A fragment of a map believed to have been drawn just years after the discovery of South America has been protecting a document at the notarial archives in Valletta for more than 400 years.

Not a lot is known about the map, which was found this summer, and consultations about its origins continue. However, most probably it delineates the northern coast of Brazil and the Cabo Verde islands.

This fragment, and another one depicting the North African coast, which includes flags and coats of arms, were sewn on as a cover of the index of Giovanni Domenico Spiteri’s documents dating between 1597 and 1601. This meant they were drawn within 100 years since Europeans came across South America and at a time when the coast was still being mapped, maritime historian Joan Abela noted.

Someone at some point made a decision that it was worth more to them as binding material than as a map

The colonisation of the Americas began in 1492 when a Spanish expedition headed by Italian Christopher Columbus sailed west to find a new route to the Far East but instead reached the Bahamas and Caribbean islands.

“Every map is unique as it was done by hand, so even if it’s a copy of another map, it is still a unique drawing,” Dr Abela, who chairs the steering committee for the rehabilitation of the notarial archives, told the newspaper.

Another interesting map found recently at the archives is part of a portolan chart, known also as a navigation map, showing part of the Mediterranean and the Black seas.

The portolan chart fragment. Photos: Darrin Zammit LupiThe portolan chart fragment. Photos: Darrin Zammit Lupi

The discovery was made by archive employee Isabelle Camilleri who was going through notarial volumes checking whether they needed a protective acid-free cover. The chart was used as a cover, sewn on to notarial deeds by Natalis Parmisan, covering 1670 and 1671.

Made of calf skin, it is drawn in ink and pigment and measures 56 by 40 centimetres.

It shows about half of the original portolan chart and covers the eastern part of the Mediterranean with one side showing the northern coast of the Black Sea, from Crimea to the Danube. On the other side is the coast of Libya, from Big Sirte to Bonandrea and beyond. The island of Crete is visible and Malta might be hidden beneath the spine of the manuscript. This can only be confirmed once the archive receives the necessary funds to conserve the volume. It is also subject to a report by a qualified book and paper conservator who will have to certify that the cover needs to be separated from the text block for proper conservation.

Dr Abela is still carrying out research on the map fragments with the help of book and paper conservator Joseph Schiro and cartography expert Richard Pflederer.

However, it is highly probable that the map might be attributed to cosmographer Domenico Vigliarolo who, in 1586, was appointed cosmographer of Philip II of Spain.

Through the support of the Culture Ministry, research carried out so far was presented by Dr Abela at the second International Congress of Eurasian Maritime History in St Petersburg earlier this year. The discovery of the map drew big interest and was given priority by the organisers.

Asked why the map was not separated from the document, considering its historical and cultural importance, book and paper conservator Lisa Camilleri said there was a common debate about similar discoveries.

“Serving as a recycled cover is part of its history. Someone at some point made a decision that it was worth more to them as binding material than as a map. Removing it from the document would be breaking that link,” she said.

Apart from wrapping documents in protective covers, the notarial archives also launched a pilot project to set up an online reference database.

Sarah Watkinson and eight volunteers are cataloguing notarial acts dating from 1818 to 1854 by William Stevens and his son William John who were based in Malta.

The documents, mainly tied to the sea, include a child custody document of six-year-old Martha Jane who lived in the UK with a guardian. Her father, Lieutenant Coronel Hugh McQuire, wanted to take custody of the girl on his return.

Another interesting document that Ms Watkinson came across is a legal document drawn as part of an insurance claim. It recounted how, in the early hours of the incident, a ship captain suddenly jumped overboard and disappeared. His crew, on the way to Gibraltar, said he was in good spirits.

The database is the first of its sort at the notarial archives and will be compatible with international referencing systems.

The archives’ Facebook page, called ‘Notarial archives preservation – call for volunteers’, is continuously updated.

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