Sicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects comprise the Italiano Meridionale-estremo language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento Sicilian ' onMouseout='HidePop("15308")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Italian_language">Tuscan Italian
Italian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
, which became the primary literary language and the medium of legal and commercial transactions in Malta. A large number of Sicilian and Italian words were adopted into the local vernacular.
Traces of Siculo-Norman architecture can still be found in Malta's ancient capital of
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
and in
VittoriosaVittoriosa redirects here. For the coaster see MV Vittoriosa.Birgu is an ancient city in Malta. It played a vital role in the Siege of Malta in 1565. Its population is 2,691 as of November 2005.-History:...
, most notably in the Palaces of the
Santa Sofia,
Gatto Murina,
Inguanez and
Falzon families.
Spain
Traces of the ascendancy of the
Crown of AragonThe Crown of Aragon was a permanent union of multiple titles and states in the hands of the King of Aragon.At the height of its power by the 14th and 15th centuries, the Crown of Aragon was a thalassocracy controlling a large portion of the present-day eastern Spain, Southwestern France, as well as...
in the Mediterranean, and Spanish governance over Malta from 1282 to 1530, are still evident in Maltese culture today. These include culinary, religious, and musical influences. Two examples are the enduring importance of the Spanish guitar (Maltese:
il-kitarra Spanjola) in Maltese folk music, and the enclosed wooden balconies (Maltese:
gallerija) that grace traditional Maltese homes today. It is also possible that the traditional Maltese costume, the Faldetta, is a local variation of the Spanish
mantillaA mantilla is a lace or silk scarf worn over the head and shoulders, often over a high comb, popular with women in Spain and Latin America.-History:...
.
The Spanish period also saw the establishment of the
Maltese nobility- The Maltese Nobility :According to the Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims of the Maltese Nobility , there are three categories of titles of nobility which enjoy precedence in Malta, the first being those created by the Grand Masters of the Order of Saint John during its...
, with the creation of Malta's oldest extent title, the Barony of Djar-il-Bniet e Buqana and numerous others. Under Spanish rule Malta developed into a feudal state. From time to time during this period, the Islands were nominally ruled by various Counts of Malta, who were typically illegitimate sons of the reigning Aragonese monarch; however, the day-to-day administration of the country was essentially in the hands of the local nobility, through their governing council known as the
Università.
Some of Malta's premier noble families including the
Inguanez family, settled in Malta from Spain and Sicily during this time. Other Maltese families of Spanish origin include:
Calleja,
Alagona,
Aragona,
Abela,
Flores,
Guzman and
Xerri.
The period of Spanish rule over Malta lasted roughly as long as the period of Arab rule; however, this appears to have had little impact on the language spoken in rural Malta, which remained heavily influenced by
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
, with Semitic morphemes. This is evident in Pietro Caxaro's
Il-CantilenaIl Cantilena is the oldest known literary text in the Maltese language. It dates from the 15th century but was not found until 1966 or 1968 by Prof. Godfrey Wettinger and Fr. M. Fsadni . The poem is attributed to Pietru Caxaro, and was recorded by Caxaro's nephew, Brandano, in his notarial...
, the oldest known literary text in
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
, which was written prior to 1485, at the height of the Spanish period.
The Knights of St. John
The population of Malta increased considerably during the rule of the Knights, from 25,000 in 1535 to over 40,000 in 1621, to over 54,463 in 1632. This was primarily due to immigration from Western Europe, but also due to generally improved health and welfare conditions, and the reduced incidence of raids from North African and Turkish corsairs. By 1798, when the Knights surrendered Malta to the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte, the population of Malta had increased to 114,000.
The period of the Knights is often referred to as Malta's
Golden Age, as a result of the architectural and artistic embellishment of the Islands by their resident rulers, and as a result of advances in the overall health, education and prosperity of the local population during this period. Music, literature, theatre and the visual arts all flourished in Malta during this period, which also saw the foundation and development of many of the
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
and
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
towns and villages, palaces and gardens of Malta, the most notable of which is the capital city,
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
.
Contact between the Maltese and the many Sicilian and Italian mariners and traders who called at Valletta's busy
Grand HarbourGrand Harbour is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times...
expanded under Knights, while at the same time, a significant number of Western European nobles, clerics and civil servants relocated to Malta during this period. The wealth and influence of Malta's
noble families- The Maltese Nobility :According to the Report of the Commission appointed to enquire into the claims of the Maltese Nobility , there are three categories of titles of nobility which enjoy precedence in Malta, the first being those created by the Grand Masters of the Order of Saint John during its...
- many of whom trace their ancestry back to the Norman and Spanish monarchs who ruled Malta prior to the Knights - was also greatly enhanced during this period.
Maltese education, in particular, took a significant leap forward under the Knights, with the foundation, in 1530, of the
Collegium Melitensæ, precursor to today's
University of MaltaThe University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time....
, through the intercession of Pope Clement VIII. As a result, the University of Malta is one of the oldest extant universities in Europe, and the oldest Commonwealth university outside of the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
. The
School of Anatomy and Surgery was established by Grand Master Fra
Nicolas CotonerFra Nicolas Cotoner , succeeded his brother Fra Raphael Cotoner as Grand Master of the Knights of St. John in 1663. During his reign Fra Mattia Preti worked on the decoration of St John's Co-Cathedral. He is buried in the Chapel of Aragon in the Co-Cathedral. He was succeeded by Fra Gregorio Carafa...
at the
Sacra Infermeria in Valletta, in 1676. The
Sacra Infermeria itself was known as one of the finest and most advanced hospitals in Europe.
Sicily and the Italian mainland
Located just 60 miles to the north,
SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
has provided Malta with a virtually continuous exchange of knowledge, ideas, customs and beliefs throughout history. Many modern Maltese families trace their origins to various parts of Sicily and Southern Italy. The geographic proximity has facilitated a considerable amount of intermarriage, cross-migration, and trade between the two groups of islands. It is likely that this was just as true during the period of Arab domination over Sicily as it has been since the Norman conquest of Sicily in 1060 CE. Accordingly, it is difficult to determine whether some of the Semitic influences on Maltese culture were originally imported to Malta from North Africa, or from Sicily.
The Sicilian influence on Maltese culture is extensive, and is especially evident in the
local cuisineMaltese cuisine is typically Mediterranean, based on fresh seasonal locally available produce and seafood, with some influence from Italian cuisine, particularly Sicily and the south...
, with its emphasis on olive oil, pasta, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially the tomato), traditional appetizers such as caponata (Maltese:
"kapunata") and rice balls (
aranciniArancini are fried rice balls coated with breadcrumbs, said to originate in Sicily. Arancini are usually filled with ragù , tomato sauce, mozzarella, and/or peas....
), speciality dishes such as rice timbale (Maltese:
"ross fil-forn"), and sweets such as the
cassataCassata or Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily . Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts....
and
cannoliCannoli, in Sicilian, are Sicilian pastry desserts. The singular is cannolo , meaning “little tube”, with the etymology stemming from the Latin "canna", or reed. Cannoli originated in Sicily and are an essential part of Sicilian cuisine...
.
Sicilian influence is also evident in many of the local superstitions, in simple children's nursery rhymes, and in the devotion to certain saints, especially St. Agatha. Centuries of dependence on the Diocese of Palermo brought many Sicilian religious traditions to Malta, including the Christmas
cribA nativity scene is a depiction of the birth of Jesus as described in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. While the term "nativity scene" typically includes two dimensional depictions in film, painting, printmaking, and other media, the term popularly refers to static, three dimensional, commercial...
(Maltese:
"il-presepju"), the ritual visiting of several Altars of Repose on
Good FridayGood Friday, also called Holy Friday, Black Friday, or Great Friday, is a holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary...
(Maltese:
"is-sepulkri"), and the graphic, grim realism of traditional Maltese religious images and sculpture.
Ironically, despite Malta's rapid transformation into a strategic naval base during the British period, the influence of
Italian cultureItaly did not exist as a state until the country's unification in 1861. Due to this comparatively late unification, and the historical autonomy of the regions that comprise the Italian Peninsula, many traditions and customs that are now recognized as distinctly Italian can be identified by their...
on Malta strengthened considerably throughout the 19th century. This was due in part to increasing levels of literacy among the Maltese, the increased availability of Italian newspapers, and an influx of Italian
intelligentsiaThe intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
to Malta. Several leaders of the Italian risorgimento movement were exiled in Malta by the Bourbon monarchs during this period, including
Francesco CrispiFrancesco Crispi was a 19th-century Italian politician of Albanian Arberesh ancestry. He was instrumental in the formation of the united country and was its Premier from 1887 until 1891 and again from 1893 until 1896....
, and Ruggiero Settimo. Malta was also the proposed destination of
Giuseppe GaribaldiGiuseppe Garibaldi was an Italian military and political figure. In his twenties, he joined the Carbonari Italian patriot revolutionaries, and had to flee Italy after a failed insurrection...
when he was ordered into exile; however, this never came to pass. The political writings of Garibaldi and his colleague,
Giuseppe MazziniGiuseppe Mazzini , the "Soul of Italy," was an Italian patriot, philosopher, Freemason and politician. His efforts helped bring about the modern Italian state in place of the several separate states, many dominated by foreign powers, that existed until the 19th century...
- who believed that Malta was, at heart, part of the emerging Italian nation - resonated among many of Malta's upper- and middle-classes.
France
FrenchThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of conflicts declared against Napoleon's French Empire and changing sets of European allies by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionized European armies and played...
rule over Malta, although brief, left a deep and lasting impression on Maltese culture and society. Several of the
Grand MastersGrand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and sectarian orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
of the Knights of Malta had been French, and though some French customs and expressions had crept into common usage in Malta as a result (such as the expressions
"bonġu" for "good day", and
"bonswa" for "good evening", still in use today), Napoleon's garrison had a much deeper impact on Maltese culture. Within six days following the capitulation by Grand Master Hompesch on board
l'Orient, Bonaparte had given Malta a Constitution and introduced the Republican concept of
Liberté,
Egalite,
Fraternité to Malta. Slavery was abolished, and the scions of Maltese nobility were ordered to burn their patents and other written evidence of their pedigrees before the
arbre de la liberté that had been hastily erected in St. George's Square, at the centre of
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
. A secondary school system was established, the university system was revised extensively, and a new
Civil CodeA civil code is a systematic collection of laws designed to comprehensively deal with the core areas of private law. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure...
of law was introduced to the legal system of Malta.
Under the rule of General Vaubois civil marriages were introduced to Malta, and all non-Maltese clergymen and women were ordered to leave the Islands. A wholesale plundering of the gold, silver and precious art of Maltese churches followed, and several monasteries were forcibly taken from the religious orders. The Maltese were scandalized by the desecration of their churches. A popular uprising culminated with the "defenestration" of Citizen Masson, commandant of the French garrison, and the summary execution of a handful of Maltese patriots, led by
Dun Mikiel XerriDun Mikiel Xerri was a Maltese patriot. Xerri studied at different universities in Europe. He lived under both the Knights of St. John during their time in Malta and the French when they took over the Maltese Islands...
. With the French blockaded behind the walls of Valletta, a National Assembly of Maltese was formed. Petitions were sent out to the King of the Two Sicilies, and to
Lord NelsonVice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB was a British flag officer famous for his service in the Royal Navy, particularly during the Napoleonic Wars...
, soliciting their aid and support. The French garrison capitulated to Nelson in
Grand HarbourGrand Harbour is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times...
, on September 5, 1800.
British Malta
British rule, from 1800 to 1964, radically and permanently transformed the language, culture and politics of Malta. Malta's position in the British Empire was unique in that it did not come about by conquest or by colonization, but at the voluntary request of the Maltese people. Britain found in Malta an ancient, Christian culture, strongly influenced by neighbouring Italy and Sicily, and loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. Malta's primary utility to Great Britain was its excellent natural harbours, and its strategic location, and for many decades, Malta was essentially a "fortress colony".
Throughout the 19th century, Malta benefited from increased defence spending by Britain, particularly from the development of the dockyards and the harbour facilities. The Crimean War and the opening of the
Suez CanalThe Suez Canal is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened on November 1869, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigating around Africa...
further enhanced Malta's importance as a supply station and as a naval base. Prosperity brought with it a dramatic rise in the population, from 114,000 in 1842, to 124,000 in 1851, 140,000 in 1870, and double that amount by 1914. Malta became increasingly urbanized, with the majority of the population inhabiting the Valletta and the Three Cities. Malta's fortunes waned during times of peace in the early 20th century, and again after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, leading to massive waves of
emigrationEmigration is the act of leaving one's native country or region to settle in another. It is the same as immigration but from the perspective of the country of origin. Human movement before the establishment of political boundaries or within one state, is termed migration. There are many reasons why...
.
Although Malta remained heavily dependent on British military spending, successive British governors brought advances in medicine, education, industry and agriculture to Malta. The British legacy in Malta is evident in the widespread use of the
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
in Malta today. English was adopted as one of Malta's two national languages in 1936, and it has now firmly replaced
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
as the primary language of tertiary education, business, and commerce in Malta.
The British period introduced the
NeoclassicalNeoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, both as a reaction against the Rococo style of anti-tectonic naturalistic ornament, and an outgrowth of some classicizing features of Late Baroque...
style of architecture to Malta, evident in several palaces built during this period, in the Greek revival
porticoA portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls...
of the parish church of
Sta. Marija AssuntaThe Rotunda of St Marija Assunta is a church in Mosta, Malta. Built in the 19th century on the site of a previous church, it was designed by the Maltese architect Giorgio Grognet. Its dome is among the largest in the world, with a diameter of 37 meters...
in
MostaMosta is a town situated in the middle of the island of Malta, to the north-west of Valletta. It has a population of 18,429 people . In fact a lot of traffic passes through Constitution Street, one of Mosta's main streets which connects the South to the North. Mosta celebrates the feast of Saint...
, and in the soaring spire of
St Paul's Anglican CathedralSt Paul's Pro-Cathedral is an Anglican pro-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, commissioned by Queen Adelaide during a visit to Malta in the 19th Century when she found out that there was no place of Anglican worship on the island. Building started in 1839 and was completed in 1844....
which, alongside the massive Baroque dome of a nearby Catholic church, dominates the Valletta skyline.
Neogothic architecture was also introduced to Malta during this period, in the Chapel of Santa Maria Addolorata at Malta's main cemetery, and in the Carmelite Church in
SliemaSliema is a city located on the northeast coast of Malta. It is a centre for shopping, restaurants and café life. Sliema is also a major commercial and residential area and houses several of Malta's most modern hotels...
. Sliema itself, which developed from a sleepy fishing village into a bustling, cosmopolitan town during the British period, once boasted an elegant seafront that was famed for its
RegencyThe Regency style of architecture refers primarily to buildings built in Britain during the period in the early 19th century when George IV was Prince Regent, and also to later buildings following the same style. The style corresponds to the Biedermeier style in the German-speaking lands, Federal...
style architecture, that was strongly reminiscent of the British seaside town of
BrightonBrighton is a town in the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex on the south coast of Great Britain...
.
Impact of World War II
Perhaps as an indirect result of the brutal devastation suffered by the Maltese at the hands of
Benito MussoliniBenito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini,
KSMOM GCTE was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism. He became the Prime Minister of Italy in 1922 and began using the title Il Duce by...
's Regia Aeronautica and the
LuftwaffeLuftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1933 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956.Schweizer Luftwaffe is also the name of the Swiss Air...
during World War II, the United Kingdom has replaced neighboring
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and
SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
as the dominant source of cultural influences on modern Malta. The
George CrossThe George Cross is the highest civil decoration of the United Kingdom, and also holds, or has held, that status in many of the other countries of the Commonwealth of Nations...
was awarded to the people of Malta by King
George VI of the United KingdomGeorge VI was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions from 11 December 1936 until his death...
in a letter dated 15 April 1942 to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir
William DobbieLieutenant-General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie GCMG, KCB, DSO was a British Army veteran of the Second Boer War, and First and Second World Wars.-Early life:...
, so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" during the
great siegeThe Siege of Malta was a military campaign in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II. From 1940 to 1942, the fight for the control of the strategically important island of Malta pitted the air forces and navies of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany against the Royal Air Force and the Royal...
it underwent in the early parts of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The George Cross is woven into the
Flag of MaltaThe Flag of Malta is a basic bi-colour, with white in the hoist and red in the fly: colours from the blazon of the arms of Malta. Tradition states that the colours of the flag were given to Malta by Count Roger of Sicily, in 1091...
and can be seen wherever the flag is flown.
The "culture clash" between pro-British and pro-Italian elements in Malta reached its apex in February 1942, when British Governor
Lieutenant-General Sir William DobbieLieutenant-General Sir William George Shedden Dobbie GCMG, KCB, DSO was a British Army veteran of the Second Boer War, and First and Second World Wars.-Early life:...
ordered the deportation of 47 notable Maltese, including
Enrico MizziEnrico Mizzi , popularly known as Nerik Mizzi, was a Maltese politician, leader of the Nationalist Party and Prime Minister of Malta. Mizzi was born in Valletta on 20 September 1885, son of...
, leader of the
Nationalist PartyThe Nationalist Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in Malta, along with the Labour Party. It was founded by Dr Fortunato Mizzi in 1880 as the Anti-Reform Party, opposing taxation decreed by the British colonial authorities and measures to Anglicise the educational and the...
, and
Sir Arturo MerciecaSir Arturo Mercieca, Kt Bach, LL.D., was a Chief Justice of Malta.-Early life:Mercieca was born in Victoria on the island of Gozo on 11 July 1878. He was given primary and secondary education at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Victoria. In October 1894 he enrolled at the University of Malta and...
, Chief Justice of Malta, who were suspected by the Colonial authorities of being sympathetic to the fascist cause. Their exile in
UgandaThe Republic of Uganda is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by Tanzania...
, which lasted until March 8, 1945, was and remains a source of controversy among the Maltese.
British traditions in modern Malta
British traditions that live on in Malta include an efficient civil service, a
militaryThe Armed Forces of Malta is the name given to the combined armed services of Malta. The AFM is a brigade sized organisation consisting of a headquarters and three separate battalions.-Organisation:-Headquarters, AFM:...
that is based on the British model, a
Westminster-styleThe Westminster system is a democratic parliamentary system of government modelled after the politics of the United Kingdom. This term comes from the Palace of Westminster, the seat of the Parliament of the United Kingdom....
parliamentary structure, a governmental structure premised on the
rule of lawThe rule of law, also called supremacy of law, means that the law is above everyone and it applies to everyone. Whether governor or governed, rulers or ruled, no one is above the law, no one is exempted from the law, and no one can grant exemption to the application of the law.Rule of law is a...
, and a legal system based on
common lawCommon law is law developed by judges through decisions of courts and similar tribunals , rather than through legislative statutes or executive action, and to corresponding legal systems that rely on precedential case law....
. Another British legacy in Malta is the widely popular annual
ChristmasChristmas , also referred to as Christmas Day, is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth. The day marks the beginning of the larger season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days. The nativity of Jesus, which is the basis for the anno Domini...
pantomimePantomime is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season.-History:A pantomimos in Greece was...
at the
Manoel TheatreThe Manoel Theatre is reputed to be Europe's third-oldest working theatre, and the oldest working theatre in the Commonwealth of Nations...
. Most Maltese families have adopted
turkeyA turkey is either of two living species of large birds in the genus Meleagris. One species, Meleagris gallopavo, commonly known as the Wild Turkey, is native to the forests of North America...
and
plum puddingChristmas pudding is the dessert traditionally served on Christmas day. It has its origins in England, and is sometimes known as plum pudding, though this can also refer to other kinds of boiled pudding involving a lot of dried fruit.-History:...
as Christmas treats in place of the more traditional Maltese
roosterA rooster, also called a cock or chanticleer, is a male chicken with the female being called a hen. Immature male chickens of less than a year's age are called cockerels. The oldest term is "cock," from Old English coc. It is sometimes replaced by the term "cockerel" in the United Kingdom, and...
and
cassataCassata or Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily . Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts....
.
Due to Malta forming a part of the British Empire in the |19th and 20th centuries, and a considerable amount of intermarriage having taken place during that time period, the existence of
BritishThe British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, one of the Channel Islands, or of one of the British overseas territories, and their descendants. In a historical context, the term refers to the ancient Britons, the indigenous inhabitants of Great Britain south of the...
or
IrishThe Irish people are a Western European ethnic group who originate in Ireland, in north western Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolgs, Tuatha Dé Danann and the Milesians The Irish...
surnames is increasingly common. Examples include:
Atkins,
Crockford,
Ferry,
Gingell,
Hall,
Hamilton,
Harmsworth,
Harwood,
Jones,
Mattocks,
Moore,
O'Neill,
Sladden,
Sixsmith,
Smith,
Strickland,
Turner,
Wallbank,
Warrington and
Woods.
Maltese Diaspora
Malta has always been a maritime nation, and for centuries, there has been extensive interaction between Maltese sailors and fishermen and their counterparts around the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic Ocean. More significantly, by the mid-19th century the Maltese already had a long history of migration to various places, including
EgyptEgypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Western Asia...
,
TripolitaniaTripolitania or Tripolitana is a historic region and former province of Libya, situated alongside Cyrenaica and Fezzan...
,
TunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian Republic , is a country located in North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and Libya to the southeast. Tunisia is located southwest of the island of Sicily and south of Sardinia. Its size is almost 165,000 km² with an estimated population of just...
,
AlgeriaAlgeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria, is a country located in North Africa. It is the largest country on the Mediterranean sea, the second largest on the African continent and the eleventh-largest country in the world in terms of land area.It is bordered by Tunisia in...
,
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
, the
Ionian IslandsThe Ionian Islands are a group of islands in Greece. They are traditionally called "Eptanisa", i.e...
,
GreeceGreece , officially the Hellenic Republic , is a country in southeastern Europe, situated on the southern end of the Balkan Peninsula....
,
SicilySicily is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is an autonomous region of Italy. Several much smaller islands surrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily....
and
LampedusaThe Mediterranean island of Lampedusa belongs to Italy and is the largest of the Pelagie Islands, situated 205 km from Sicily and 113 km from Tunisia. Its population subsists on fishing, agriculture and tourism...
. Intermarriage with other nationals (especially Italians and Sicilians) was not uncommon. Migrants would periodically return to Malta, bringing with them new customs and traditions that over time have been absorbed into mainstream Maltese culture.
The extensive impact of migration on Malta is illustrated by the following statistics: in 1842, the total number of Maltese emigrants was estimated at around 20,000, or 15 percent of the population of Malta. These numbers increased steadily throughout the 1800s. The Maltese were distributed as follows:
| NUMBER OF MALTESE EMIGRANTS IN N. AFRICA |
| Country |
Year - 1842 |
Year - 1865 |
Year - 1880s |
Algeria (AlgiersAlgiers is the capital and largest city of Algeria, and the second largest city in the Maghreb . According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630...
, Philipville and BôneBones are rigid organs that form part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They function to move, support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...
) |
5,000 |
10,000 |
15,000 |
Tunisia (TunisTunis is the capital of the Tunisian Republic and also the Tunis Governorate, with a population of 1,200,000 in 2008 and over 3,980,500 in the greater Tunis area...
) |
3,000 |
7,000 |
11,000 |
| Egypt |
2,000 |
5,000 |
7,000 |
However, these early migration patterns were unstable, and repatriation occurred frequently. For example, many Maltese emigrants rushed back to their homeland due to an outbreak of
plaguePlague is a deadly infectious disease caused by the enterobacteria Yersinia pestis . Plague is a zoonotic, primarily carried by rodents and spread to humans via fleas. Plague is notorious throughout history, due to the unrivaled scale of death and devastation it brought...
in Egypt in 1835, and again in 1840 during the Anglo-Egyptian crisis (see:
London Straits ConventionIn the London Straits Convention concluded on July 13, 1841 between the Great Powers of Europe at the time - Russia, the United Kingdom, France, Austria and Prussia - the "ancient rule" of the Ottoman Empire was re-established by closing the Turkish straits of Bosporus and the Dardanelles, which...
). According to Pullicino:
in spite of a certain amount of isolation there must have been a measure of adaptation by Maltese emigrants to local customs, food and dress. Besides, the frequent comings and goings of the Maltese in the 19th century must have facilitated the assimilation of at least some folklore material from North Africa that still needs to be identified.
There was heavy migration from Malta in the early 20th century, and again after
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
until the early 1980s; however the destinations of choice during this period tended to be more distant, English-speaking countries rather than the traditional, Mediterranean
littoralIn coastal environments and biomes, the littoral zone extends from the high water mark, which is rarely inundated, to shoreline areas that are permanently submerged. It always includes the intertidal zone and is often used to mean the same as the intertidal zone...
. Over 10,000 Maltese settled in
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
between 1918 and 1920, followed by another 90,000 - or 30 percent of the population of Malta - between 1948 and 1967. By 1996, the net emigration from Malta during the 20th century exceeded 120,000,or 33.5% of the population of Malta.
In 1995, a section of
TorontoToronto is the most populous city in Canada and the provincial capital of Ontario. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. With over 2.5 million residents, it is the fifth most populous municipality in North America...
's
JunctionThe Junction, is a neighbourhood in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that is near the junction of four railway lines in the area known as the West Toronto Diamond. The neighbourhood was previously an independent village, town and city until amalgamating with Toronto in 1909...
neighbourhood was given the name "Malta Village" in recognition of the strong Maltese community that remains to this day. It is believed to be the largest Maltese community in North America.
| SUMMARY OF MALTESE MIGRATION PATTERNS (1946-1996) |
| Country |
To |
From |
Net migration |
Return % |
| Australia |
86,787 |
17,847 |
68,940 |
21.56 |
| Canada |
19,792 |
4,798 |
14,997 |
24.24 |
| UK |
31,489 |
12,659 |
18,830 |
40.20 |
| U.S.A. |
11,601 |
2,580 |
9,021 |
22.24 |
| Other |
1,647 |
907 |
740 |
55.07 |
| Total |
155,060 |
39,087 |
115,973 |
25.21 |
Familiarity with the
English languageEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
assisted Maltese migrants to assimilate in their adopted countries, and the incidence of intermarriage with foreigners is reputedly higher among Maltese emigrants than other ethnic communities. Extensive interaction between Maltese emigrants in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and their relatives in Malta, has brought Maltese culture closer to the English speaking world. Many Maltese emigrants and second generation Maltese-Australians, Maltese-Americans and Maltese-Canadians returned to their homeland in the 1990s, and recent years have seen an increase in the number of foreign expatriates moving to Malta, especially British retirees. This has created an increasingly cosmopolitan environment in the towns and villages of Malta.
In the years preceding Tunisia's declaration of independence in 1956, most of the Maltese community left the country to settle in Marseilles, France, which retains the biggest Maltese community in France.
Education
Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 years. While the state provides education free of charge, the
ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
and the private sector run a number of schools in Malta and
GozoGozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
. Most of the teachers' salary in Church schools is paid by the state. Education in Malta is based on the
British ModelEducation in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government is responsible for education in England, the Scottish Government is responsible for education in Scotland, the Welsh Assembly...
.
Religion
Today, the Constitution of Malta provides for
freedom of religionFreedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
but establishes Roman Catholicism as the
state religionA state religion is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. Practically, a state without a state religion is called a secular state. The term state church is associated with Christianity, and is sometimes used to denote a specific national branch of Christianity...
.
Freedom HouseFreedom House is a Washington-based international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on democracy, political freedom and human rights...
and the
World Factbook report that 98 percent of the Maltese profess Roman Catholicism as their religion, making Malta one of the most Catholic countries in the world. However, the
Sunday Mass Attendance Census 2005 commissioned by the
Church of Malta reports that, as of 2005, only 52.6% of the population attended religious services on a regular basis.
Languages
The national language of Malta is
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
, the only official
Semitic languageThe Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 467 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
within the
European UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 Member States, located primarily in Europe. Committed to regional integration, the EU was established by the Treaty of Maastricht on 1 November 1993 upon the foundations of the pre-existing European Economic Community...
. The
Maltese alphabetThe Maltese alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet with the addition of some letters with diacritic marks and digraphs. It is used to write the Maltese language. It contains 30 letters:-Samples:...
is based on the
Latin alphabetThe Latin alphabet, also called the Roman alphabet, is the most widely used alphabetic writing system in the world today. It evolved from the western variety of the Greek alphabet called the Cumaean alphabet, and was initially developed by the ancient Romans to write the Latin language.During the...
, but uses the
diacriticA diacritic is an ancillary glyph added to a letter, or basic glyph. The term derives from the Greek διακριτικός . Diacritic is both an adjective and a noun, whereas diacritical is only an adjective...
ally altered letters
żZ is the twenty-sixth and final letter of the basic modern Latin alphabet.-Name and pronunciation:In many dialects of English, the letter's name is zed, , reflecting its derivation from the Greek zeta . In American English, its name is zee , deriving from a late 17th century English dialectal form...
, also found in
PolishPolish is a West Slavic language and the official language of Poland. Its written standard is the Polish alphabet which corresponds basically to the Latin alphabet with a few additions...
, as well as the letters
ċĈ or ĉ is a consonant in Esperanto orthography, representing a voiceless postalveolar affricate , and is equivalent to the voiceless postalveolar affricate, , or the voiceless retroflex affricate,...
,
ġG is the seventh letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet. Its name in English is spelled gee.-History:The letter G was introduced in the Old Latin period as a variant of C to distinguish Latin voiced velar from voiceless...
and
ħ, which are unique to Maltese. The official languages are
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
and Maltese.
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
,
FrenchFrench is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
and
GermanGerman is a West Germanic language, thus related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. It is one of the world's major languages and the most widely spoken first language in the European Union. Around the world, German is spoken by approximately 105 million native speakers and also by...
are also widely spoken and taught in secondary schools, though the latter two less so.
Telecommunications
RadioRadio is the transmission of signals by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
shows,
televisionTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
programs and the easy availability of foreign newspapers and magazines throughout the 20th century further extended and enhanced the impact of both
BritishThe culture of the United Kingdom refers to the patterns of human activity and symbolism associated with the United Kingdom and its people since its formation in 1707...
and Italian culture on Malta. Globalization and increased
InternetThe Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standardized Internet Protocol Suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
usage (approx. 78.1% of the population of Malta as of September 2005) is having a significant effect on Maltese culture; as of December 22, 2006, Malta had the fourth highest rate of Internet usage in the world.
LGBT
Although there is no official recognition of to gay marriage or civil unions, Malta nevertheless has a ban on anti-gay discrimination in employment, and the age of consent is equal for all at 18. There are quite a few gay clubs on the island, including 'Tom's Bar' in Floriana, which is the oldest gay club in Malta, and 'Klozett' in Paceville. The Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM), founded in 2001, is a socio-political non-governmental organisation which has as its central focus the challenges and rights of the Maltese lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
Nightlife in Malta
The long, warm summer nights of Malta lend themselves to a vibrant nightlife, which is at odds with Malta's traditional conservatism and the staunch Catholicism of older generations.
Clubbing and
pub-crawling - especially in the traffic-free zones of
PacevilleLocated west of St. Julian's, Malta, Paceville is the name given to an informal district heavily populated with nightclubs, bars, pubs and restaurants, and is considered to be Malta's nightlife capital. Paceville is located between Spinola Point and Dragonara Point, delimiting Spinola Bay and St...
near
St. Julian'sSan Ġiljan is a town in Malta situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-oriented businesses, such as hotels, restaurants and nightclubs, centred mostly in an area known as Paceville....
, and
BuġibbaBuġibba [pronounced bu-jibb-buh] is a small town in Malta, situated adjacent to Qawra and forming part of the local council of St. Paul's Bay. With numerous hotels and restaurants, it is a popular resort among tourists....
- is a rite of passage for Maltese teenagers, young adults and crowds of tourists. Evenings start late and many clubbers continue the festivities into the early hours of the morning. Clubs frequently have large outdoor patios, with local and visiting DJs spinning a mix of Euro-beat, House, chill-out, R&B, hardcore, rock, trance, techno, retro, old school, and classic disco. Pubs, especially Irish pubs, are often the meeting place of choice for the start of a night of clubbing.
Laid back
wine bars are increasingly popular among young professionals and the more discriminating tourists, and are popping up in the
kantinas of some of the more picturesque, historic cities and towns, including
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
and
VittoriosaVittoriosa redirects here. For the coaster see MV Vittoriosa.Birgu is an ancient city in Malta. It played a vital role in the Siege of Malta in 1565. Its population is 2,691 as of November 2005.-History:...
. They typically offer a mix of local and foreign wines, traditional Maltese appetizer platters, and occasionally, live entertainment.
Despite rapidly increasing tolerance and acceptance of alternative lifestyles, Malta offers its gay and lesbian locals and visitors less nightlife options than other Southern European destinations. With the exception of several staple bars (including
Tom's, Valletta and
Klozett, Paceville),
gay bars in Malta have a tendency to pop up, relocate, and disappear from one summer season to the next. However, the local gay population is usually very much in evidence - and welcome - at the mainstream clubs of Paceville and elsewhere.
Transportation
Car ownership in Malta is the fourth highest in Europe, given the small size of the islands. Like in the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, traffic
drives on the leftRight-hand traffic and left-hand traffic mean regulations requiring all bidirectional traffic to keep either to the right or the left side of the road, respectively. This is so fundamental to traffic flow that it is sometimes referred to as the rule of the road. This basic rule eases traffic flow...
.
The old
Maltese busA Malta bus is both the bus used for public transport on the Mediterranean island of Malta, and also a major tourist attraction on the island, due to their unique appearance grounded in the bus ownership and operation model employed on Malta...
es, formerly ex-British Armed forces vehicles, are Malta's main domestic mode of transportation. There has also been a railway in the past between
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
and the
MtarfaImtarfa, or Mtarfa is a small town close to Rabat and Mdina in the north of Malta, with a population of 2,396 people .-History:...
army barracks.
A regular ferry system connects the two main Maltese islands, via the harbours of
ĊirkewwaĊirkewwa is a harbour situated on a point at the northernmost part of Malta.It is the site of the Ċirkewwa Ferry Terminal, where regular car ferries operate to the port of Mġarr on Gozo. In the summer, boat trips to Comino also operate, as well as organised diving excursions...
and
MarsamxettMarsamxett Harbour, also referred as Marsamuscetto in many ancient documents, is the northern of Valletta's two natural harbours on the island of Malta, separated from the southern one by the Valetta peninsular. To the north it is bounded by Gżira and Sliema as far as Dragut Point and extends...
in Malta, and Mġarr in Gozo. There are also regular ferry services between the
Grand HarbourGrand Harbour is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been used as a harbour since at least Phoenician times...
and neighbouring Sicily. A busy cruise liner terminal has been developed on the Valletta side of Grand Harbour; however, Malta's primary connection to the outside world is its
airportMalta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves the whole Maltese Archipelago. It is located between Luqa and Gudja in Malta. It occupies the location of the former RAF Luqa and was completely re-furbished, becoming fully operational on 25 March 1992...
at
LuqaLuqa is a village located in the south east of Malta. It is an old town that has a dense population, typical of the Maltese Islands. The population of Luqa is 6,028 . There is a church in its main square dedicated to St. Andrew. The traditional feast of St...
.
The emergence of Maltese literature
The oldest extant literary text in the Maltese language is
Pietru Caxaro'sPietru Caxaro was a Maltese poet who died in 1485. Caxaro was a philosopher, orator, and public notary. He currently rests in the chapel of Our Lady of Help at the Dominicans Church at Rabat, Malta.-Early years:...
poem,
CantilenaIl Cantilena is the oldest known literary text in the Maltese language. It dates from the 15th century but was not found until 1966 or 1968 by Prof. Godfrey Wettinger and Fr. M. Fsadni . The poem is attributed to Pietru Caxaro, and was recorded by Caxaro's nephew, Brandano, in his notarial...
(circa 1470 to 1485) (also known as
Xidew il-Qada), followed by Gian Francesco Bonamico's sonnet of praise to
Grand Master Nicolò CotonerFra Nicolas Cotoner , succeeded his brother Fra Raphael Cotoner as Grand Master of the Knights of St. John in 1663. During his reign Fra Mattia Preti worked on the decoration of St John's Co-Cathedral. He is buried in the Chapel of Aragon in the Co-Cathedral. He was succeeded by Fra Gregorio Carafa...
,
Mejju gie' bl'Uard, u Zahar (The month of May has arrived, with roses and orange blossoms), circa 1672. The earliest known Maltese dictionary was written by Francois de Vion Thezan Court (circa 1640). In 1700, an anonymous Gozitan poet wrote
Jaħasra Mingħajr Ħtija (Unfortunately Innocent). A Maltese translation of the
Lord's PrayerThe Lord's Prayer, also known as the Our Father or Pater noster, is perhaps the best-known prayer in Christianity. On Easter Sunday 2007 it was estimated that 2 billion Catholic, Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Christians read, recited, or sang the short prayer in hundreds of languages...
appeared in Johannes Heinrich Maius's work
Specimen Lingua Punicæ in hodierna Melitensium superstitis (1718). A collection of religious sermons by a certain Dun Ignazio Saverio Mifsud, published between 1739 and 1746, is now regarded as the earliest known Maltese prose. An anonymous poem entitled
Fuqek Nitħaddet Malta (I am talking about you, Malta), was written circa 1749, regarding the uprising of the slaves of that year. A few years later, in 1752, a
catechismA catechism is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
entitled
Tagħlim Nisrani ta' Dun Franġisk Wizzino (Don Francesco Wizzino's Christian Teachings) was published in both Maltese and Italian. The occasion of
CarnivalCarnival has had an important place on the Maltese cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been introduced to the Islands by Grand Master Piero de Ponte in 1535...
in 1760 saw the publication of a collection of
burlesqueBurlesque is a humorous theatrical entertainment involving parody and sometimes grotesque exaggeration. In 20th century America, the form became associated with a variety show in which striptease is the chief attraction.-Etymology and early history:...
verses under the heading
Żwieġ la Maltija (Marriage, in the Maltese Style), by Dun Feliċ Demarco.
A child of the
RomanticismRomanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution...
movement, Maltese patriot
Mikiel Anton VassalliMikiel Anton Vassalli was a Maltese writer and linguist. He studied oriental languages at the University of Rome, and went on to publish important Maltese language books, including a Maltese-Italian dictionary, a Maltese grammar book and, towards the end of his life, a book on Maltese...
(1764-1829) hailed the emergence of literary Maltese as "one of the ancient patrimonies...of the new emerging nation," seeing this nascent trend as: (1) the affirmation of the singular and collective identity, and (2) the cultivation and diffusion of the national speech medium as the most sacred component in the definition of the patria and as the most effective justification both for a dominated community's claiming to be a nation and for the subsequent struggle against foreign rulers.
Between 1798 and 1800, while Malta was under the rule of Napoleonic France, a Maltese translation of
L-Għanja tat-Trijonf tal-Libertà (Ode to the Triumph of Liberty), by Citizen La Coretterie, Secretary to the French Government Commissioner, was published on the occasion of
Bastille DayBastille Day is the French national holiday, celebrated on 14 July each year. In France, it is called Fête Nationale in official parlance, or more commonly le quatorze juillet ....
.
The first translation into Maltese of a biblical text, the Gospel of St. John. was published in 1822 (trans. Ġużeppi Marija Cannolo), on the initiative of the Bible Society in Malta. The first Maltese language newspaper,
l-Arlekkin jew Kawlata Ingliża u Maltija (The Harlequin, or a mix of English and Maltese) appeared in 1839, and featured the poems
l-Imħabba u Fantasija (Love and Fantasy) and
Sunett (A Sonnett).
The first epic poem in Maltese,
Il-Ġifen Tork (The Turkish CaravelThis article is about the Caravel boat. For the carvel type of boat building, see Carvel .A caravel is a small, highly maneuverable, two- or three-masted lateen-rigged ship, created by the Portuguese and used by them as well as by the Spanish for long voyages of exploration from the 15th...
), by Giovanni Antonio Vassallo, was published in 1842, followed by
Ħrejjef bil-Malti (Legends in Maltese) and
Ħrejjef u Ċajt bil-Malti (Legends and Jokes in Maltese) in 1861 and 1863, respectively. The same author published the first history book in the Maltese language, entitled
Storja ta’ Malta Miktuba għall-Poplu (The People's History of Malta), in 1862.
1863 saw the publication of the first
novelA novel is a long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
in Maltese,
Elvira jew Imħabba ta’ Tirann (Elvira, or the Love of a Tyrant), by the Neopolitan author, Giuseppe Folliero de Luna. Anton Manwel Caruana's novel,
Ineż Farruġ (1889), was modelled on traditional Italian historical novels, such as
Manzoni'sAlessandro Francesco Tommaso Manzoni was an Italian poet and novelist.He is famous for the novel The Betrothed, one of the major works of Italian literature.-Biography:...
I promessi sposi.
Diglossia
The development of native, Maltese literary works has historically been disrupted by
diglossiaIn linguistics, diglossia is a situation where a given language community uses two languages or dialects: the first being the community's present day vernacular and the second being either an ancestral version of the same vernacular from centuries earlier , a distinct yet closely related present...
. For many centuries,
MalteseMaltese is the national language of Malta, and a co-official language of the country alongside English,while also serving as an official language of the European Union, the only Semitic language so distinguished. Maltese is descended from Siculo-Arabic...
was considered "the language of the kitchen and the workshop", while
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
was the language of literature, law and commerce. Until the early 20th century, the vast majority of literary works by the Maltese were written in Italian, although examples of written Maltese from as far back as the 16th century exist. In early Maltese history, diglossia manifested itself in the co-existence of an ancient Phoenician language and the language of a series of rulers, most notably,
LatinLatin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Roman conquest, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe...
,
GreekGreek , an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, is the language of the Greeks. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. In its ancient form, it is the language of classical...
,
ArabicArabic is a Central Semitic language, thus related to and classified alongside other Semitic languages such as Hebrew and the Neo-Aramaic languages. In terms of speakers, the Arabic macrolanguage is the largest member of the Semitic language family. It is spoken by more than 280 million people as...
,
SicilianSicilian is a Romance language. Its dialects comprise the Italiano Meridionale-estremo language group, which are spoken on the island of Sicily and its satellite islands; in southern and central Calabria ; in the southern parts of Apulia, the Salento Sicilian ' onMouseout='HidePop("47449")' href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/French_language">French
French is a Romance language globally spoken by about 65 million people as a first language , by 50 million as a second language, and by about another 200 million people as an acquired foreign language, with significant speakers in 57 countries. Most native speakers of the language live in France,...
,
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
and
ItalianItalian is a Romance language spoken by about 60 million people in Italy, and by a total of around 70 million in the world. In Switzerland, Italian is one of four official languages. It is also the official language of San Marino, as well as the primary language of Vatican City...
, and from 1800 onwards,
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
. The Maltese language today is heavily overlaid with
RomanceThe Romance languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family comprising all the languages that descend from Latin, the language of ancient Rome...
and
EnglishEnglish is a West Germanic language that developed in England during the Anglo-Saxon era. As a result of the military, economic, scientific, political, and cultural influence of the British Empire during the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, and of the United States since the mid 20th century,...
influences as a result.
According to Prof. Oliver Friggieri:
Maltese writers developed an uninterrupted local "Italian" literary movement which went on up to about four decades ago, whereas Maltese as a literary idiom started to coexist on a wide scale in the last decades of the 19th century. Whilst Maltese has the historical priority on the level of the spoken language, Italian has the priority of being the almost exclusive written medium, for the socio-cultural affairs, for the longest period. The native tongue had only to wait for the arrival of a new mentality which could integrate an unwritten, popular tradition with a written, academically respectable one.
Notable Maltese writers
Theatre in Malta
The theatres currently in use for live performances in Malta and Gozo range from historic purpose-built structures to modern constructions, to retrofit structures behind historic facades. They host local and foreign artistes, with a calendar of events that includes modern and period drama in both national languages, musicals, opera, operetta, dance, concerts and poetry recitals. The more notable theatrical venues include:
Art and Sculpture
The
Neolithic temple builders 3800-Events:* The Sweet Track, an ancient causeway in the Somerset Levels, England, one of the oldest engineered roads discovered and the oldest timber trackway discovered in Northern Europe is built in 3807 BC or 3806 BC, tree-ring dating enabled very precise dating. It has been claimed to be the...
-2500 BCE endowed the numerous temples of Malta and Gozo with intricate bas relief designs, including spirals evocative of the tree of life and animal portraits, designs painted in red ochre, ceramics, and a vast collection of human form sculptures, particularly the Venus of Malta. These can be viewed at the temples themselves (most notably, the
HypogeumHypogeum or Hypogaeum literally means "underground", from Greek hypo and gaia . It usually refers to an underground, pre-Christian temple or a tomb...
and Tarxien Temples), and at the National Museum of Archaeology in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
.
The
Roman period introduced highly decorative mosaic floors, marble colonnades and classical statuary, remnants of which are beautifully preserved and presented in the
Roman Domus, a country villa just outside the walls of
MdinaMdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
. The
early Christian frescoes that decorate the
catacombsCatacombs are ancient, human-made underground passageways or subterranean cemeteries composed thereof. Many are under cities and have served during historic times as a refuge for safety during wars or as a meeting place for cults. The first burial galleries to be referred to as catacombs lie...
beneath Malta reveal a propensity for eastern,
ByzantineThe word Byzantine may refer to:Topics directly related to the Byzantine Empire* A citizen of The Byzantine Empire, or native Greek during the Middle Ages...
tastes. These tastes continued to inform the endeavours of
medieval Maltese artists, but they were increasingly influenced by the
RomanesqueRomanesque art refers to the art of Western Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic style in the 13th century, or later, depending on region. The preceding period is increasingly known as the Pre-Romanesque...
and
Southern GothicSouthern Gothic is a subgenre of the gothic novel, unique to American literature.Like its parent genre, it relies on supernatural, ironic, or unusual events to guide the plot...
movements. Towards the end of the 15th century, Maltese artists, like their counterparts in neighbouring Sicily, came under the influence of the School of
Antonello da MessinaAntonello da Messina, properly Antonello di Giovanni di Antonio was a Sicilian painter active during the Italian Renaissance...
, which introduced
RenaissanceThe Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Florence in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe...
ideals and concepts to the decorative arts in Malta.
The artistic heritage of Malta blossomed under the
Knights of St. JohnThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes, and of Malta is a Roman Catholic order based in Rome, Italy...
, who brought Italian and Flemish Mannerist painters to decorate their palaces and the churches of these islands, most notably,
Matteo Perez d'AleccioMatteo Perez d'Aleccio was an Italian painter of devotional, historical and maritime subjects during the Mannerist period. He was also known as Matteo da Lecce or Leccio by virtue of his hometown of Lecce....
, whose works appear in the
Magisterial PalaceThe Grandmaster's Palace is a palace in Valletta, Malta, currently housing the House of Representatives of Malta and the office of the President of Malta.-History:...
and in the Conventual Church of St. John, and Filippo Paladini, who was active in Malta from 1590 to 1595. For many years, Mannerism continued to inform the tastes and ideals of local Maltese artists.
The arrival in Malta of
CaravaggioMichelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, was an Italian artist active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610...
, who painted at least seven works during his 15-month stay on these islands, further revolutionized local art. Two of Caravaggio's most notable works,
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist, and
St. Jerome are on display in the
OratoryOratory is a type of public speaking.Oratory may also refer to:* Oratory , a power metal band* Oratory , a place of worship* a religious order such as** Oratory of Saint Philip Neri ** Oratory of Jesus...
of St. John's Co-Cathedral,
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
. His legacy is evident in the works of local artists Giulio Cassarino (1582-1637) and Stefano Erardi (1630-1716). However, the
BaroqueBaroque is an artistic style prevalent from the late 16th century to the early 18th century. The popularity and success of the Baroque style was encouraged by the Roman Catholic Church, which had decided at the time of the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes in...
movement that followed was destined to have the most enduring impact on Maltese art and architecture. The severe, Mannerist interior of St. John's Co-Cathedral was transformed into a Baroque masterpiece by the glorious vault paintings of the celebrated Calabrese artist,
Mattia PretiMattia Preti was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta.-Biography:Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was sometimes called Il Cavalier Calabrese...
. Preti spent the last 40 years of his life in Malta, where he created many of his finest works, now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts, in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
. During this period, local sculptor Melchior Gafà (1639-1667) emerged as one of the top Baroque sculptors of the Roman School.
Throughout the 18th century,
NeapolitanNeapolitan may refer to:* Neapolitan--of, or pertaining to the city of Naples, Italy and sometimes its wider Duchy or Province of Naples*Previously a nationality, during the time of the Kingdom of Naples or the Neapolitan Republics* Neapolitan cuisine...
and
RococoRococo is a style of 18th century French art and interior design. Rococo rooms were designed as total works of art with elegant and ornate furniture, small sculptures, ornamental mirrors, and tapestry complementing architecture, reliefs, and wall paintings...
influences emerged in the works of
Luca GiordanoLuca Giordano was an Italian late Baroque painter and printmaker in etching.-Early life and training:...
(1632-1705) and
Francesco SolimenaFrancesco Solimena was a prolific Italian painter of the Baroque era, one of an established family of painters and draughtsmen.-Biography:Francesco Solimena was born in Canale di Serino, near Avellino....
(1657-1747), and local artists Gio. Nicola Buhagiar (1698-1752) and Francesco Zahra (1710-1773). The Rococo movement was greatly enhanced by the relocation to Malta of Antoine de Favray (1706-1798), who assumed the position of court painter to Grand Master Pinto in 1744.
Neo-classicism made some inroads among local Maltese artists in the late 18th century, but this trend was reversed in the early 19th century, as the local Church authorities - perhaps in an effort to strengthen Catholic resolve against the perceived threat of Protestantism during the early days of British rule in Malta - favoured and avidly promoted the religious themes embraced by the
Nazarene movementThe name Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive honesty and spirituality in Christian art...
of artists.
RomanticismRomanticism is a complex artistic, literary, and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Western Europe, and gained strength during the Industrial Revolution...
, tempered by the naturalism introduced to Malta by
Giuseppe CalìGiuseppe Calì was a Maltese painter, born in Valletta of Neapolitan parents and educated at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Naples under Giuseppe Mancinelli...
, informed the "salon" artists of the early 20th century, including Edward and Robert Caruana Dingli.
A National School of Art was established by Parliament in the 1920s, and during the reconstruction period that followed the
Second World WarWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the local art scene was greatly enhanced by the emergence of the "Modern Art Group", whose members included Josef Kalleya (1898-1998), George Preca (1909-1984), Anton Inglott (1915-1945), Emvin Cremona (1919-1986), Frank Portelli (b.1922), Antoine Camilleri (b.1922) and Esprit Barthet (b.1919).
Folklore and traditional crafts
Maltese folklore, traditions and legends still live in the minds of the older-generations, and these are slowly being studied and categorized, like any other European tradition. A number of national and international folklore festivals are undertaken on an annual basis, some of which are under the patronage of the National Folklore Commission and the
MinistryA ministry is a specialised organisation responsible for a sector of government public administration, sometimes led by a minister, but usually a senior public servant, that can have responsibility for one or more departments, agencies, bureaus, commissions or other smaller executive, advisory,...
for Culture and the Arts. Notably, every December the Malta International Folk Festival is staged in
VallettaValletta is the capital city of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta and the city proper has a population of 6,315....
, with delegates from countries around the World.
Lace making
Traditional Maltese
laceLace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
(Maltese:
bizilla) is
bobbin laceBobbin lace is a lace textile made by braiding and twisting lengths of thread, which are wound on bobbins to manage them. As the work progresses, the weaving is held in place with pins set in a lace pillow, the placement of the pins usually determined by a pattern or pricking pinned on the...
of the filet-guipure variety. It is formed on a lace pillow stuffed with straw, and frequently features the eight-pointed
Maltese crossThe Maltese cross is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is considered one of the National symbols of Malta...
, but not necessarily. Genoese-style leafwork is an essential component of the traditional designs. Nowadays, Malta lace is usually worked on ivory-coloured
linenLinen is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen is labor-intensive to manufacture, but when it is made into garments, it is valued for its exceptional coolness and freshness in hot weather....
, although historically it was also worked on black or white
silkSilk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from cocoons made by the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
. It is typically used to make tablecloths, placemats and serviettes, and is periodically featured in couture, and in traditional Maltese costume.
Lace making has been prevalent in Malta since the 16th century, and was probably introduced to the Islands at roughly the same time as in
GenoaGenoa is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria. The city has a population of about 610,000 and the urban area has a population of about 900,000...
. Lace was included with other articles in a bando or proclamation enacted by
Grand MasterGrand Master is the typical title of the supreme head of various orders of knighthood, including various military orders, religious orders and sectarian orders such as the Ancient Order of Hibernians and the Orange Order...
Ramon Perellos y RoccafulFra Ramon Perellos de Rocaful was the Grand Master of the Order of St. John between 1697 and 1720. During his grandmastership the coastal fortifications of Malta where stiffened by the construction of batteries, redoubts, and entrenchements....
in 1697, aimed at repressing the wearing of gold, silver, jewellery, gold cloth, silks and other materials of value.
There was a resurgence of lace-making in Malta around 1833, which has been attributed to a certain Lady Hamilton-Chichester. Queen Victoria is said to be particularly fond of wearing Malta lace. In 1839, Thomas McGill noted in
A Handbook, or Guide, for Strangers visiting Malta, that:
"the females of the island make also excellent lace; the lace mitts and gloves wrought by the Malta girls are bought by all ladies coming to the island; orders from England are often sent for them on account of their beauty and cheapness."
Malta lace was featured in
The Great ExhibitionThe Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations or Great Exhibition, sometimes referred to as the Crystal Palace Exhibition in reference to the temporary structure in which it was held, was an international exhibition that took place in Hyde Park, London, England, from 1 May to 15...
held in
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
in 1881. Lacemaking is currently taught in Government trade schools for girls, and in special classes organized by the Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Lacemaking is essentially a cottage industry throughout Malta and Gozo.
Filigree
Filigree work (Maltese:
filugranu) in gold and silver flourished in Malta under the rule of the Knights. This included gold and silver ornamental flower garlands (Maltese:
ganutilja) and embroidery (Maltese:
rakkmu). Filigree items that are ubiquitous in Maltese jewellery stores and crafts centres include brooches, pendants, earrings, flowers, fans, butterflies, jewelboxes, miniature
dgħajsas (fishing boats) and
karrozzini (horse-drawn cabs), the
Maltese CrossThe Maltese cross is identified as the symbol of an order of Christian warriors known as the Knights Hospitaller or Knights of Malta and through them came to be identified with the Mediterranean island of Malta and is considered one of the National symbols of Malta...
and dolphins.
Sport
Throughout the 1990s, organized sports in Malta experienced a renaissance through the creation of a number of athletic facilities, including
National StadiumTa' Qali National Stadium is the national stadium of Malta. It stages top local league and cup matches, as well as international matches. The stadium seats 17,000 people, although for concerts it can accommodate up to 35,000 people...
and a basketball pavilion in Ta' Qali, an Athletic Stadium and Tartan Track for athletics, archery, rugby, baseball, softball and netball at
MarsaMarsa is a town in the south of Malta, with a population of 5,389 people . Marsa is home to the Malta Shipyards. It also houses of one of the two power stations which provide most of the electricity to the Maltese Islands is found...
, the National Swimming Pool Complex on
University of MaltaThe University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, which last between three and five years, and postgraduate Master's Degrees that last two years full-time....
grounds at Tal-Qroqq, an enclosed swimming pool complex at Marsascala, a mechanized
shooting rangeA shooting range or firing range is a specialized facility designed for firearms practice. Each facility is typically overseen by one or more supervisory personnel, called variously a range master in the United States or a range conducting officer or "RCO" in the UK...
at
BidnijaThe village of Bidnija is situated on a rural hamlet in the central northern part of Malta, and home to 308 people which means that it is the second smallest village in the Maltese islands after Mdina...
, and regional sports complexes on
GozoGozo is an island of the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Southern European country of Malta; after the island of Malta itself, it is the second-largest island in the archipelago...
, and in Cottonera and Karwija.
In 1993 and again in 2003, Malta hosted the
Games of the Small States of EuropeThe Games of the Small States of Europe is a biennial multi-sport event that has been organized by the National Olympic Committees of eight European small states since 1985.-Members:...
. Since 1968, Malta has also hosted the annual
Rolex Middle Sea Race, organized by the
Royal Malta Yacht ClubThe Royal Malta Yacht Club is a yacht club in the island of Malta.-History:The date of the first establishment of the Royal Malta Yacht Club has not been ascertained, although there are rumours as to the existence of an obscure yacht club in Malta as far back as 1835...
. The race consists of a 607 mile route that starts and finishes in Malta, via the Straits of Messina and the islands of
PantelleriaPantelleria , the ancient Cossyra, is an Italian island in the Strait of Sicily in the Mediterranean Sea, 100 km southwest of Sicily and just 70 km east of the Tunisian coast...
and
LampedusaThe Mediterranean island of Lampedusa belongs to Italy and is the largest of the Pelagie Islands, situated 205 km from Sicily and 113 km from Tunisia. Its population subsists on fishing, agriculture and tourism...
.
Football
Malta's "national" sport is
footballAssociation football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
. Many Maltese avidly follow
EnglishThe English football league system, also known as the football pyramid, is a series of interconnected leagues for club football in England...
and
ItalianItalian Football League is the name of the most important American football league in Italy.It was founded in 2008, taking over previous league´s significance .- Teams :*Ancona Dolphins*Bergamo Lions...
matches. Malta also has its own
national teamThe Malta national football team is the national football team of Malta and is controlled by the Malta Football Association. It has never advanced to the finals of any major international competition and as of 12 October 2006 has won only four competitive matches...
; however, every four years the World Cup typically sees Maltese loyalties divided between the teams of
EnglandThe English national football team represents England in international association football and is controlled by The Football Association, the governing body for football in England...
and
ItalyThe Italy national football team represents Italy in international football competition and is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio...
, and a victory by either of these two teams inevitably leads to spontaneous, and very boisterous street parties and carcades all over the Maltese Islands.
Boċċi
Another common sport in Malta is a local variety of the game of
bocceBocce is a precision sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire...
or boules (Maltese:
boċċi). In Malta, the game is played on a smooth surface covered with coarse-grained sand, with teams of three players. Boċċi clubs are common throughout Malta, but also among the Maltese emigrant communities in Australia, Canada and the United States.
Waterpolo
Passion for waterpolo runs high in Malta and Gozo throughout the summer months. Prowess in this particular sport was the impetus for the foundation, in 1925, of a local Amateur Swimming Association, and Malta's first participation in the
Olympic GamesThe Olympic Games are a major international event of summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in...
, at the
IXth OlympiadThe 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium and Pierre de...
in Amsterdam, 1928.
Horse racing
Horse racingHorse racing is an equestrian sport that has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times are an early example, as is the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. It is inextricably associated with gambling...
has a long tradition in Malta. The popular, bareback horse races that take place annually on Saqqajja Hill, in
Rabat----Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Semitic word for 'suburb', as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...
on June 29 date back to the 15th century. These races form part of the traditional celebrations of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (
il-Festa tal-Imnarja), and were greatly encouraged by the Knights of Malta, especially during the reign of
Grand Masters de VerdalleFra Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle was a Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller at Malta from 1581 to 1595. He is mainly remembered for the reconstruction of the hunting lodge at Boschetto which was renamed Verdala Palace in his honour. He is buried in a sarcophagus in the Crypt of the Co-Cathedral of...
and de Lascaris-Castellar. The Knights took these races very seriously: Bonelli records a proclamation issued by the Grand Masters of the era, which threatened anyone caught interfering with or obstructing a racing horse with forced labour on board the galleys of the Knights. The tradition was revived and strengthened after the First World War under British Governor, Lord
PlumerField Marshal Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GBE was a British colonial official and soldier born in Torquay who commanded the British Second Army in World War I and later served as High Commissioner of the British Mandate of Palestine.-Military career:After...
. The racecourse at
MarsaMarsa is a town in the south of Malta, with a population of 5,389 people . Marsa is home to the Malta Shipyards. It also houses of one of the two power stations which provide most of the electricity to the Maltese Islands is found...
, which was founded in 1868, boasted one of the longest tracks in Europe, at one and three quarter miles. The first Marsa races were held on April 12 and 13, 1869.
See also