Malta: History's Isle

Fighting off besieging Turks is harmful to health. With this in mind, after the Great Siege of 1565, the Knights of St John built formidable fortress walls to deter or defend against future attacks. Within these walls, prestigious palaces of artistic beauty arose in the carefully planned streets of the new city of Valletta. The Casa Rocca Piccola is such a home and is in an excellent state of preservation.

Knights and nobles have occupied Casa Rocca Piccola. The family of the present owner, the 9th Marquis de Piro and 9th Baron of Budach, has lived in it since 1918. He is an amiable person seemingly not put out by tourists wandering through his house. His home is a living relic of a past way of life, burdened with the pretensions and ambitions of a Maltese lineage. The palace houses various memorabilia - some are interesting for their aesthetic beauty, and others have historical value, while some pieces contribute to the overall setting and will drag you into a different era. Commanding the top landing are coats of arms, murals, and chandeliers dating back to the 18th century and the work of famous artists such as Ramiro Cali.

After climbing the marble staircase to the first-floor living area, we entered the eight main rooms. These include the family chapel, with a stunning portable chapel that folds neatly into a chest of drawers. The four-poster bedroom has a claim to fame, for one of the nine children born in the bed is now a candidate for sainthood. He was the founder of the Missionary Society of St Paul, which has flourished in Canada, Australia, Peru, and other parts of the world. The bedroom boasts a bobblin lace bedcover, which took more than 2 years to finish. It also contains Venetian blown glass, a 16th century wood chest and a golden sedan chair made for the Knight of Malta Fra' Victor Nicolas de Vachon Belmont. He was Captain General of the Galleys between October 1764 and January 1766.

The Green Room contains outstanding pieces of Maltese furniture, such as the superb marquetry bureau-bookcase made in 1640. The library, the Prophyry Room, has its original 400-year-old soffit, and the Blue Room, boasting works of Annigoni, the Rathmells, and Caruan Dingli. The dining room, laid out with silver and china and Maltese lace, has tablemats embroidered with the family coat of arms.

Malta has a scarcity of water, and it was a condition when building these houses that they had to have a reservoir for storing rainwater draining from the roof. Limestone underlying the house made quarrying these tanks easy. The water containers for this house provided shelters from the air-raid shelters during the Second World War. One was available to the public and another reserved for the family. There being now open to visitors we were also able to view. The rock under Valetta is honeycombed with air-raid shelters. These saved many lives.

On a desolate spot, bleak, windswept and rocky, sits Hagar Qim on the west coast of Malta overlooking the island of Filfa - standing out gracefully about 4.8 kilometres away. Birdsong and the perfume of wildflowers permeate the air. Hagar Qim’s huge slabs display the giant hopes, ambitions, needs, fears, or religious beliefs that drove Neolithithe peoples to build it. Their task completed, they disappeared without trace.

Giant limestone slabs form a series of ovals laid out in a pattern that archaeologists have compared to Mother Goddess figurines found at Hagar Qim in 1839. These obese stone statuettes on display in Valletta Museum stood in the central court. Their heads changeable to fit the occasion have the features of reposing supernatural beings expecting devotion and worship. The central court also contained a stone altar with deep carving on each of the four sides representing plants, and a stone slab with spirals in relief. What could be idols, sacrificial altars and oracular chambers certainly makes it a temple of some kind.

Hagar Qim and the other Neolithic temples on Malta date from the Copper Age. Around then megalithics were appearing in various parts of the world. At the time society was changing to settled-farming and food supplies became more dependable on sunshine. Stonehenge in England through an alignment of stones showed when the winter solstice (not the summer solstice) had arrived and the sun would start rising again. Hagar Qim may have served the same purpose with the obese stone statuettes representing the sun and the changeable heads the seasons. A stone altar with deep carving of plants and a stone slab with spirals in relief possibly representing the sun or its phases together with carved animals adornments link the temple to agriculture – such is my theory!

The building methods are more easily understood. Flint or bone tools could prise up limestone stone flakes at the site of Hagar Qim. The builders after smoothing and squared the giant slabs laid them with consummate skill. The limestone slabs would have eroded badly had not a mound of earth, from which only the tops of the big stones protruded, protected them.

The Mnajdra temples are a few hundred meters closer to the Dingli Cliffs. Made up of two main temples they form the best-preserved temple site on Malta – but the sea is creeping closer! They sit on a heavy hard stone of bluish corcalline limestone - used partially for the construction. Softer larger slabs rubbed smooth and decorated originate from the near Hagar Qim site.

Some of the niches have decorations. Monolithic doors lead to the ‘oracle chambers’, and the columns of the doors of the central aisle support lintels of impressive dimensions. The main portal is nearly ten feet high.

You would think from inspecting these sites that giants walked the land and built the temples, but puny humans with ingenuity can achieve giant feats.

The Maltese are immensely religious, so it's not surprising that you can scarcely turn a corner without finding a church - every village or town has at least one church. The most important contributing events were the spreading out of the Turkish Empire during the Renaissance and the rise of the Knights of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem.

The Knights added to Malta and Gozo's existing church legacy, so now 365 churches dominate the skyline. These range from chunky fortresses to exquisite cathedrals. In this one tiny country you can see the changing church architecture, role and decoration from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance to the modern era.

The most historically significant is the co-cathedral of St. John, built by the Knights in the 1570s. Described as the first complete example of the high baroque anywhere, it epitomises the role – spiritual and military - of its patrons.

St. John's received Co-Cathedral status with the Cathedral at Mdina in 1816 under Pope Pius VII. The stark façade is reminiscent of the fortifications of Valletta, the fortress city in which it stands. Startled by its joyful and lavish baroque and yet tasteful atmosphere from floor to ceiling inside showing the Knights’ deep appreciation and patronage of culture and the arts, I gazed in wonder. Paintings, gilding, or carving cover almost every last piece of the walls, vault and chapels. Sir Walter Scott called it the most beautiful interior he had ever seen.

History and culture are everywhere in this cathedral. Mattia Preti painted the massive vault using oils straight on the stone. These paintings show episodes from the life of St. John the Baptist. The roomy nave has on either side chapels decorated with lavish monuments of the Grand Masters and with precious works of art.

The great Italian painter Caravaggio painted some of his finest works while serving here. The cathedral museum contains his priceless 1608 masterpiece The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, while one of the nine chapels on either side of the nave contains his well-known painting of St. Jerome.

The smooth polished marble floor of the nave covers the graves of 364 Knights, whose colourful armourial bearings and Latin inscriptions are themselves works of art. It is a spectacular building and a fitting resting-place for the founder of Valletta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Vallette.

The Cathedral Museum contains priceless works of art, ancient hymn books, sacred vestments, and famous Flemish Tapestries based on paintings by Poussin and Rubens. During June, the month of the festival of St John, the tapestries adorn the church interior itself.

Several booklet and other specialised publications are on sale at the Cathedral gift shop. These give details of the history and the art treasures of this unique monument. Entrance is from Merchants Street, and the entry fee is LM1 for adults--children are free.

The pilgrimage from Jaffa to Jerusalem in the Holy Land proved arduous. Dust arose in clouds, causing us constantly to slake our throats. Danger from Bedouins and Saracens lurked around every corner and even among the rocks. With blood-curdling screams, they attacked. The Knights of St John, good God-fearing gentlemen, rode to our rescue and spared us having our throats slit!

The Great Siege of Malta and The Knights of St. John within the Bibliotheca in Republic Street enable us to experience this scene. Combining life-size figures, scenery, prints, videos, and audio, this gave us a feel of the hardships and dangers back then. This visitor spectacular takes around 45 minutes to walk through. To help us make our time journey from the 12th century, we have an audio guide that moves on automatically on entering each new date with destiny.

The Knights forced out of Jerusalem seek a new home. We journey with them to Acre, on to Cyprus and Rhodes. Here they suffer defeat by the Turks, and we travel onwards to Malta, where they hope to settle permanently.

In the Great Siege of Malta, we travel in the hold of a galleon of the Turkish armada sailing towards Malta. There, on May 18, 1565, the Ottoman Turks pitted 48,000 of their best troops against the islands. They intend invading them before thrusting into southern Europe through Sicily and Italy. Against them were 8,000 men: 540 knights, 4,000 Maltese, and the rest made up of Spanish and Italian mercenaries. We meet Grand Master La Valette commanding the knights as well as Suleiman, the most important Turkish commander, in his imperial tent.

Landing unopposed, the Turks to secure a safe anchorage for their invasion fleet launched an attack on Fort St. Elmo. After heroic resistance for 31 days, the fort fighting to the last man succumbed to the massive bombardment and continuous attacks, and Suleiman perished also. The Ottomans then turned their attack on the two badly fortified harbour towns. Behind the crumbling walls, the Christian forces, against all odds, kept the enemy at bay until a relief force of 8,000 troops arrived from Sicily. The Turks, through losses from disease, fire, and steel, with supplies running low, couldn’t offer effective resistance. Defeated, they retreated.

At the Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where the Christian fleet inflicted another defeat on the Turks, we have the unique experience of walking on the sea and watching the battle. Fearing other attacks, the knights build Valletta, then Europe's newest fortified city. We walk along its streets and eventually leave Malta with the knights under the searching gaze of Napoleon Bonaparte.

The building housing this spectacular experience, with its unique vaulted arches, projects the beauty of Maltese palazzos. The La Valette Vaults, now turned into a gift shop, reflects the knights' era in Malta. This is an excellent presentation, up there with the best I have ever seen.

The top physicians gather in the lecture room share their findings into human anatomy - conclusions based on research or 'in practicum'. In turn, the physicians take the podium to contribute to the discussion. Some use human organs to explain their point of discussion, while others use diagrams. Many jot down notes, but all actively engage in the conference that develops in a two-way channel between speaker and listener.

It all happens at The Sacra Infermeria (Holy Infirmary), a painstakingly produced, realistic re-enactment of Europe's longest hospital ward during the time of the Knights of St John in Malta. Visitors, on entering, absorb the heavy and sombre atmosphere.

The Sacra Infermeria occupies a site above the Grand Harbour near Fort St. Elmo. Functioning as a hospital from 1574, the infirmary provided about 900 beds for male patients who included knights, soldiers, sailors and foreigners. Maltese patients and slaves received treatment in a large hall below the main ward.

The hospital’s school of anatomy and surgery has benches for the students at one side, and the lecture's rostrum on the opposite side. The counter full of containers with human organs, powders and tools of experimentation, and many such props, makes the picture complete. The Ward contains canopied beds with side-furniture, patients and doctors. In the Pharmacy the physician and his assistant preparing medicine mixture compliment the atmosphere.

At the ward, other physicians are at their chores, aided by their orderlies. Some examine the bedridden; others are at their desk registering the progress of their patients. Occasionally the physicians meet for an impromptu consultation, either near one of the beds or at the chemist's counter. Meanwhile, patients in an advanced stage of convalescence stroll up and down the aisle, either aided by the orderlies or crutches. Orderlies help a new patient to settle down in his temporary home, while others stand by one on the brink of death. Consoled by the priest, he breathes his last under the watchful eye of the physician. The orderlies take over to shroud the corpse.

The pharmacist, busy mixing medicine, consults books and carries on serving clients simultaneously. His assistant is busy wiping out a new glass bottle, mixing potions and powders and registering new medicine.

When the Knights were forced to leave the Island in 1798, Napoleons' troops used the hospital for their own personnel. The British, who took over Malta's government in 1800, renamed the Infirmary 'Station Hospital', and used it to treat wounded soldiers in the Crimean War. They operated the hospital until the end of the First World War.

The Mediterranean Conference Centre and 'The Malta Experience', is also within the complex. A modern theatre offers an audio-visual show in 10 languages. It offers a dramatic presentation explains the history of Malta, from Neolithic to modern times. As a starting point for exploring the island, it shouldn’t be missed.

All depended on Faith, Hope, and Charity. For 17 days, these Gloster Gladiator Biplanes fought the enemy alone. They did it so ably that Italian intelligence believed Malta had a large fighter defense. The measures to make these aircraft competitive against better and faster aircraft included fitting three bladed propellers in place of the usual two to give the biplanes a faster rate of climb. Superchargers kept on maximum after take off boosted rates of climb. This caused two engines to blow pistons. Maintenance crews then converted Blenheim bomber engines to fit the Gladiators.

After 17 days, other fighter planes started to arrive from Britain to supplement Malta’s meagre defences. The badly battered Faith alone survived. In 1943 the British gifted it to the Maltese authorities as a symbol of the Second World War and the comradeship between the British and the Maltese. Now restored and on display at The National War Museum Faith remains an important memento of the Second World War.

The National War Museum fittingly is in St Elmo fort renowned for its role against unbelievable odds during the epic 1565 Turkish Great Siege houses. The Museum covers the Second World War period - a war again bravely fought and endured by the Maltese.

Photographic panels give an idea of the hardships and war damage endured by the civilian population during 1940-43. For extended periods, they lived in unhealthy primitive underground shelters gauged out of the rock. The museum building itself has a bomb shelter on view. For 'heroism and devotion' King George VI awarded Malta the George Cross - on view. Also on display is the Book of Remembrance of civilians and service personnel killed during 1940-43, and the illuminated Scroll presented to the "People and Defenders of Malta", by President Roosevelt in 1943.

Another interesting display is an Italian E boat. Measuring only 4.5 metres long such boats had a bomb in the bow with a depth-set detonator set to explode at a depth of around five metres. Amidships there were 38 smaller explosives with their detonators set to an impact fuse in the bows. The pilot drove his boat at full speed at the target. When about 100 metres away he locked the rudder and jumped overboard. On hitting the target the 38 small bombs sank the boat causing the large bomb to explode under the ship. A more sophisticated craft is that of the midget submarine. One formed by the Italians from a torpedo is also on display.

‘Willy’s jeep’ is also here, brought over by Dwight D. Eisenhower, Commander-in chief of Allied Forces, in July 1943 for transport during his preparations for invading Sicily. Built to an identical design throughout the war these rugged jeeps served reliably on every front. American President Franklin D. Roosevelt later used this one when visiting Malta on December 1943.

There are guided tours and free history handouts in various languages. The entrance fee is Lm1.5 for adults.

Heading for Mdina on a tour, ‘The Best of Malta’, organised by our holiday rep, we stopped at the Ta' Qali Craft Centre. Malta is full of arts and crafts, and this is the place to see the articles made. A converted military aerodrome, the Nissan huts and other buildings now house a bewildering range of craft businesses. Witnessing the skill and dexterity added to my appreciation of the artistry involved - some of the finer work requires good eyesight. Among the skills where: fashioning filigree into jewellery, making pottery, glass-blowing and moulding and lace makers creating shawls and tableware. Buying ceramics, glass, jewellery, and knitwear from the Ta' Qali Craft Centre cuts out the retailer!

From The Ta' Qali Craft Centre, there is a clear view of the elegant walled city of Mdina on its rocky outcrop 200 metres above sea level and nine miles west of Valetta. Over the top, the dome of Mdina's famous Baroque cathedral swells impressively. It can, with its suburb, Rabat, trace its origins back to when the Phoenicians populated it 4,000 years ago. When Malta came under the Romans, the Governor built his Palace here. Up to the arrival of the Knights of St John it was the capital of Malta. Descendants of the successive Norman, Sicilian and Spanish overlords who made Mdina their home from the 12th century onwards continue to live here.

Approaching Mdina, a checkerboard of fields divided by rubble walls stretches up to meet the high city ramparts. Cross the drawbridge and you sense the history. Narrow cobblestone streets and alleys, churches, convents, palazzo and high surrounding bastions filled with Norman and baroque buildings form the city. With only 400 permanent residents, and few cars, Mdina is the perfect place for a quiet stroll - silence reigns supreme.

During periods of its history it wasn’t so quiet. Napoleon’s troops arrived in 1798. A month after their arrival, the French looted Mdina Cathedral of its silver. This was the biggest crime possible against the deeply religious Maltese! The French commander added to his folly by ordered the auctioning of the damask, richly draping the walls of Mdina’s Carmelite Church - Rioting and slaughter of the French responsible followed. Recruiting the help of Admiral Nelson the Maltese drove Napoleon’s troops out of the island - ‘Liberty,’ Maltese style!

Madina and Rabat are also closely associated with St. Paul. The parish church of Rabat, founded in 1575, sits on the same spot where St Paul once preached. Tiny chapels dedicated to St Paul and St Luke contain a statute of their respective apostle.

The Grotto of St Paul, below the adjoining Chapel of St Publius was once a Roman prison - prisoner's chains once hung from the holes in the roof. According to local Christian belief St Paul shipwrecked on his way to Rome was imprisoned here. Mystique surrounds the place: seemingly stone scraped from the grotto walls has special healing powers and its removal doesn’t alter the cave’s size? The prominent feature is a marble statue of St Paul.

On our way homewards, we stopped at the massive St Mary’s Church in Mosta. A beautiful church occupies the centre of every Maltese town and village. The Maltese method of praying is to give money to the church. Many churches in other lands must wish they had a Maltese congregation. St Mary’s glorious blue, gold and white dome with a diameter of 40m (131 feet) is one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. Its design is based on the Pantheon in Rome.

The church is the site of a World War II miracle. In 1942, while 300 people were praying in the church, a bomb penetrated the dome and landed on the mosaic floor but did not explode. The bomb had been off-target due to the nervousness of a young German pilot--he visited the church after the war to apologise. A replica of the bomb sits in the church sacristy.

A human tornado entered the hotel, calling ‘Let’s go!’ – we were to discover he was timetabled to be at all of several widely spaced hotels at 9:15am. Halfway out the door, he realised the number in tow didn’t agree with the number he had to pick up. This slowed him down for a moment. After quickly packing us in, he accelerated the red minibus to meet his impossible timetable. During this hair-raising ride, he cheerfully announced that he was not a qualified guide – not what our holiday rep promised! Still, he knew his Malta, and once I had tuned into his accent, I enjoyed his local insights.

We were enjoying the delights of Captain Morgan's Sunday Special. He claimed it offered superb value for money (Lm 14.50 each), together with a pleasantly unusual combination of events, which would undoubtedly make this Sunday the most exciting day of our holiday – so far he was proving correct!

With all pickups completed, we headed for the huge Sunday flea market at St James’ Ditch under the walls of Valletta. There were plenty of bargains, and the price could be haggled over. We spent about an hour among the hustle and bustle of buyers and sellers, wheelers and dealers, all looking for the best bargains ever. Some of the goods, though, were yesteryear's junk trying to make it into today’s antiques. Caged birds were a feature - the Maltese trap wild birds and breed from them – cruel? Having time to spare, we had a stroll around the nearby Upper Barrakka Gardens, once a private garden of the Knights but now open to the public. It offers spectacular view of the Grand Harbour.

Back on the bus, we continued our drive around Valletta's historical Bastions to discover what it must have been like for the Knights of St John to defend the city. Personally, I would have bet odds on the defenders behind such formable defences - the strongest in Europe. I had wondered why inclines had stepped pavement. Our driver explained that this was to help the knights in heavy armour climb the slopes. Even so, they must have been strong as horses.

Coming to Sliema, with its busy yacht haven, we boarded Captain’s Morgan vessel for a harbour cruise--including lunch. The inside lower desk was already full, so we found seats on the upper deck--open, windswept, and freezing in the March weather. The ship’s guide explained the harbour history, with its formidable forts, battlements, and creeks - all best admired from the sea! The grand harbours were all that Malta had to offer the Knights of St John when they surveyed the island in 1626 as a possible home. The island itself is of continuous ‘rock of soft sand stone... the surface of the rock is stony, unfit to produce corn... except for a few springs in the middle of the island, there is no running water... wood is scarce... but... there are several ports or capes and places that form a sort of bays and coves in which ships may anchor; there are two spacious and very good harbours in the island, capable of receiving the largest fleet.'

The knights withstood the Great Siege of 1565 by 30,000 Turks. Following this, they quickly built Valetta into the strongest fortified town in Europe. In 1942, Malta was again under attack, this time by aircraft. During March and April, the islands absorbed twice the weight of bombs that fell on London during any full year of the war. It survived even this with little lasting signs of damage to the fortified walls.

After a cold buffet lunch consisting of a selection of cold main courses, fruit, and a glass of wine, we cruised back to Sliema. On going ashore, we continued to Marsa Racecourse to spend the rest of the afternoon at the Horse Races.

Racing Maltese-style is a throwback to chariot races in Roman times. From the competitors' form while warming up, I tried to predict the winners and was wrong each time – just at well that I didn’t place any bets! As far as I could see, it was a game of strategy – not to get boxed in by other competitors, but that is just a novice’s view. I had wanted to try some action shots with my camera for some time, and here I had just the opportunity. I think I did rather well – don’t you?

In the brisk March weather, the spray flew as the ferry made its 25-minute crossing from Cirkewwa to Mgarr. On arriving in the sheltered haven of Mgarr, the Churches of Our Lady of Lourdes and neighbouring Ghajnsielem overlooking the harbour had many passengers reaching for their cameras. Sheltering fishing boats filled the harbour.

Our tour bus took us to Dwejra on Gozo's southern coastline - the Inland Sea - created when the roof of a vast cave collapsed some 80 to 100m. The cave entrance still connects it to the open sea. On calm days, small fishing boats carry visitors through the narrow opening to see Fungus Rock and the Azure Window. The Azure Window is a huge archway of natural limestone - an unforgettable sight. It is a timeless bridge between land and sea.

Fungus Rock stands menacingly in the sweeping bay alongside the Inland Sea. It was here that Fungus Gaulitanus, a fungus much prized by the knights for its medicinal powers grew. This rare plant was, for centuries, kept under constant guard, and anyone caught stealing it suffered death.

One of the most visited sites on Gozo is Our Lady of Ta Pinu Basilica. The church, dating from 1920, contains a small, barrel-vaulted votive chapel dating from the 16th century. Spared from demolition and repaired by 1879, the chapel again fell into disrepair and became derelict.

In 1883, the chapel got another reprieve. The story goes that on the morning of June 22, 1883, a middle-aged woman named Carmela Grima heard a voice calling her as she prayed while walking homeward by the deserted chapel. Seeing no one, she again started walking. Once more a voice called her, "Come, Come, because it will be another year before you will be able to return." She decided to enter the chapel and knelt down to pray. During her prayers, she underwent a spiritual experience, and again she heard the voice telling her, "Recite three Hail Mary’s in memory of the three days my body lay in the sepulcher."

Carmela recounted her experience to a friend of hers named Francesco Portelli. Subsequently, Francesco revealed that he, too, had heard a voice in the chapel commanding him to pay devotion to the wounds made in Christ's shoulder while He was carrying the Cross.

Francesco's mother fell desperately ill in 1886. As was the custom in those days, Francesco vowed to light a lamp in the chapel should his mother recover. His mother did recover, and Carmela and Francesco saw the recovery as a miracle. This is when they admitted their experience to church authorities. Our Lady of Ta' Pinu received credit for many acts of grace, such as escape from the plague the following year and from serious damage in World War II.

Our tour continued with a visit to the village of Fontana, a suburb of Victoria with its cottage industry of weaving, knitting, and lace making. Fontana took its name from a bountiful spring. People settled the area because of the freshwater springs. The arched shelters built in the 16th century over each spring shelter the people fetching water. Inside are traditional stone water tubs in which local folk sometimes still do their daily washing.

Victoria is the island's capital. This commercial centre contains the Citadel, an impregnable strategic point owing its origins to the late mediaeval era, but later refortified by the Knights of St. John to act as protection for the inhabitants.

For many centuries, pirates and corsairs used Gozo's small harbours for shelter while they raided the island in search of fresh produce and water. Often they took the inhabitants captives to sell them as slaves. The inhabitants, on discovering the enemy had landed, would flee into the Citadel for safety.

Within its walls lies the cathedral designed by Lorenzo Gafa, built between 1697 and 1711. A dome proved too expensive, so instead, an Italian painter, Antonio Manuele, created a magnificent trompe l'oeil painting that shows the interior of an imaginary dome in full splendour. The Cathedral Museum contains vestments, silver, and gold items used in sacred services.

The Citadel also holds The Archaeological Museum for Gozo, the Natural History Museum, and the Folklore Museum. There is also a craft centre housed in the old prison buildings that provides a window on local crafts, both traditional and modern. The battlements afford spectacular views across the island.

When visiting Malta, it is certainly worth visiting its smaller neighbour for a complete day.