri che ui trouorno, et hauendo dopo assicurata I'armata nel porto di Marzamuscietto; A l i i .29. di Giugno cominciorono ad assediare i'lsola di .S. Michele, et il Borgo, mettendo in piu batterie .40. Can.oni; M a con tutto cio alii cinque di luglio la notte entrarono nel Borgo lor mal grado da .600. de' 135 nostri in soccorso, quali inuero furon la salute dell'lsola; di che auedutosi i T u r c h i subbito nel medesimo luogo detto ii Saluatore, di doue erano entrati, piantarono .20. Can.oni, che in tutto faceano il numero di .60. pezzi, quali batteuano giorno, e notte con tanto terrore, et spauento che pareua uolesse finir il mondo. A l i i .15. poi del medesimo essendo d i g i i tutta la cortina, et la fronte di .S. Michele a terra; Vennero all'assalto di esso per mare, con certi loro barconi, et per terra alia fronte con impeto si fiero, che pareua uolessero subbissare ogni cosa; M a come piacque k Dio gli nostri d'ogni banda hebbero uittoria, pigliando sei barche grandi, e quattro piccole con una fregata, et sei bandiere am.azzandone piu di .800. M a continouando essi tuttauia di battere alia posta di castglia, diedero molti assalti fra' quali il principale fu quello delli .21. d'Agosto doue si trouO il C r a . Maestro in persona F R A G I O V A N N I DI V A L L E T T A k dar animo alii suo-i, quali si porlorono si uolorosamente, che al soltto ributtoron' gli nemici. Vedendo dunque il B a s c i a che no. gli riusc i u a cosa ch'egli uolesse; Andd per riconoscere la Citta uecchia, doue era gouematore fra Pietro Meschitta Portughese; ma essendogli stati am.azzati iui alqua.ti de' suoi s e ne torn6 continouando sempre di battere, et dare assalti. FQ tanto il ualore de' Nostri che ripara.dosi sempre, et difendendosi gagliardamente, si mantenero per insino alii .7. di Sette.bre. N e l qua! tempo Don G a r z i a con .60. galee gli soccorse mettendo in terra da .8000. soldati. Quali venendo poi alle mani con i T u r c h i et ammazzata gran quantita di loro; G l i costrinsero finalmente k fuggire, et imbarcarsi, et partire alii .i3. di detto. come distintamente nelli seguenti fogli si puo uedere; hauendoui aggiunto oltre di cio, la Pianta della Citth nuoua chiamata V A L L E T T A , et l a pianta della Citta uecchia, insieme con quella della Fortezza dell'lsola del Gozo. Vergine madre di Christo appresso / a l i a Sarctissima Trinita et del Beatissimo Santo Giovan.i Battista, et del Santissi/mo Appostolo Pao/o, et delta benedetta S a n t a C a t e r i n a q u a l j h a n . o in protettione et C u s . a q u e s t a I s o l a . I n margin along foot: V E R I S S I M O DISEGNO DELTSOLA DI M A L T A C O N TVTTI LI P O R T / F O R T E Z Z E C A S A L I ET LI M A L T E S I CHE C O N L E L O R O R O B B E S I C O N D V C A N O IN S I C V R O V E D E N D O VENJRE L'ARMATA D E L TVRCO L A Q V A L E NON P/GLIO PORTO A M A R Z A S I R O C C O / PER IL M A R G R O S S O M A GIRANDO L T S O L A VENNE A D A R F O N D O , A L M V G I A R R O IN V E R D I A D I 18 D ' M A G . O ET VI STETE IL S A B A T O S C A R A M V C C I A N D O C O N LI N O S T R I C A V L I ET F E R . O N O PR/GIONE VN C A V A L I E R F R A N C E S E C H I A M A T O L A RIVIERA. N E L A N N O . M D L X V . Imprint: I N R O M A . A P R E S S O . MATTHEO PEREZ DE A L E C C I O (bottom left corner in sea area) F O G L I O S E C O N D O .1582. (bottom right c o m e r in sea area). 315 x 449 mm. Map of Malta, without graduation or scale. Rose with 16 wind directions, the main ones being marked T , G , + , S , O, L , P, M. Orientation: south west (Libeccio) at top, The following legends are scattered around the map to pinpoint the opening gambits of the siege: 1. 2. Cinque galere della religione alia bocca del porto. Galera mandata per riconoscere/11 Porto di mana Sirocco et per che era/gran Maretta c6 un tiro ne fa segno. 3. L'armata Turcheaca che gira 1 isola no. / 1i concedendo il tempo pigliar porto i mar/ia Scirocco. 4. Porto del mugiaro doue in prima messe in terra l'ar = /mata Turchesca, et uengono alle mani con li nostri/Cavalli, et fu fatto Sciavo un Caugliero, c.to la riuiera. 5. L a Citta Vecchia che/fa segnale co, il Fumo, A P P E N D I X HI Detailed description of the plates Contents Two other legends show respectively the site of St. Paul's grotto at Rabat and the place where Valletta was built after the siege: 1. Chieain de San Paulo solo alia quale/* la Grolia doue si caua la pieira die */ centra Veleno. 2. In queslo/loco hoggi/e la noua/Citt*. PLATE II D I S E G N O D E L L ' / S O L A DI M A L T A ET L A VEN VTA D E L L ' / A R M A T A TVRCHESCA A D / .XVZ/L DI M A G G I O . M . D . L X V 1 . (along head, separated by a group of figures, surrounded by clouds, representing the Holy T r i n i t y , the Virgin, St. Catherine, St. John the Baptist and St. Paul). T h e presence of this group is explained by a legend below the group, in a scroll placed just inside the coastal area of the island lying at the top: Si p u o P i i s s h n a m e n t e Credere che M a l t a era per Perdersi se n o . / f u s s e r o s t a t e le i n t e r c e s s i o n s de la G l o r i o s a The map is very rich in place-names which are given hereunder (Appendix III), in a comparative table w i t h the map painted by d'Aleccio at the Palace, Valletta, and the map by Antonio L a f r e r i published i nRome in 1551. The latter has been chosen for purposes of comparison because it is the most detailed and most accurate map of Malta before d'Aleccio's. T h e author has included in the table the place-names as shown on the map published by the W a r Office of the United Kingdom in 1954 (Ref. G S G S 3859, Sheet 2, Edition 4), with the addition of a few notes where appropriate. 136 137 PLATE III UARMATA TVRCHESCA CHE M E S S E IN T E R R A A MARZA SIROCCO A D I JCX. DI M A G G I O . (along head). LI M A L T E S 1 N O N C R E D E V A N O CHE V A R M AT A SI F E R M A S S E , ET P E R T A N T O NON F E R N O Q V E L L A D E L I G E N Z A C H E B I S O G N A V A I N R A C O G L I E R E I L G R A N O E T C O . D V R R E I N S A L V O IL B E S T I A M E CHE E R A DI G R A N D I S S M O A 1 V T O A L L I TVRCHI SI P O DIRE (along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T E O PEREZ DE ALLECCIO. FOGLIO TERZO. 1582. (along foot inside picture area, between right corner and centre). 317 x 454 mm. W i n d rose as on first map. Orientation: north-east at top. A long legend in large oval cartouche occupies the centre of the picture. Together with other legends spread here and there, it describes the initial stages of the siege. The map extends from Monte S. E r m o to Marsaxlokk and the following place-names are given in situ: Borgo, II Coradino. II L'iaola dj 5a. Michel? MARZA SCHALA Monte della Calcara Monte de Santo Ermo Ponta delle Forche Porto di Marza Sirocco San Niccolo San Tomaao Sant'Angelo Serra. L a Zabban, C. PLATE IV L'ASSEDIO £ B A T T E R IA DI , S . E R M O A D I .XXVII. DI M A G G I O (along head). I N Q V E S T A F O R M A S T A V A L A B A T T E R / A D I N T O R N O A S. E R M O CHE L ' B A S S A M V S T A F A V O L S E CHE F V S S E L A PRIMA IN PRESA PER GVADAGNA/—RE IL P O R T O DI M A R Z A M V S C E T T O A CIO UARMATA A V E S S E L O C O S I C V R O . (.1582.) IN R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O P E R E Z D E A L L E Z I O . F O G L I O Q A R T O (along foot). 315 x 453 mm. W i n d Rose as on first map. Orientation: north-north-east at top. A legend in two lines in scroll at top left corner explains the movement of eighty T u r k i s h ships to St. George's Bay on the 30th May. Piace-names are indicated by a key in a cartouche on the night towards centre; explanation of military action in progress is also given: A. B. C. D. E. F. Castel ,S. Angelo II Borgo L a Burtnula L isola di ,S. Michel Sanct'Ermo Dui Batterie una di Can .14. 1 altra di .10, G. Luoco doue s'accamporono mcntre batteuano .5. E.mo H. L artegliaria che condticano per .S. E.mo I. Padiglione del Baas* Mustafh K. Turchi che niarciano uer«o .5. Ermo L. Cala di .S.G. donde il Baasa fece smo,ta/re di molte Munition]. M. L i doi Bass* di mare et di terra con 1 ochiali C.ro N. Turchi che conducano li legni per far Ij Gabbionj all'artegliena O. Scaramucce oue li noslrj piu uolte hebbero Vittnria. P. Scaramucce doue furono morti alcuni Turchi. The map shows what is happening around the harbour area. These place- names are given m situ: G.no de Cianterena L'isolotto Ponta de le Forche Ponta di Dragut con .4. Can.onj Renella. L a Saluatore, II S, Giouan Santa Margherita PLATE V LA P R E S A DI SANT'HERMO A D I X X I I I D E GIVGNO .NEL M.D.LXV. (along head). I N Q V E S T A F O R T E Z Z A G L I TVRCHI VI T R O V O R N O 27 PEZZI DI B R O N Z O CHE SVB1TO INCOMINCIORNO C O N V N O A T I R A R E A .S. A N G E L O E T E N T R A T O CHE V I F V D E N T R O IL B A S C I A M A R A V I G L I A N D O S I D I S S E H A L L A G / O V E O D/O S E I L / F I G L I O L O C H E E S I P I C C O L O CI H A D A T O T A N T O CHE F A R E CHE F A R A IL P A D R E Q V A L E E SI G R A N D E E C O N GRAN FVRIA C O M A N D O CHE A N E S S V N O SI S A L V A S S E L A V/TO. ET SVB.TO NE AVISO IL GRAN TVRCO. CON S I R O C O CORSARO (along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O PEREZ D ' A L L E C C I O . F O G O QVINTO. (along foot of left comer, inside the picture area). M D L X X X / I (bottom right comer, inside picture area). 316 x 450 mm. Legend in panel in centre towards the top describes the fall of St. Elmo. A key in rectangle at bottom left c o m e r reads as follows: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L, M. N. S. Angelo sopra al quale si uide il can.o/ne che amazzo Dragut. Monte del Saluatore. Ponta de le forche, il forte di S. Hermo S. hermo doue li turchi entrano; ttltta Parmata turchesca che aaluta .S. Hermo/entrando in marza muaetto d'reuelino Dragut fcrito di .S. Angelo. batteria di iO cahoni batteria di i4 cannon i. il Bascia Mustafh general di terra il general di mare piali Baacih, Io Occhiali calaurese 138 139 0. P. Q. R. S, T, V. Marza musetto ponte per done si da 1'assalto, trincea de turchi intorno di .S, Hermo, barconi et fregatle armate a la bocca/del porto per impedire il Soccorso/che ueniua a .S. Hermo, alchuni che si saluano notaudo. dui pesst che tirauano k le barche/che ueniuano co. soccorso. il galeone che se piglii 4, turchi il/quale era de) Capi.o Aga portiero maggiore del gran Turco, che/iu gran mezzo a fare che uenisse/l'armala. sopra Malta. The following explanations are given in situ: Bardie le qual torn ami per no. hauer possuto lasser/soccorso in ,S. Elmo Corpi de Cauaglieri gettati in mare legati insieme senza teste. PLATE VI L'ASSEDIO E BATTERIA DELL'ISOLA DI S A N M I C H E L E A D I XXVUL DI G I V G N O (along head). D O P O I L A P R E S A DI S. E R M O F V G I R N O M O L T ! R E N E G A T 7 D A L L I Q V A L I SE INTESE CHE I L B A S C I A VOLEVA BATTERE L E F O R T E Z Z E C O N . L X . PEZZI INMA GINANDOSI I N POCHI / G I O R N I RID V R L E T V T T E I N P O L V E R E . (along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O PEREZ DE A L L E Z I O . F O G . O S E S T O (along foot in left bottom corner, inside the picture area). M D L X X X I I (bottom right corner, inside picture area). 315 x 453 mm. On the left, towards the centre, there is a key to placenames as hereunder: A. B. .C. .D. Castel S. Angelo, n Borgo, Posta di prouenza, .S.Margarita, doue atauano sei Canoni/et un basalisco che batteuano la fronte di .i./Michele, et Prouenza, . E . la burmula doue stauano doi C.ni che tirauan/4 .S. Angelo et al borgo. ,F. la fronte delilTsola. di S.M. .G. la Mandra Con .3. Cafioni che batteuano/ .S. Michele, .H. il Coradino doue stauano i3. C.ni che/batteuano S.M. ciou* la Cortina. 1. Barche condutte per terra per dar'/l'aasalto al Sperone. .K. batteria di .3. C. che tirano al Spero' dell'isoln X . I'armata del turco de.tro de marza musetto .M. Artegliaria ch. conducano da .S, ermo .N. Batteria di .3. C. ch batteuano il/borgo et S. A. .0. Ponte dargul/doue stauano 4/can.oni ch batteuano/ .S. Ermo. .P. S. Ermo gii/preso da/turchi. Besides, these indications are given in archabugieri alia scarpa del fosso Catena 140 situ: Catena di anleiie fatta da II galeone che f* pigliato L isolotto Ponte che si passaua dal II Saluatore II Sperone de I isola et nostri a' turchi borgo k 1 isola le moline PLATE VII IL S O C C O R S O PICCOLO A L B O R G O DI NOTTE A D I .V. DI L V G L . ' O . (along head). Q V E S T O P R I M O S O C C O R S O D I .600. S O L D ATI S M O N T O A L L A PIETRA N E G R A A D I .29. D I G I V G N O C O N D O T T O C O N . 4 . G A L E R E D A L , S . D . G I O , DI C A R D O N A ET D O P O I L ' A V E R S I F E R M A T O .6. GIORNI A L L A C TTA VECHIA / DI N O T T E SI C O N D V S S E A L S A L V A T O R E D O V E E R A N O C O DIVERSE BARHE IL CAPITAN R O M A G A S , E FANTONE. C H E S V B I T O L O TRASSPORTORNO A L B O R G O . C O M E SI VEDE NEL PRESENTE DISEGNO. (in margin, along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T E O PEREZ DE A L L E C I O . F O G L I O . S E T T I M O (along foot of picture area, left corner). M D L X X X I I (bottom centre). 315 x 453 mm. A list of names is given in two panels, one at top left, the other at centre right, with these headings: L I C A V A G L I E R I D I M A L T A CHE V E N . E R O CO. I L / PRIMO S O C C O R S O (43 names). V E N T V R I E R I S P A G N O L I (16 names) V E T U R I E R I I T A L I A N I (12 names) T O D E S C H I (3 names) ING L E S ! (2 names). T h e following place-names are shown in s i t u : C.L S. A N G E L O CITTA V E C . L A Curadino, II I N F E R M E R I A . L A . P E R DOVE E N T R A I L 50C. M del L isollo Other indications in POSTA D I A L V E R N I A POSTA D I CASSTIGLIA, L A Kabato, II SALVATORE, I L S. F[aolo] situ: II C. Grauina Prcsso. II Sig.r Alfk-r Mugnator I] Sig.r Mastro di ca/Robles. et il Slg.r F . Vincenzo Carrafa, priore dTn/ghcrla Cap! del prese.te Soccorso. PLATE VIII ASSEDIO E BATTERIA' A L BORGO E ALLA POSTA DI C A S T I G L I A ADI .VI. DI L V G L I O . (along head). C o m e s'auiddero gli turchi che era entrato soccorso a l Borgo s u b i t o a n d o r n o m o l t i di essi per la medesima s t r a d a che gli nostri e r a n o uenuli et ui i n c o n t r o r n o per p r i m o a d o d e c i s o l d a t i , et il Comend a t o r e G r a u i n a che per essere troppo grauato de a r m i n o n p u o s e s e g u i t a r ' gli 141 altri; il q u a l e e fioggi prior, de l o m b a r d i a ; (in margin, along foot). JN R O M A . APPRESSO. M A T T E O PEREZ D ' A L L E C C I O . F.o O T T A V O (along foot, inside picture area, bottom right corner). 1582 (left bottom corner). in 319 x 452 mm. K e y to place-names and military events in three columns large panel at the top on the right, preceded by five lines of text: Subito non sarebbe entrato lischi, fosse dm come Mustafd il/nnmero, padron rt uatore, A. .B. che V liajcid si sapendo del messa tutto. la murlachi, i. chtnro generate di terra morirsi di sdegno, f i per comandd/eon maggior d'ogni sbarcati nel gran di ultra alcune presenle intese furia battt navi che = /ria grosse che net e rabbia. nel era entrato fi soccorso, confortandosi medesimo quale che borgo ma di tuoco che per .16 Cannon), stauano/puoco lontano doue dm dal presto era basaSal- foglio; Cartel' di .S. Angelo, il borgo, ct la porta di Castiglia C. moline dc I isola. D. il monte di S. Hermo E . marsa muaetto doue rtaua =/I'armata, f-. ponta di dragut. G. Sant'Hermo piglcato da turchi, .11. il ponte del saluatore doue lit messa la piile batteria de 20 pezii. .1. Barconi che conducono l'arlegliaria a] Saluatore. .K. ponta de le forche ,L. naui grosse da li quale si sbarca = /I'artegliaria, ,M. II BasciA mustafA G.le di terra =/et II Bascia piali general' di mare. ,N. giannizieri de la guardia d.l gran , T , .O. il monte de la calcara doue stauano/doi cannoni ch. batteuano p. tutto il borgo .P. beluedcre doue era il corpo di guardia del/bascia G.le di terra, e doue staua il suo padigl.ne -Q. Capitani et offitiali pricipali d.l Campo, .R. guastalori chiamati ciachali. PLATE IX L ' A S S A L T O PER M A R E E PER T E R R A A L L ' I S O L A DI . S . M . A D ' . . X V . DI L V G L I O , (top centre). I N Q V E S T O A S S A L T O A L S P E R O N E L I N O S T R I MANDORONO A F O N D O .VI. B A R C H E G R A N D I .1111 P I C C O L E ET PIGLIORNO VNA F R E G A T A C O N A L Q V A N T I T V R C H I A Q V I S T A N D O .VI. B A N D I E R E (in margin, along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O P E R E Z D ' A L L . O F O G o N O N O (bottom centre, inside picture area, separated by a large panel with key to place-names and military events). DE A. B. C. 142 317 x 453 mm. T h e title of the key is I N D I C E D E L L / N O M ! E LOCH1 and it is followed by: Castel di .S. Angelo. II Borgo II = Gran Mastro intesta at Ponte COGNOMI D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q, It. S. T. V. II Galeone. che le Galere di .S. Gioanj pigliorono A Turchj. la Posta di Aluernia, la Posta dj Prouenza. Beluedere doue II BassA Mustafa haueua i] Padiglione. la Mandra con .3. Cannoni che batteuano .S.M.le I'Assalto alia fronte di £ Michele. Porta d.l Borgo che su uA alia Burmula. II Giardino del Gran Mastro le Moline doue il nostri haueuano .7. Pezii le Guardie in cima al Ponte acio le genti no. si partissero. Piatta forma de doue furno tirati alquanti colpi, che mandorno la Catena di legno, che si po dire che sal no Vlsola. I| Coradino doue staua la Batteria di .13. can.oni.che batteuano Barconi che Ij Turchj condusscro per 1'assalto del Sperone da Batteria sopra al Monte d: .S. Ermo di .13. Caiionj MustafA General di terra zi pela la Barba Piali BassA General di Mare, et Agi Machsur. Capitano, et altri Other indications in a fondo delle Barche la Cortina dell'lsola. marza muszetto. ti strugono di dolorr. situ: ADOHNO L ochialj Greco che/fu il primo a tugtra Naue de Genouesi PLATE X L ' A S S A L T O G E N E R A L E A L L A P O S T A DI C A S T I G L I A A D I . X X I . D I A G O S T O MDLXV. (along head). S u b i t o che il G r a n M a e s t r o intese c h e ii Turchi g'.a e n t r a u a n o n e l l a p i a z z a di C a s t i g l i a , p i g l t a t a u n a P i c c h a ui s ' a u i o c o n a n i m o p r o n t i s s i m o di c o m b a t t e r e , et a r r i u a t a c o n allegra fronte disse ad a l t a u o c e ; Cauglieri m i e i . q u e s t o e il tempo di mostrare la f e d e . et il u a l o r e u o s t r o : et fu di t a n t o aguto il suo par/are, c h ' o g n ' / u n o pigliando grandtssimo a n i m o , ribatterno q u e l l a g r a n q u a n t i t a di C a n a g l i a , q u a l e gia h a u e u a n o messo sette B a n d i e r e a l i a p o s t a deli C. B o n i n s e g n a , n o n senza gran sangue d ' a m b e d u a le p a r t i . Et nell istesso tempo li C a u a l l i d e l l a C i t t a V e c c h i a u e n n e r o a l i a M a r z a et a m a z o r n o q u a n t i Turchi ut trouorono. (in margin, along foot). IN R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O P E R E Z D ' A L I . E Z I O . F.o D E C I M O . (inside picture area, left bottom corner). n.d. 319 x 453 mm. K e y to place-names in large scroll towards the top corner as hereunder: A. II Gran Maestro Fra Gio Parisotto/de Valetta. B. II suo Maestro di Casa Fra Luis/Saquinuille. C. Canone ttrato da] C.n Itomagass./che fece grandissimo efetto D. Luogho duoue de gli nostri (u atna=/zalo il Commend a tor deTArterie. E . L a retirata de doue gli nostri uaio = /rosaraente offendeuauo i Turchi. F. Posta de gli Genouesi left 143 G. H. L K. L. M. N. 0. P. Q. R. S. T. V. X. Posla de Aluernia Santa Margarita con la batteria di sei/Can.onj. et un Basilisco. Bekiedere doue staua il corpo di/Guardia del Bassa co. il suo Padiglione. In questo luogho lj Turchj entrorono,/et fu il di periculoso a jwrdersi Soldato che sopra alia cortina corre/piii uolte grida.do Vittoria, Vttloria Questo Turco ammazzi molti d'i nos/tri tira.do di sot to ad un inbasla Trincea di Turchi, dalla quale/grandemente offendeuano. L Occhiali Greco, che fu causa/chc lj suoi si retirassero al Sperone. Batteria di Sedici Cannonj./dui Murlachi et doi Basilschi. Teste d; Cauaglieri. Trincee che/sicuramente si poteua catninare. II monte della Calcara co. dui i Can = /noni, che faceuano gran danno. Braccio di mare, che diuide il Bor = /go del no.te del Saluatore. Bandiere piantate da Turchj sopra la muraglia. L a Posta de Bon'/Insegna. PLATE XI DIMOSTRATIONE. D . T V T T A . L A . G V E R R A . (in margin, top centre). N E L PRESENTE DISEGNO SI VEDENO CHIARAMENTE TVTTl I LOCHI DELLE TRINCEE7 BATTERIE A S S A L T I N V M E R O DI PEZZI ET LI P O R T ! E ' FORT E Z Z E . (in margin, along foot). IN R O M A . APPRESSO M A T T H E O PEREZ D'ALLECIO. FOGLIO VNDECIMO. (inside picture area, bottom centre), n.d. 312 x 451 mm. K e y to place-names and military events in panel at bottom left corner captioned D E S C R / 7 T I O N E D E L L E C O S E N O T A B I L I , with a scale at the bottom of the panel: Scofa de C a n n e n u m e r o 400. T h e key runs as follows: A. B. C. D. E. Castel -S. Angelo co. la Catena che va al Sprone dell'lsola. Borgo con il ponte per il quale si passaua allTsola. Burmola dove stauano doi pezzi grossi che tirauano a .S. Ang.lo Isola di .S. Michele co. la catena di legno accio le barche de tur/c.hi non s'accostasseno. S. Margarita doue atauano .6. Cafioni at ™ basilisco, cho/bottcunno .S.M ct la posta di prouenza. F. Beluedere doue era accarapato il generale Mustafa con il/corpo della sua guardia. G. L a Mandra con .3. Canoni che batteuano la lro.te di .S. Michele H. II Coradino con .13. Cannoni In tre poste dalli quali/era battuta la cortina del Isola de .S. Michele. L Barchoni trasportati da Marza moscet per Tassa I to./dell'lsola fatti per acqua. K. Due Batterie di .6. Cannoni che batteno 1'isola et parte del bor.o L. Batteria di .5. pecci che batte ,S. Angelo. M. Due Batterie 1 una di .14 Cafioni, faltra di .10: che batt.o S . ermo, N. Santermo con il reuelino, et il forte, et trincee, latte da turchi. O. II monte della Calcara, doue erano .2. cafioni che tirauano alla = /posta di Castiglia. P. II monte del saluatore, doue stauano in piu batterie .16. Caii = /ni dui basilisci et dui murlachi. Q. Cala doue stauano molti uascclli grossi, che sbarcorono l'ar = /tegliaria per il saluatore R. Ponta delle Forche 144 5. Ponta di Dragut doue atauano quattro Cannoni che bat=/teuano II forte di S, enno T. Marsa muscetto. doue staua I'armata dopo, la presa di .5. ermo V. L'isolotto, in mezo Al porto, di Marza Mussetto. X. Luoco, donde si puo guazzare, per andare all'Isolotto. Besides, the following indications are given in situ. Catena di antene fatta da Turchi Benella, L a Vigna di Paulo miccio PLATE XII LA V E N V T A D E L G R A N S O C C O R S O A D I .VII. D I S E T T E M B R E . D E L . M D L X V . (along head, but broken up in three places with a scroll with legend, vessels of the Christian fleet and panel with legend). D o n g a r z i a d o p o I a u e r f a l t o d i s b a r c w e d a o t t o Milia Christiani se ne Torrid in M e s s i n a d o u e c o n G . m a D i l i g e n z a ne fece r i n b a r c a r e A l l e m e d s i m e G a l e r e d a altri t a n t i Infra li q u a l i f u r o n o m o l t i Signori 6 C o l o n e l l i c o n r e s o l u t i o n e in ogni m o d o d i s c a c c i a r II T u r c h i da M a l t a q u a l i i n n a n z i il s u o rftomo c o n lor molto dan.o et v e r g o g n a di Norte s'erano Fugitj. Adi Tredici di S e t t e m b r e c h e F u in Giouedi del 1565. (in margin, along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O M A T T H E O PEREZ DE A L L E C I O F O G L I O . D V O D E C / M O . .1582. (inside picture area, between left bottom corner and centre). 319 x 451 O n the right, with elliptical tember, 1565. The following mm. W i n d rose as on first map. Orientation: north east at top. the centre is taken up by a long legend in a decorated frame, sides describing the arrival of the relief force on the 7th SepThis is supplemented by five other legends scattered around. place-names are shown in s i t u : Madalena, L a Nacuar, C. Porto deli Mugiaro,...,., II P.o delle Saline Vechie Sabug. C. Salamun Saline Noue. Le Sjanl Giorgi S. Paolo S[anta] Maria della Melccha S. Maria Talpualei Alfaruut Alucha, C. Bel Calcara. C. Beluan, C. Ben ho no rate Cala di Marco Cala di San Paolo Galii G[iardin]o della Maria Gibir, C, Grcgor, C. Lacharas PLATE XIII LA FVGA TEMBRE E PARTENZA DELL'ARMATA TVRCHESCA ADI .XIII. DI SET- . M D L X V . (along head, separated in the centre by a wide stretch of 145 sea with numerous shipping). L ' A R M A T A D E L T V R C O DOPO L ' E S S E R E FVGG I T A D I : M A L T A A L L I .XIII. DI S E T T E M B R E B A D O ' PER I N S I N O A L L ? .DC. DI N O V E . B R E D ' A R R I V A R E I N COS T A N T1NOPOLI E T SJ T R O V O ' C H E MANC A V A N O PIV DI . X X X . M I L I A AN1ME CHE F V R O N O C A G I O N E / D I L V T T O E T P I A N T O G R A N . S S I M O N O N S O L O I N CONSTANTINOPOL! M A PER T V T T A T V R C H I A ET I L G R A ' T V R C H O S O L I M A N O FV P E R M O R I RE DI SDEGNO. (in margin along foot). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A / T T H E O PEPEZ (sic) D ' A L L E C I O (bottom centre, inside picture area). F O G L . ' O D E C I M O TERZO. (right bottom corner). 317 x 448 mm. W i n d rose as on the first map. Orientation: east at top. Four legends, two of which are very long, describe the final stages of the siege. One place-name is given in s i t u : L a C i t t a V e c c h i a . PLATE XIV L A N V O V A C I T T A E' F O R T E Z Z A DI M A L T A C H I A M A T A V A L L E T T A , (along head). Questa n u o u a CittA et F o r t e z z a fu f o n d a t a d a l l ' I U . m o Sig.r Gran Maestro F R A G I O V A N = / N I P A R I S O T T O DI V A L L E T T A et d a iui c h i a m a t a V A L L E T T A , Q u a l e fu d a l l ' I U . m o s u o s u c c e s s / s o r e F R A PIETRO D E ' M O N T ] in b u o n term i n e l a s c i a t a , et p o i d a l l ' I l l m o G r a n M a e s t r o p a s s a t o / FRA G I O V A N N I L E VESQVE DE LA C A S S I E R E poco meno che f i n i t a , et o r n a t a di m o l t i edifit'j c o m e di u n / n o b i l i s s . o t e m p i o d e d i c a t o al Glorioso S . Giouanni B a t t i s t a , et un Mag.co et gran P a l a z z o , n e l l a c u i m a g g i o r s a l a fece dtptn=/gere in m o l t i q u a d r i r a p p r e s e n t a t i in q u e s t ' o p e r a , Vordine d e l l a g u e r r a , de i s u c c e s s i , et ass a l t i d a t i d a l l ' a r m a t a T u r c h e s c a all' / I s o l a di M a l t a l a n n o 1565, et altri edifttij n e c e s s a r i j , et si tien per c e r t o c h e d a l l ' I U . m o Sig.r Gran Maestro F R A H V G O L O V B E . X / V E R D A L L A Scelto p e r d i u i n a p r o u i d e n z a fra t a n t i nobiiissimi Sig.ri G r a n C a p i t a n i p e r a t t i s s i m o a l i a c o n s e r u a t i o n e , et accrescimento d e l t a I c e l e b r a t i s s i m a R e l i g i o n e di . S . G I O V A N N I I E R O L O S O M I T A N O habbia A rfdursf a U ' u l t l m a s u a p e r f e t t t o n e , et b e U e z z a , per u e d e r s i / di gid che S. S . r i a l l l m a ci fa a t t e n d e r e con q u e l l a s o l l e c i t u d i n e , et a c c o r t e z z a c h e a buono, et religioso Principe si c o n u i e n e , et che cosf c o m e / dal glorioso VALLETTA h e b b e felice p r i n c i p i o , c o s i dal G r a n d e V E R D A L L pari in uirtit s i a per h a u e r feliciss.o fine; et cost I'humile suo / seruitore M A T T E O P E R E Z D I A L L E C C I le prega da D I O lunga et felice u i t a , p e r questa et simrlt altre gloriose imp r e s e . (in the upper half of a cartouche at bottom left corner. T h e lower half contains a key to place-names). I N R O M A . A P P R E S S O . M A T T H E O . P E R E Z D E A L L E C I O . F O G L I O D E C I M O Q V A R T O . (inside picture area, bottom centre, separated by a vessel). 315 x 452 mm. W i n d rose as on first map. Orientation: south east (Scirocco) at top. Scale at extreme right, in centre: S c a l a di c a n n e S e s a n t a . Ornamental cartouche at top left corner inside which are the Order's Arms, as 146 well as those of the four G r a n d Masters mentioned in the legend reproduced above. The map is a bird's eye view of the new city of Valletta founded in 1566. T h e key to place-names is captioned: L ' I N D I C l DE I N O M I E T C O G N O M l DE L O C H I N O T A B I L I and reads as follows: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H. I. K. L. M. N. O. P. Q. K. S, T. V. X. Y. Z. AA. BB. CC. DD. EE. FF. GG. llll II. KK. LL. MM. NN. OO. PP. QQ. RR. S5. li. W. XX. YY. ZZ. Chiesa Principale di .5. Giouanni. C.sa Catedrale di S. Paolo C.sa di Santa Maria de porto taluo C.ia de la Nunciata del Carmine C.sa di S.ta Maria della Vitoria C.ia di S. Maria dellj Greci. C.sa di San Francescho C.sa di S.to Aguitino Cappella di S.ta M.a d. roezo A.o Cap.a d, S.ta Caterina dTta.a Oratorio del Kosario Oratorio di S, Vince.zo L infermaria Nuoua et la Vechia. Chiesa di S. Nicola di Greci. Caprlla in casa del Vescouo Albergio di Prouenza Albergio de Alucrnia Albergio dl Franza Albergio d'ltalqa Albe.o de Arragona et il Priorato Alb.o di Castiglia et il Priorato Albergio de Allemagna La Castcllania doue si tien lusticia la Casa dellj S.ri Cateliano et altri 1« Moline de la Poluere. Case d. S.ri duero e poio et altri. Case del dotor fra mo.tana, et al.i Case del S.r Ballio d. taqula * altri II Forno d.la Signoria et I'Arroaria Casa del m. pietro gianberi et For.o Casa del Ingegniero et Arch.o loco oue si conserua il TTesorn C.e d.l S.r do. Antonio da Bologna Casa del S.r Prior di Napoli. Casa del S.r. Auogadro G e d r.i S.ri P.ri d' C.sa Vescovo et la Co.a C.e d. S.ri Ghirale grac.craci * Caspe. Case de S.r Don Pietro la Kocca. C.a del. Co.ri Genori et Borgogne. C.e d. S.r Pietromelcio. et S.r P.r S. Gil.o C.a d. S. Cbmo.dator Sadie. uiDa. Casa del S.or Romagai C.a de fra Angelo Pelegrino C.a d.l S.r Sa.tobino, et Scag.a C.a di fra Simo. Preos.te C.a del S.ri Ladosa e lu.no 147 The following place-names are given in L'ARSENALE Bii s i 11 sc ho/T urchescho BVCC1RIA, LA Casa de inasl.ro Tomaso Casa di Mattia Pittore C A S T E L L O E T / F O R T E Z Z A D I / S ERMO Fontana FORTE, I L Foiae et Magazeni/de Graao situ: L'i n f ermeri a nou a MANDRACHIO, I L Piazza del/mal canto/ne P. d. ludei PORTA D E MONTE P O R T A / D E .S. GIORGIO Porta del Mandraccho PORTO DI MARZA MVSCETTO Prigio/ne di Sthiaui, L a Stale Names of bastion are also given in s i t u : S. ANDREA S. CHRISTOFORO S. GIORGIO SANTO GIOVAN.I S. IACOBO Other indications in S. LAZARO S. M I C H E L E . S . / P I E T R O E PAO/LO, SANTA BARBARA situ: Barche clie paasano al Borgo B A R C H E Q V A L E PORTANO BRVSCA E ' / P I E T R E D A L GOZZO Le Galere che rimhurchiano una Gemia Turche.a PLATE XV P I A N T A D E L L A C I T A VECH1A / DI M A L T A (left of centre, towards the top, inside the city w a l l s ) . P I A N T A D E L L A F O R T E / Z A D E L L T S O L A D E L G O Z O (right of centre, towards the top, inside the city walls). A P P R E S S O M A T T H E O PEREZ D E ALLECCIO FOGLIO QVINTO D E C I M O ET V L T I M O . IN ROMA. MDLXXXII. (in margin, along foot). N e l l a p r e s t m t e C I T A d i t t a L A VECHIA mentre duro 1 assedio ui fu G o u e r n a t o r e fra p i e t r o / M e s q i t a Portoge.se quale con molta p r u d e n z a l a dtfese, et c o s t o d i t r o u a n d o s i c o . lui m o l t i / C a u a g l i e r i q u a l i c o n la C a u a l l e r i a ferno g r a . m o g i u a m e n t o , et a u e n d o s i d a p o i considerato c h e I q u e s t a C i t t a e di g r a n c i r c u i t o , et la m a g g i o r p a r t e di e s s a £ s o t t o p o s t a ad ogni offesa si per la m a / l a s u a f o r m a c o m e a n c o per r i s p e t t o d e l l a s u a f o r t e z z a o u e s o n o certi b a l u a r d i fatti a l l ' a n t i c a l o n t a n i / t a l m e n t e fra di loro che n o n possono darsi a t u t o I ' u n Valtro, et per Io mal disegno loro n o n possono / fiancheggiare assieme. et il s u o f o s s o £ in argine di Terra senza forma ueruna, et a difenderla sarebbe bi=/sogno di g r a n d i s s i m o n u m e r o di g e n t e , et di g r a n d e p r o u i s i o n e , e m u n i t i o n e . et p e r c h e si nel u o l e r fortificarla / lascladola 148 nella m e d e s i m o c h e hora u e n e , c o m e a n c o per p o t e r l a difendere, la S p e s a sar e b b e g r a n d i s s . a / et fuora di proposito; Pertanto s i £ d e l i b e r a t o di r e s t r i n g e r l a , e ridurla in f o r m a d ' u n f o r t e c o n farli u n a f r o n t e s o l a / c o n d u e b a l u a r d i , et u n fosso r e a l e , et t u t t o il r e s t a n t e del c i r c u i t o s i a s o p r a u n s a s s o u i u o , q u a l e di s o t t o s i a scoscieso / et h a b b i a g r a n d e p e n d e n t i a , per to che u e n g a d e t t a p a r t e q u a s i a s s i c u r a t a d ' o g n i p e r i c o l o , et c h e t u t t a I ' o p e r a u e c = / c h ( a c h e r e s t e r a fuori del disegno nuouo si d e b b a s p i a n a r e , a c c i o c h e c o n gli medesfmi m a t t o n i , et s a s s i , si p o s s a / fare £1 nuouo disegno; et r i d o t t a che s a r a in q u e s t a f o r m a si p o s s a in u n b i s o g n o m e t t e r dentro da .300. h u o m i n i i n s i e m e c o n la C a u a l l e ria d e l l ' l s o l a , / et c o n q u e s t a g e n t e si possa difendere s e n z a hauer d dar disfurbo a gli altri l u o g h i , et g i u n t o c h e s i a Tlnimico in q u e s t a I s o l a la d e t t a C a u a l l e r i a / gli s i a per d a r e gra.dissimo disturbo, et d a n n o . et t u t t i i l u o g h i n o t a b i l i di d e t t a C i t t a si n o t a n o per a l f a b e t o c o m e al p r e s e n t e s o p r a si u e d e . (bottom left corner in an elaborate cartouche flanked by two allegorical figures and surmounted by the coat of arms of F R A H V G O L O V B E N X D'VERDALA. The legend is followed by a key to place-names). 319 x 455 mm. A rose w i t h 32 wind directions is depicted left of centre, within the city w a l l s , the main directions being marked as on the first map. The planimetric map of the old city (Mdina) is oriented with south south-west at the top. A scale is also given: S c a l a de c a n . e n . r o .50. Another rose on the fight towards the centre, within the walls of the Gozo fortress, has 16 w i n d directions like that on the first map. T h e planimetric map of this fortress is oriented with south (Ostro) at the top. T h e scale is: S c a l a de Can.e n.ro .60. The key to place-names in the old city, based on a scheme to shorten its enceinte, reads as follows: A. B. C. D. E. F. G. II. I. il disegno Vecchio che deue Spia/narsi 1'Argine di Terra, o I O M O da spianarai il nuouo disegno co. gli suoi lossi. il foajui pirrolo Anrio li Raluarrii il Ponte ouero porta della fortezza la piazza grande nella Contrascarpa da/starui huon n.n di huomoni * caualo. le due Pinxze nella Contrascara/ritonde per tenerui ITchibugieri la chiesa parochiale di S. Paolo. Iu muro ueechio (ondalo sopra la rncca uiua sicuru da pericolo. Sources Between 1536, when the first printed map of Malta was published, and 1576, when d'Aleccio painted his fresco map, quite a number of maps of Malta were produced, mostly in Italy. T h e y fall roughly into three distinct groups: roundshaped, oval-shaped and fish-shaped. T h e odd map, such as A. Thcvet's siege map of 1565, has an indefinite, distorted shape. In the first group, the map by Johannes Quintinus (1536) was followed by: 149 1. ISOLA DI MALTA (c. 1551?), possibly by G.A. Vavassore; 2. G . Gastaldi, I S O L A D E M A L T A (C. 1551?); 3. J . Honterus, M E L I T A (1561); later used for Munster's Cosmograhpia; 4. A series of maps issued during the siege of 1565, of which series the first one w a s published in Rome with a bilingual title: I N S V L A E M E L I T A E VERA DESCRIPTIO — NVOVO E T VERISIMO RITRATTO D E L ISOLA DI M A L T A , and the last ones by the Palombis, probably Pietro Paolo and Ascanio: (a) NVOVO E T VERISSIMO RITRATTO D E L ISOLA DI M A L T A , P a l u m b i Nouarien. c u r a b a n t R o m a e , 21 d. S e t t e b r e 1565: (b) N O V 1 S S 1 M O ET VLT1MO RTTRATTO (sic) D E L ' I S O L A DI M A L T A , A . p a . F e c i t Romae. T h i s series includes a French map: I isle de MaUe situee..., w h i c h could be attributed to Pierre de Bouzey Woeiriot. A t least six maps belong to the second group. The early ones have the legend Medta insula a6 sicitia d i s i u n c t a , preceded in some cases by D E M E L I T A I N S V L A ; one of the latter has the imprint Apud C a m o c i u m (26) and another one may have been published by Ferdinando Berteili in about 1562. T h e last one of the series carries a different title: Intiera descrittione de L'isola de M a l t a a s s e d i a t a di Turchi c o . el n u m e r o de L e s s e r c i t o d e s s i (probably 1565). A F r e n c h may by Woeiriot dated 10 Novemberl565 and entitled L ' I S L E D E M A L T E , E T L A V I C T O R I E des Chrestiens c o n t r e le Turc roughly follows the same outline. The prototype of the third group is Antonio Lafreri's map of 1551 published in Rome: M E L I T A Insula, quam hodte M A L T A M u o c a n t . It was copied faithfully and published in Venice by Donato Berteili, in the 1550s: I I uero disegno dell Isola di M a l t a , as well as by Nicold Nelli in 1565: I L V E R O R'T R A T T O DE L ' I S O L A D' M A L T A — M E L I T A I n s u l a , q u a m h o d i e M A L T A u o c a n t . A number of maps portraying the siege, apart from Lafreri's own siege maps, adopted the same shape: L'Vitimo disegno de I'isoia di M a l t a by Domenico Zenoi; A S S E D I O DE L ' I S O L A D ! M A L T A .1563. by Zenoi, published by Paolo Forlani in 1567 in his book on cities and fortresses; the maps published respectively in C i r n i ' s (1567), Viperano's (1567) and Balbi da Correg o's (1568) accounts of the siege. Ortelius (1570) and Porcacchi (1572) followed more or less the same pattern. D'Aleccio's map (Plate II) could be assigned to this third group. Although this map is derived from a direct source, it is not unlikely that d'Aleccio was influenced by Lafreri's map when he d r e w the island's coastline. D'Aleccio's bays and inlets are more pronounced and the coastline is slightly more elaborate. Besides, the contours are much better rendered in d'Aleccio's map by the sharp contrast between hilly terrain, plains and valleys. T h i s is due to the fact that d'Aleccio sketched the island from an aerial view-point. 26. Plate 16 in: Tooley, R.V.. Maps iinrf mufs-makrrt, Roberto Almagte had this to say on the geographical details of this map: M a r e a p u n t i ; orografla con u n particolare disegno prospetttco che m e t t e bene in l u c e l a l t e r n a n z a di rilievi, di p i a n i , di valloni profondi. A b i t a t i c o n rappres e n t a z i o n i p r o s p e t t i c h e a s s a i e s p r e s s i v e ; edifici isolati, cftiese, giardini, fonti e c c . ... II contorno d e l l ' l s o l a £ grossolano, m a la r a p p r e s e n t a z b n e dei centri a b i t a t i £ mo!to r l c c a ed a n c h e e s p r e s s i v a ; la t o p o n o m a s t i c a £ di n o t e v o t e int e r e s s e . (27) Directly or, after 1631, through L u c i n i ' s work, d'Aleccio's map served as a model or exercised a strong influence on several other maps that came later. It w a s copied, probably by Philippe Thomassin, for the Statutes of Verdala (1st ed. 1584 c.) and it served as a basis, among others, for the maps of Henry Raignauld (1629), Horatius Marinarus (1645), Jean Boisseau (1645), Jan Jansson (1650), Nicolas Sanson (1656), Joan Blaeu (1663), Pierre D u V a l (1667), Oliver Dapper (1668), John Ogilby (1670), Robert Morden (168(1), Nikolaus Visscher (c. 1680), Alain Manneson Mallet (1683), Vincenzo Coronelli (1689), Frederick de W i t (c. 1690), Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1748), Robert Benning (1750). Some of these maps also betray the influence of the map drawn on the spot by the Maltese historiographer Giovanni Francesco Abela and published in 1647 in his book on Malta. Abela's map also belongs to the third group. Of all these maps, the most clearly d'Aleccian are those by Marinarus, Blaeu, Dapper and Ogilby because of the fashion in which the contours are depicted. T h e Blaeu map includes also the monographic vignette of d'Aleccio's map. The plan of Valletta (plate X I V ) has a well-known, fundamental source. The new city of Malta was founded immediately after the siege by Grand Master L a Valette who had engaged for the purpose the services of an Italian engineer, Francesco Laparelll (1521—1570). His plans for the construction of the fortress-city are still extant in Italy, in the archives of the Laparelli family at Cortona. They were published by Paolo Marconi (28) in 1970 and they show that, despite modifications over the years, the Valletta fortifications remained fundamentally as he designed them (29). But even at the time they w e r e made Laparelli's plans w e r e given wide publicity in Italy. In 1566, A . Lafreri in Rome and P. Forlani in Venice published the design for the new city of Malta. Both There are two states of Lafreri's plan, with three editions of the second 27. 28. 29. Almagii, Vol. I I , p. 106. Transl. —- The tea is rendered by stippling; orography baaed on a particular bird's-eye-view design which strongly brings out the difference between hills, plains and deep valleys. The dwellings are shown in an expressive perspective; isolated buildings, churches, gardens etc The outline of the island it rough, but the map is rich and expressive in the representation of inhabited centres: the place-names are highly interesting. Marconi, pp. 353-386. Hoppen. pp. 37-38. (Ixindon. 1949). 151 150 There are two states of Lafreri's plan, with three editions of the second state (30), and two states of Forlani's plan. T h e second state of Forlani's plan (later again placed on the market with F . Bertelli's imprint) shows the deep ditch cut right across the neck of the peninsula from Grand harbour to Marsamxett harbour, as well as the ditch dug around F o r t St. E l m o , with one arm protruding to Marsamxett harbour. These ditches are indicated by the words Taglio f a t t o di n o u o and graphically represented by heavy hatching. The same motif is repeated in Forlani's plan of 1567 V A L L E T T A N O V A C I T T A D I M A L T A (later re-published by the Bertellis and Camocio in their books on cities and islands) and in Giulio Ballino's plan of 1569 V A L E T T A N O V A C I T T A D I M A L T A . It is also present in d'Aleccio's engraved plan. W h i l s t the outline of the enceinte demonstrates Laparelli's design, the buildings and other details shown on d'Aleccio's plan must have been filled in on site, presumably by d'Aleccio himself. It is possible, however, that some plans existed at the time in the possession of the Order's resident engineer or of the capomaslro which recorded the progress of development in the new city and the projects still to be carried out (31). Incidentally, d'Aleccio indicated on the plan both the house of the engineer and architect of the Order and the house of m a s t r o T o m a s o , who might have been the capomastro. L i k e his map, d'Aleccio's plan of Valletta w a s used by several cartographers during the next century-and-a-half. It was copied for the Statutes of Verdala and, soon after, the plan was utilised by Daniel Speckle for his book Architectura von Festungen (1589). It also served as the model from which the following plans were derived: Cit£ de Valete de M a l t h e in the Summary of the Privileges of the Order by A . de Naberat w h i c h were printed in I. Baudoin's history of the Order (1st ed. 1629); V a l e t t a , die n e w e S i a t t in M a l t a in a b o o k by J . F . Breithaupt (1632); G . Lauro's Citta V e c h i a (sic) di M a l t a (probably 1635); Blaeu's Valletta C i t t a et F o r t e z z a n e l l ' i s o l a di M a l t a (1663); A. A v e l l n e ' s L a nouvelle vitle de Malte, n o m m & e Vallette (1665); P. Mortier's Valletta o n V a l e t t e ville forte de FJsUs de M a l t a (1704); G. Bodenehr's Malta od. V a l l e t t a auf der I n s u l M a l t h a (c. 1740); M. A. Salmon's L a c i t t a d e l l a Valetta nell'isola di M a l t a (1757). The plans of the old city of Mdina and of Gozo were the first of these places ever to appear in print. F o r these plans. d'Aleccio must have made use of drawings existing at the lime in the Order's archives. When Laparelli came to Malta, he visited Mdina in January 1566 and drew up plans for work to be carried out there, but it seems that his recommendations remained a dead letter. H e also visited Gozo on 8 September 1567 and might have d r a w n up 30. 31. 152 Ganado, p. 39, no. 89. For instance. L'Arienale and /( Mandracchio shown on d'Aleccio's plan remained on the drawing-board for all time. Yet. they are equally shown on the plan* of Valletta produced in the tBth century derived (ram d'Aleccio's engraving. a plan to modernise the castle. T h e possibility, therefore, that the plans shown on plate X V represent projects by Laparelli cannot be discounted; however, we may be guided here by A l i s o n Hoppen who has studied deeply the fortifications of Malta: she opined that neither of them appeared to be in Laparelli's style (32). For the rest of d'Aleccio's book, namely, the battle scenes, the material at hand w a s copious. B y the time d'Aleccio came to Malta, numerous detailed accounts of the siege had been published and he certainly had first-hand information from several people who had played a part in the events he depicted. Moreover, he surely had before him the 'picture-maps' or broadsheets of the siege that had been published in Italy, Germany and France. Suffice it to say, that in Italy alone, in 1565, at least 54 maps of the siege (including variants) came off the presses in the two main centres of production. Rome and Venice. Watermarks Four different watermarks are present in a copy of d'Aleccio's engravings which the author had occasion to examine, namely, pilgrim in circle, hammer and anvil in circle, ladder w i t h three rungs in elongated shield with star above and chevron with two parts in shield within a circle with crown above. Only the last two watermarks are present in the copy existing at the National L i b r a r y in Florence w h i c h was described in a book by F a b i a Borroni Salvadori on the maps in the Lafreri atlases that belong to the L i b r a r y . T h e book also gives a tracing of the watermarks (Borroni Salvadori, plate X X V , nos. 79 and 81). One of the plates in this particular copy has no watermark. Reproductions I n this century, the frescoes and the modellos as w e l l as the two sets of engravings have been used to illustrate a number of books, mostly on the siege. The twelve frescoes were reproduced in full colour by Lochhead and B a r l ing in The Siege of M a l t a 1565 (London, 1970), whilst some of them appeared in black and white in the following books: 1. Balbi di Correggio. F . . The Siege of Malta 1565. Translated from Spanish by H. A. Balbi, published by O. F . Gollcher and O. Rostock (Copenhagen, 1961). Ten of the fescoe* reproduced, number* 6 and 8 having been left out. 2. Scicluna, H., The Church of St. John in Valletta. (Rome. 1955). Seven frescoes reproduced; numbers 2, 6, 7, 8, 12 left oot. 3. Enget, C . E . . L e grande sitge. Malte. 1565-1965. (Paris, 1965). Six frcscoe* reproduced: numbers 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10 left out. The eight modellos were published in: National Maritime Museum, The maritime 32. siege df M a l t a (London, 1965). Hoppen, pp. 100, 115, 201 (ftn. 7), 204 (ftn. 5) and plate 10. 153 The same book of the etchings, leaving out only IV, V I I , I X , X , and X I I I ) t'oned above, but not all National Maritime Museum published also d'Aleccio's plates X I and X I V . S i x of the etchings (plates I I . w e r e published by C l a i r e Engel in the book menin full-piate. Lucini's engravings were used to illustrate the book by C . Sanminiatelli Zabarella: Lo assedio di M a l t a (Torino, 1902); only the last two plates, namely, the plan of Valletta and the plans of Mdina and Gozo, w e r e left out. Seven of L u c i n i ' s siege-maps (plates V , V I , V I I , I X , X I , X I I , X I I I ) were published in: The siege of M a l t a 1565 by F . Balbi di Correggio, translated by E r n i e Bradford (London, 1965). •J) O z The whole set of L u c i n i ' s engravings w a s published by D. Calnan and G.E. Testaferrata Abela with the title: The true d e p i c t i o n of the investment and assault on the i s l a n d of M a l t a 1565 by M a t t e o Perez d ' A l e c c i o . (Malta, 1965). In the frontispiece the authors stated: First E d i t i o n R o m e 1582; S e c o n d E d i t i o n B o l o g n a 1631; T h i r d E d i t i o n M a l t a 1965. O n the one hand, they seem to have been ignorant of the fact that L u c i n i ' s first edition, namely, that of 1631, w a s printed in Rome and that there were two subsequent ed tions, both printed in Bologna after 1635. 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Z to co to io to a. a to to to to CO w to re o "So u 2 2 2E to to o 3 to II to to fl "re 3 o u o u y o IO to . . re u to to CO 3 „ < re re a. a _ j - 2 Q X 2 " X fl x §|"| fl , w . re to to to to Id Q C Q H < E to E to E to APPENDIX IV Petrucci: Bibliography and Abbreviations used in the References Atmag&H: AlmagiA, R., M o n u m e n t a C a r t o g r a p h i c a V a t i c a n a (CittA del Vaticano. 1948). Azzopardi (1979): Azzopardi, J . , " T i n s a b 1-Ircevuta tal-Kwadru Titulari l-Qadim ta' S. K a t a r i n a " in Programm tal-Festi S . K a t a r i n a V.M. Zurrieq 27 t a A w i s s u — 2 ta' S e t t e m b r u 1979 (Malta 1979). A z z o p a r d i (1984): Azzopardi, J . , In-nawfragju. ta' S a n Pawl fl-arti (Malta, 1984). B6n6zit: Benezit, E . , D i c t i o n n a i r e des p e i n t r e s , s c u l p t e u r s , d e s s i n a t u e r s et g r a v e u r s (Paris, 1976). B e r n a l e s : Bernales Ballesteros, J . M a t e o S e v i l l a y L i m a (Sevilla, 1973). P&rez de A l e s i o , pintor romano en Bolaffi: Bolaffi, G., Dizionario e n c i c l o p e d . c o dei p i t t o r i e degii incisori italiani dall'XI al X X s e c o i o (1975). Borroni S a l v a d o r i : Borroni Salvadori, F . , C a r t e , p i a n t e e stamps storiche delle r a c c o l t e L a f r e r i a n e d e l l a B i b l i o t e c a N a z i o n a l e di F r e n z e (Roma, 1980). Bryan.' Bryan's d i c t i o n a r y of painters a n d engravers (London, Petrucci, A., V i t a ed opere di a r i i s t i : li m a g n i f i c o M a t t e o . in I I Mes- s a g g e r o (Roma) 25 Aprile, 1957. Potter: Potter, J . , Fine, decorative and rare old maps. C a t a l o g u e . Autumn 1984 (London, 1984) p. 6. S a m m u t : Sammut, E . , The glory of St. John's, in The Order of St. John in Malta with a n e x h i b i t i o n of p a i n t i n g s by M a t t i a Preti (Malta, 1970). Schermerhorn: Schermerhorn, E.W., M a l t a of t h e K n i g h t s (England, 1929). Scicluna, C h u r c h : Scicluna, H., The C h u r c h of St. John in Valletta (Rome, 1955). S c i c l u n a , Order: 1969). Scicluna, H., The Order of S t . J o h n Sorio.- Soria, M.S. Pintores italianos en S u d a m e r i c a e m e m o r i e di s t o r i a d e t l ' a r t e (Firenze, 1974). of J e r u s a l e m (Malta. e n t r e 1575 y 1628, in Saggi Stastny: Stastny, F . , Perez de Alesio y la p i n t u r a del siglo X V I : separata de A N A L E S , n. 22, del Instituto de Arte Americano e Investigaciones E s t e t i c a s , de l a Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanismo (Buenos A i r e s , 1969). Tooley: Tooley, R.V., Dictionary of m a p m a k e r s (1979). 1920). B u h a g i a r : Buhagiar, M., St. Catherine of A l e x a n d r i a : Her C h u r c h e s , Paintings a n d S t a t u e s in the M a l t e s e I s l a n d s (Malta 1979). C a u c h i : Cauchi, J.A., S t , John's: worfes of a r t r e c o n s i d e r e d , in The C h u r c h of S t . J o h n in V a l l e t t a 1 5 7 8 — 1 9 7 8 (Valletta, 1978) ed. by J . Azzopardi. DNB: Dictionary of n a t i o n a l biography (London, 1908—1909), Ganado: Ganado, A., Description of a n early V e n e t i a n s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y coll e c t i o n of m a p s a t the C a s a n a t e n s e Library in R o m e , in Imago Mundi (London), V o l . 34 (1982). pp. 26-47. Gere: G e r e , J.A., A drawing by Matteo Perez da L e c c e , in M a s t e r Drawings (New Y o r k , X I , 1973, pp. 150-154. Gere and Pouncey: Gere, J.A., and Pouncey, P, I t a l i a n d r a w i n g s in the D e p a r t m e n t of p r i n t s a n d d r a w i n g s in t h e British M u s e u m . Artists working in R o m e c.1550 to c. 1640. C a t a l o g u e (London, 1983) p. 125. Hoppen: Hoppen, A., The fortification of M a l t a by the Order of S t . J o h n 1 5 3 0 — 1 7 9 8 (Edinburgh, 1979). Lochhead and Barling: Lochhead, I.C. and Barling, T . F . R . , The Siege of 1565 (London, 1970). Masetti Zannini: Masetti Zannini, G . L . , Stampatori c o n d a m e t d del c i n q u e c e n t o (Roma, 1980). NLM: National Library of Malta Mss. NMM: National Maritime Museum, The m a r i t i m e 1965). 160 siege e librai a Roma Malta n e l l a se- of M a l t a 1565 (London, 161 Plate 14 Giacomo P a t m a 11 G i o v a n e : Pierpont Morgan L i b r a r y Portrait of Matteo Perez D'Aleccio, New York, b 2 X •J 1 o ri re Z SI v ll 111 X. V J- re S M a Ii o s re c 3 00 CO 5^5 <>1 CD re «—> re fl re s 5s A .' \ . O* 4 > '\ 4 v' | 4Y$* h S-S Us 5 SO re % t O re 5 >. X u (J re < b U 3 .2 2 Part of Puglia (Italy) which includes Alesio (marked with an inscribed asterisk) and Lecce. Novara, Istituto Geografico De Agostini, S.p.A. V> O f Plate 17 Frontispiece of D'Aleccio's engravings of the siege Malta National Library Plate 18 D'Aleccio's map of Malta, 1582 (See Appendix I I I , pi. II). Malta, National Library Plate 19 D'Aleccio's composite picture showing various stages of the siege (See App-III, pi. X I ) . Malta, National Library Plate 20 D'Aleccio's plan of Valletta. 1582 (See Appendix I I I , pi. X I V ) Malta, National Library