Malta. NELLI. Il porto di Malta.

Etching and burin, mm 315x430, signed and dated in plate at lower right. Second state of two with portrait of John of Valletta (Jean de La Vallette-Parisot. inserted at lower right compared to the first state which did not include the portrait). Very good impression, wide margin, in good condition, publisher'sfolds, a few minor flaws and restoration to folds.

This very rare map, signed on the lower right by Nelli, author of other maps relating to the siege of Malta, according to Ganado, is to be attributed to the original work of Giovanni Battista Pittoni of July 1565 while Nelli would have engraved it around October. He modifies Pittoni's plate to depict the battle of 11 September 1565 where the Christian troops led by Ascanio della Corgna and Don Alvaro de Sande defeated the Turks who fled the island. The siege of Malta was an event of immense media impact, comparable only to the importance of the battle of Lepanto; the two events produced a very rich iconographic production that sought to offer updated material according to the unfolding of events. The siege of Malta lasted from May to September 1565 and was followed throughout Italy and Europe. Many prints were made, especially in Rome and Venice, the major production centers of the time, thanks to various materials such as letters, reports by officers, and battle sketches sent by soldiers or sailors. Ganado lists over 60 prints in just 10 years.