Ottoman-Habsburg Wars (1521-1791)
Images from eight wars fought between 1570 and 1718
Siege of Malta, 1565
LA PRESA DI SANT' HERMO ADI XXIII DE GIVGNO ·NEL·M·D·LXV
published 1582Etching and engraving; printed on paper; mounted on paper (Mount Type A); gilt edges left, bottom and right | 31.9 x 44.7 cm (image and sheet) | RCIN 721033.e
A view of the Turkish assault on the Fort of St Elmo, Malta, on 23 June 1565. Oriented with south-east to top.
The text relates that the fort was taken on the 29th June, the feast day of St John the Baptist, after a siege of 29 days. There were many attacks, 18,000 cannon balls were fired and more than 4,000 Turks were killed including Janissaries and Saphis, the best men in the army. Also killed was Dragut, the old corsair. The Christian losses were 1,300 – knights, captains and soldiers. Forty of the wounded were captured and several knights (named in the text) were taken to the Turkish galleys. The Turks found 27 bronze cannons in the fort which they used straight away to fire at the fort of St Angelo, across the bay. The Pasha was amazed that such a small force had held out for so long, saying that if something so small had given so much trouble, what would the father (i.e. the fort of St Angelo) do? The Pasha had all of the survivors of St Elmo put to death and notified the Grand Turk (Suleiman) of his victory.
See RCIN 721033.a for further information and literature and further reading.
Matteo Perez d'Aleccio (1547-1616) (publisher) [bottom left, above text:] IN ROMA·APPRESSO·MATTHEO PEREZ D'ALECCIO· [the second ‘C’ is engraved within the first ‘C’] [bottom right, in a scroll:] ·MDLXXXII·
Watermark: Shield with three chevrons above a wolf in circle, a crown above [see Woodward 223]
Condition: mount slightly creased; some brown discolouration; surface dirt
31.9 x 44.7 cm (image and sheet)
cropped (platemark)
41.1 x 54.9 cm (mount)
Printed title:
LA PRESA DI SANT' HERMO ADI XXIII DE GIVGNO ·NEL·M·D·LXV [top, above neatline]
Printed title:
IN QVESTA FORTEZZA GLI TVRCHI VI TROVORNO 27 PEZZI DI BRONZO CHE SVBITO INCOMINCIORNO CON VNO A TIRARE ... [along bottom, below neatline]
Printed title:
FOG.o QVINTO [bottom left]
Additional text:
[top centre, in a cartouche:] Questa fortezza fu presa la Vigilia de San Giouanni Battista ... [in a panel, bottom left, a key, A-I, K-T, V.]
Annotations:
George III heading: Malta
Other annotations: (Recto) none. (Verso) [bottom right, black pencil, erased:] [?]/37-e
George III catalogue:
Malta Ritratti della Guerra e dell’ Assedio et Assalti dati alla Isola di Malta dall’ Armata Turchesca l’anno 1565: da Matteo Perez di Allecio, 1582. 15 foglie
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. 2670
Page revisions
14 March 2024
Current version
