Map of the siege of Malta
CAMOCIO, Giovanni Francesco. Disegno del Porto di Malta, come al[abaster] presente si troua assediato da turchi, cauato da altri disegni mandate da Malta fidelisimi, con la nota del campo d’infideli et altri particolari, che fin qui non mandate da Malta fidelisimi, con la nota campo d’infideli et altri particolari, che fin qui non si sono ueduti. Scale [1 : 10,000]. 1,7 cm = misura di passa 100 a piedi 5 p.[er] passo'. In Venetia: alla libraria d[e]lla piramid[e], 1565. 1 map : black and white, copper engraving ; 32.5 × 46 cm, on sheet 33 × 46 cm. Available online here.
The map is part of a four-volume collection that reported on the progress of the Battle of the Harbor on Malta's northeast coast. Versions 1, 3 and 4 are in the Maltese collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts Valletta. The version with serial number 2 can be found in the form of the only extant specimen in the Map Collection of the Faculty of Science, Charles University.The maps show the position of the Turkish and Maltese troops from the end of August to the end of October 1565. In individual versions, you can follow the course of the battles at sea and on the walls.The author of all four maps is the Italian Renaissance printer and publisher Giovanni Francesco Camocio.
An animation of the entire battle was created based on these maps. The author is geography student Jakub Báča under the guidance of Ing. Miroslav Čabelka.
In connection with the professional examination and description of the maps, a Maltese video was created, which presents the four phases of the siege of Malta, analyzes in detail the differences between the individual versions of Camocio's maps and points out some interesting details. It is published with the kind permission of Heritage Malta.