Ottoman-Habsburg Wars (1521-1791)
Images from eight wars fought between 1570 and 1718
Siege of Malta, 1565
IL PORTO DELL'ISOLA DI / MALTA La perfettione del quale per no metter confusione fra tutti li altri, che da diuersi / diuersamente sono stati fatti...
published 1565Engraving; printed on paper | 39.6 x 31.2 cm (image and neatline) | RCIN 721037
A high oblique view/map of the Great Siege of Malta between 18 May and 11 September 1565 carried on by the Turks, commanded by Kara Mustafa Pasha (c.1500-7 August 1580), and defended by the Knights of the Order of St John under Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette (4 February 1495-21 August 1568), resulting in the abandonment of the siege by the Turks on the arrival of a Spanish fleet and army commanded by García Álvarez de Toledo, 4th Marquis of Villafranca (29 August 1514-31 May 1577). The Ottoman Empire (1500-1606): Conflicts in the Mediterranean (1532-1565). Oriented with north-east to top (compass rose).
See notes to RCIN 721033.a-p.
Examples of this map appear in Lafreri atlases. This impression appears to be taken from a re-used copperplate: the three Turkish ships, top right, are engraved within a former rectangular panel; the title, text and imprint appear to be re-engraved over imperfectly erased text.
Nicolo Nelli (b.1530, active 1562-74) (publisher) [top left, bottom of title panel:] Nicolo Nellj Ven· F ·addj Agosto / 1565 con Priuilegio.
Watermark: Mermaid in circle, six-pointed star above [see Woodward nos 91, 92]
Condition: one fold line; 15 mm tear to right edge; not mounted; not mounted; no gilt edges
39.6 x 31.2 cm (image and neatline)
39.9 x 31.7 cm (platemark)
43.7 x 34.2 cm (sheet)
Printed title:
IL PORTO DELL'ISOLA DI / MALTA La perfettione del quale per no metter confusione fra tutti li altri, che da diuersi / diuersamente sono stati fatti, taccio; per che troppa / fatica sarebbe la mia il nominar l'infinito numero / di quei signori, che di parer conforme dicono, che / fra gl’altri quest'è'l piu giusto [followed by a table of distances:] Distanze da loco a loco [top left, in a rectangular panel; a line is engraved over 'no']
Annotations:
George III heading: Malta 1565.
Other annotations: (Recto) [bottom left, black pencil, erased:] I/39. (Verso) [left, red pencil, partly cropped:] 1/37*; [bottom left, black pencil, erased and partly cropped:] II/[?]i.
George III catalogue entry:
Malta A Plan of the Port of the Island of Malta, with the attacks of the Turks: by Nicolo Nelli, 1565.
Subject(s)
Malta, independent political entity (35°55ʹ00ʺN 14°26ʹ00ʺE)
Bibliographic reference(s)
M. McDonald, The Print Collection of Cassiano dal Pozzo. Part II, Architecture, Topography and Military Maps, 3 vols, London 2019, cat. no. 2684
R.V. Tooley, ‘Maps in Italian atlases of the sixteenth century, being a comparative list of the Italian maps issued by Lafreri, Forlani, Duchetti, Bertelli and others, found in atlases’, Imago Mundi III, 1939, pp. 12-47, no. 366
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
