Before time touched the shores : the coastline of Gozo 700 years ago

Abstract

A portolan carries a compilation of sailing directions with charts and description of ports, harbours, and coasts, indicating safe havens together with the distances and directions to reach them. Three portolans are of major significance vis-à-vis Gozo. The one being dissected in this paper is the Chompasso de tuta la starea della marina, the original of which is datable to the beginning of the fourteenth century, written in Venetian and probably composed in Venice. A fifteenth century copy of this portolan is preserved with analogous medieval manuscripts at the Vatican Library. This copy, based on the earlier Venetian version, originated as a nautical chart of the Mediterranean basin, later expanded to include other regions. It is the first known document referring to Gozo as the island with three hills.