Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1266179
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 JULY 2020 6 CULTURE CARTOGRAPHY ting and the hunting of rabbits on Comino. Features on Malta's old maps which help to date the map, such as Munxar Reef or the chapel on Filfla which are no longer in ex- istence, also fascinate the general public. People are intrigued by the stories and anecdotes behind cer- tain maps. When the delegation of Knights visited Malta before taking possession of the islands, a gift from Charles V, they were greatly disappointed by what they saw and described it as "a sterile rock, an infertile land forgotten by nature and deserted by mankind; a dismal picture." There are maps which were produced during the 1813 plague, maps which are con- nected with murder, there are spy maps and war propaganda maps. There are maps which were pro- duced by Maltese cartographers. As the expression goes, the devil is in the detail. And I am refrain- ing from mentioning the different variants, states, and editions of the same map. Other things which people would also want an answer for are quiz-like questions such as which is the oldest, the smallest or the largest printed map of Malta. Would you say that an appreci- ation for historical cartography and the work of associations such as the Malta Map Society are made even more urgent and acute by the onset of the COV- ID-19 crisis, during which time venturing outside the confines of our home has become rife with renewed dangers, and we can perhaps begin to reflect more deeply on the geographical spac- es that surround us and inscribe our movements and our personal history, and which we perhaps took for granted previously? To give an honest answer to your questions, I think at the moment the priority of people is more on their future and the future of their children, on their health and safety, on communica- tion efforts especially with regards to schooling, rather than the work of associations concerned with culture such as ours. But you are right in saying that people have been unwittingly given a chance to reflect more on the geograph- ical spaces that surround them and I am sure that our Society will be trying to find virtual methods of reaching out and educating the public as we have to acknowledge and accept more now than ever that the reading medium of today is the screen. Last year we produced a video clip titled 'Maps of Malta tak- ing shape' which shows how the depiction of Malta in maps has changed over the centuries start- ing from being round-shaped and evolving into the more accurate fish-shape that we know today. The clip can be seen on our web- site and we have received very good reviews of it even from car- tographic societies abroad. Could you tell us about any upcoming events the Society has planned? One of the events that we were organising but which had to be postponed for the time being was a lecture by a foreign speak- er, Prof. Dr. Stefaan Missinne, a fellow of the Royal Geographi- cal Society who was to present the results of six years of intense multi-disciplinary research on a sixteenth-century previously-un- known early globe made from the bottom halves of two ostrich egg shells. The study led to the conclusion that the first globe depicting the New World, is the work of the great Leonardo da Vinci. He was also going to bring with him a facsimile of the globe. The lecture is of interest not only to map collectors, but also to art historians, conservators, scien- tists and cultural heritage pro- fessionals. Dr Missinne promised that he would still make himself available once things settle down a bit more. Another project that the Society is working on, is a digital interac- tive game which will show how the gates, certain prestigious edi- fices, the squares and the streets of Valletta have changed over time starting with the period of the Knights when Valletta was built, and moving on to the French pe- riod, the British period and finally after Independence. We will also soon be issuing the fifth edition of our annual journal, which, as ever, will be made avail- able to all our members. Dr Albert Ganado and Mem- bers of the Malta Map Society Executive Committee also contrib- uted to the interview. To join the Society and remain abreast of its updates, log on to: maltamapso- ciety.mt At 63x136.6cm, the 1752 De Palmeus map is the largest map of Malta on record Detail from siege map by Matthias Zündt 1565 showing bird trapping Features on Malta's old maps which help to date the map, such as Munxar Reef or the chapel on Filfla which are no longer in existence, tend to fascinate the general public