A bibliography of Giovanni Antonio Ciantar's printed works

Abstract

Count Giovanni Antonio Ciantar (1696-1778) has for long been regarded as the leading eighteenth century Maltese historian and letterato. Noted for his erudition and literary prolificity, Ciantar's permanent renown was, however, to rest to a very considerable extent on his Malta lIlustrata; a corrected and updated two volume edition of Giovanni Francesco Abela's Della Descrittione di Malta of 1647. This undoubtedly monumental undertaking, upon which Ciantar spent no less than sixteen years, certainly passed on to him the near-sacred aura which had surrounded Abela and his work since 1647. Abela-Ciantar was to remain, until quite recently, the undisputed master of the Maltese historiographical field, being quoted – and indeed plagiarized - extensively in many historical works. This synonimity of Ciantar with Malta iIIustrata though guaranteeing the fame of the author and, by comparison, dwarfing some of his contemporary Maltese letterati into insignificance was to result in the relative ignoring of Ciantar's all-round literary activity and, in particular, of his formative role within the Maltese eighteenth century cultural milieu. With the inevitable if overdue critical appraisal of Abela's Descrittione and the somewhat tarnishing of its image, Ciantar was similarly to recede in prominence, being obviously responsible for the invigoration of Abela's seventeenth century follies.