1634 - Pedro Teixeira Albernas - Atlas del Rey Planeta
Pedro Teixeira Albernas - or Texeira as he was known in Spain - was a brilliant Portuguese cartographer of the 17th century. In 1650 he published a small atlas of the Cantabrian coasts which were dedicated to the Marquis of Luganes, Captain General of Philip IV's fleet in Flanders. Although a beautiful piece of work, it was simply a confirmation of his extraordinary skills.
Frontispiece to the Atlas of Marquis of Luganes (Teixeira )
In the early days of the century, Philip IV commissioned Teixeira to produce an atlas of the entire coast of Spain and Portugal. It would begin in Guipúzcoa and continue anti-clockwise right up to France on the east. The work began in 1622 and was published in several volumes in 1634
Lost for many years it was rediscovered only recently in the Hofbibliothek of Vienna. The title given to the work which included possibly more than 100 maps was - El Atlas del Rey Planeta . The grand finale was a spectacular Mapa Mundi.
Mapa Mundi (Teixeira)
A separate volume with the title La Descripción de España y de las costas y puertos de sus reinos was effectively a running commentary offering additional information on the contents of the Atlas.
Luckily, Teixeira thought highly of Gibraltar and included not just one but several maps as well as a lengthy description of its Bay and town. The following quotes and illustrations are taken from Teixeira's masterpiece. The translation of La Descripción is taken from an article published by the Ceuta born historian Guillermo Gonzalbes Busto. It was brought to my attention by my good friend from Algeciras - Marina Merino. Thanks to both of you
Frontispiece to the Atlas del Rey Planeta (Teixeira)
The Rock
Es a la viste este monte de Gibraltar, la cosa más particular y hermosa que tiene la costa de España, por la mucha altura y majestuosa forma, todo cercado de mar, comunicándose solo con la tierra de España por una angosta garganta de arena, que a las mas veces, con el viento levante pasa la mar cubriéndola de un lado a otro y queda de todo hecho este grande y soberbio monte, hecho isla.
Fue celebrado por los antiguos. Corre del Septentrión al Medio día, siendo esta la parte que más se entra el mar. Tiene de largo casi una legua, y de la parte del poniente, en su falda vecina a la garganta de arena, por donde, como queda dicho, se comunica con la tierra firme, está la ciudad de Gibraltar.
The Straits of Gibraltar
The Fortress
Gibraltar está fortificada la faz y lados, conviene saber, el del Septentrión y tierra, a lo antigua, adonde tiene la puerta que dicen de tierra. Y por la de medio día, adonde tiene otra, que va hasta lo último fin del monte, está fortificada a lo moderno , con muy fuertes y seguros baluartes, que en lo alto prenden con la eminencia y asperidad del monte. Y por la del Poniente que mira a la espaciosas bahía y goza de su puerto, con muralla y gruesos baluartes modernos, que con la artillería, de que están guarnecidos, aseguran el puerto y la ciudad, donde tiene otra puerta que llaman de la mar, quedando esta fortísima ciudad bien fortificada, a sus espaldas, con la intratable altura del monte que le queda a su levante.
The Old Mole
Es el puerto de esta ciudad, que primero fue llamado Gebal tarik, un muelle, que con la altura de su monte, queda abrigado del levante y medio día, que son los más terribles en esta playa, donde dan fondo galeras y pequeños navíos, por no tener el fondo para los que demandan mucha agua, que esos quedan a la mar de la bahía, buena media legua.
The Bay of Gibraltar and Algeciras
The South and the New Mole
Media legua de la punta que tiene al medio día esta ciudad y la que le queda a su monte, está en el ultimo de él, casi sobe el mar, una iglesia de Nuestra Señora, que llaman de Europa, donde siguiendo la falda del monte, orilla del agua, continúa un parapeto, con sus traveses, para la defensa de algunas caletas, donde con facilidad, se podía desembarcar, llegando hasta una antigua torre, que llaman del puerto que, al principio de una caleta y ensenada, servía antes de atalaya, donde se determina hacer un muelle, que hoy está casi acabado, donde pueden dar fondo veinte navíos gruesos.
Tiene este muelle para su defensa, en la entrada de la parte de tierra, una fortificación que, con su artillería, y la del baluarte nombrado del Reparo, queda bastante defendido y seguro por la parte del levante.
Signature of Pedro Teixeira Albernas in 1658 and 1670
St Michael's Cave
Es este monte tajado y con algunas peñas, donde no se puede arrimar bajeles ningunos. Tiene grandes grutas que van por debajo grande espacio, donde se forman muchas efigies que verdaderamente son de ver, criadas de las aguas, que en si recoge este alto monte, porque de ningunas que en el llueven arroja por su superficie, embebiéndolas todas en sí, destilándolas por bajo de sus cóncavos y grutas.
El Hacho
En lo más alto de este monte , a que llaman tarfe, que con dificultad se puede llegar, por su asperidad y eminencia, está una torre que sirve de atalaya, señalando los bajeles, con unas señales, que llaman facho y tiene el nombre de Guadalupe.
The Moorish Castle
Sobre la ciudad y su puerta de tierra tiene un castillo antiguo, que bajan sus murallas a prender con las de la ciudad, que parece a la vista tenerla colgada.
The Rock and town of Gibraltar. La Torre del Diablo is shown on the southern end of the isthmus just in front of the North face of the Rock
The Rock.
Teixeira was obviously impressed with Gibraltar. For a country with a fabulous coastline and an endless list of magnificent ports it was indeed an honour for him to consider it the most special and beautiful of the lot. His suggestion that the isthmus periodically converted the Rock into an island is historically interesting. It seems to confirm an old idea that this was the reason why the Torre del Diablo was built on top of a raised rocky bed. Una legua, incidentally, was about three miles .
Fortifications
Gibraltar's fortifications have always been worthy of mention - no matter how out of date they might have been during the 17th century. In this case he was probably correct in saying that some of them were quite modern as it would reflect at least some of the work carried out by innumerable engineers during this period (see LINK)
The Old Mole
The muelle had only very recently been fortified and he was correct in criticizing the shallowness of its surrounding waters and the need for larger ships to anchor well away from the town. It was a problem that would persist right through to the next century.
The South and the New Mole
The mention of the chapel of our Lady of Europa is rather abrupt considering that it had long been a famous landmark almost as well known as Gibraltar itself. The caletas referred to were those on the east side of the Rock such as Laudero, de los Remedios and San Juan.
The 'torre del puerto' was also known as the Torre del Tuerto and the nearby muelle was the New Mole. Its construction would be completed several years later, together with its fortifications, (see LINK).
El Hacho
The word tarfe is usually reserved for that part of the Rock known today as Windmill Hill and perhaps also for another area in the south west. The first was known as los tarfes altos, the second as los tarfes bajos.
The atalaya which he calls facho must be the signal station which was usually referred to as el Hacho. Guadalupe, on the other hand, refers to a small chapel - Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe - which stood just north of the top section of Charles V wall. Teixeira may have thought of it as part of the atalaya. In appearance it looked more like a tower than a church.
Detail of map of Spain (Teixeira)