The fourth Wirt iż-Żejtun Symposium “The Maltese Village” was held on Saturday 20th October at the Gran Salon, Museum of Archaeology, Valletta. The title of the presentation was ‘The mapping of the Contrada di Sta Catherina’.
Abstract
Maltese historical cartography offers not only maps which show a geographical reality transformed by mapmakers to a reduced visualisation and orientation on a flat surface, but illustrate various sociological, anthropological and historical aspects linked to the geographical space that they represent.
Besides being a mine of information and knowledge, historical maps are also works of art, sometimes sporting the most exquisite and elaborate cartouches and embellishments both on the sea surrounding the islands of Malta and on land. Although separate printed maps of the contrada of Sta Catherina, Żejtun do not exist, yet the district was represented in very early maps because of the significant population cluster in the south-eastern region of Malta mainly due to its proximity to the harbour of Marsaxlokk with all the commerce and trade that harbours bring, and that of the Castrum Maris only a few kilometres away at the Grand Harbour, in case of retreat and shelter from sporadic enemy action.
