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Old Maps of Comino

The foremost authorities on Maltese cartography are Dr. Albert Ganado (1924- ) and Maurice Aguis-Vadala (1917-1997). Amongst their numerous publications one finds the Pre-Siege Maps of Malta (1986) and A study in depth of 143 Maps representing the Great Siege (1995). In April 2003 Dr. Ganado published Valletta: Città Nuova: A map history (1566-1600), where he describes in great detail ninety-two maps, a good number of which that were practically unknown.

Piri Reis’1520s Portolan

A portolan taken from the 1520s from the Turkish Kitab-I-Bahriye, the Book of the Sea, by Piri Reis (1465/70-1554), the noted Turkish corsair. Settlements are outlined by red lines. The cities of Mdina on Malta and the Gran Castello on Gozo are clearly defined on hills. One of the earliest known maps of the Maltese Islands. Comino is presented without any indentions in its coastline.

Lafreri Map, dated 1551

Antonio Lafreri’s Melita insula, quam hodie Maltam vocant…of 1551. A copper engraved map of the Maltese Islands executed by French cartographer Antonio Lafreri (1512-1577). Water courses are shown, as well as a number of hamlets, including Bubaqra and Hal Tartarni. Comino is shown abounding with wild rabbits. Locals still recall the proliferous wild rabbit population on Comino still running rampant in the 1920s. Erroneously at times referred to as ‘il-liebru’, a corruption of the Italian ‘lepre’, the correct word is ‘fenek tal-grixti’. Manwel Dimech, the Maltese patriot, writing in 1901 in his work ‘Il Chelliem Inglis’, defines ‘grixti’ as ‘rude, rustic, clownish, unsociable’

Agnese Map, dated 1554

Battista Agnese nautical chart of the Maltese Islands (1554). This map by the Genoese Agnese is characterised by the drawn landing forms against a background of parallels and meridians. Comino and Cominotto are both drawn out of proportion.

Anonymous Map

Melita insula…(c.1558-1562). Published to highlight the projected fortified city on Telghet Sciberras that was to become Valletta. Once again, Comino is featured as an island full of leaping rabbits whilst boats are seen sailing to and from Gozo.

Unidentified Map

Del Re 1760

British Map, dated 1804

The New Sea & Land Chart of the Sovereign Principality of Malta, 1804. The map was published by G. & J. Robinson of Paternoster Row, London in Louis de Boisgelin’s three volume work ‘Ancient and Modern Malta: containing a description of the ports and cities of the islands Malta and Gozo’. It features the Comino Tower, listed as Fort of Cumin and the two redoubts. It indicates the pathway between the Comino Tower and Santa Maria Bay and a number of dwellings.

British Map, dated 1950

Map of Comino (1955). Published in the Malta Street Guide in May 1958, the map manifests the Comino community activities including the location of the letter box on Congreve Street, Liberty Square within the Isolation Hospital and Captain Zammit Cutajar’s house. Some place names in the vernacular are erroneous, including Ras l-Ghemieri, that should read Ras l-Imnieri and Wied Ternu instead of the correct Wied Ernu.

Most of the information was researched and complied by Steve Farrugia.
More information can be obtained from www.my-malta.com.
 

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