I don’t know what I was expecting when I went to the presentation of the new map produced by the Comune di Massa Lubrense to promote its walking trails, but it certainly wasn’t this. Maybe I am too used to the precision and detail of Giovanni Visetti’s work, or expect a map designed to direct walkers to provide correct information.
What a disappointment! The new map, luckily produced so far in only 3,000 copies, is approximate to the point of misleading. Was it not checked prior to printing by one of the experts consulted for its production? Hopefully not, because it would reflect very poorly on themselves.
Even if we gloss over the technical errors such as: the sea level curve not coinciding with the coast (as, of course, it should), contours interrupted and with bits missing, invented roads, private, generally inaccessible lanes indicated in the same way as public ones, other elementary errors cannot be excused. They include:
- religious buildings, of which there are many, positioned in the wrong location or incorrectly named. For example, San Liberatore cemetery has turned into the “Chiesa di Mitigliano” (35) . La church of Arorella has become the Cappella di S. Antonio (37) and Marcigliano has acquired the Chiesa di S.Maria della Purita' a Li Simoni (38). There are others, but I won’t bore you with the details.
- names of roads - incorrect spelling, such as Via del Moro (should be Via del Monte), incorrect location (Via Amerigo Vespucci which has ended up in the Camping Syrenuse), incorrect name (Via Nerano.... really?)
- out-sized toponyms crowding the map, badly positioned, incorrectly written and duplicated, creating not only confusion between the villages and hills/localities (which we locals know, but a tourist won't), but with some names not even attached to the actual place (take Nerano where the name has moved well away from the village, into the valley to the east).
- the icons - in the main centres there are so many that they hide points of interest/roads, and are often incorrectly positioned or misleading. The tourist office Proloco Due Golfi in Sant’Agata has moved 200 metres right down the road into Via Canale! Not to talk about the phantom public toilets situated in Sant’Agata and Torca or even the ones in Marina del Cantone, which do exist but are usually closed.
- the English –luckily, there is actually very little in English on this map, but what on earth is an “ancient washtub” (surely it should be washhouse?) or a “water’s house” ( water distributor)? I fail to understand, yet again, why they don’t just ask one of the many native English speakers to check things like this rather than trusting Google translate.
The map is huge, covering 2 sides since it wouldn't fit on one, awkward to consult during an excursion and difficult to fold. The paper is the kind that easily tears along the creases. I know that from experience from other maps on the same kind of paper.
When concerns were raised at the end of the presentation about the evident inaccuracies, we were told that the aim was to move away from the classical, technical, "old-fashioned" maps of the past and produce something modern, attractive (?) and touristic, easy to read and that it didn't necessarily need to be precise! I am sorry, but if the aim was to produce a map for walkers, precision is essential. All in all, the map is shoddy and unprofessional and whilst a tourist will probably be quite happy to take one home as a free keepsake of their holiday, I am quite sure that true hikers will not be impressed (especially if they try to use it) and will still prefer to consult the "old-fashioned" but accurate maps of Giovanni Visetti or one of the excellent traditional hiking guides on the market. New is not always better!
