Medieval Malta

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At the end of the tenth century the centre of the Mediterranean was a battlefield for the three great powers of the time: the Byzantines, the Moslems and the Normans. The Normans first arrived in Italy in 1014AD and by the middle of the eleventh Century their leader, Roger Hauteville became a powerful Count in Italy. In 1090 the Normans took over Sicily from the Arabs and from there Count Roger sailed to Malta.

The Arabs in Malta quickly surrendered to the Normans and the terms of surrender included that all Christian slaves be freed. All horses and weapons were to be turned over to the Normans and freedom of worship was allowed for all, with Christians and Moslems being treated equally. However the image of religious tolerance or equality must be questioned as after all non-Christians were required to pay a tax. At this time many churches and chapels were rebuilt. The legend that Malta’s national flag originates from Count Roger’s coat of arms is a recent myth, but this story is still so strong that Masses are said on the 4th of November for the repose of the Count’s soul.

A historian of that time, Idrisi, described Malta as ‘A large island with a safe harbour which opens to the East. Malta has a city and it abounds in grazing land, flocks, fruit and, above all, honey.’ Place names from that period are often made up of Arab words like ‘mriehel’ (flocks), variations of ‘gnien’ (garden) and ‘mgiebah’ (apiaries).

Until 1156 the Archbishop of Palermo was in charge of the Maltese diocese but in 1168 the bishop of Malta, John, is mentioned by name. However a Muslim tombstone found in Gozo records the death of Maimuna, a Moslem girl, on Thursday 21 March 1174. Therefore the religions existed side by side for a long time after Count Roger’s son King Roger took over Malta fully in 1127. By the end of the 12th Century the Norman reign in Southern Italy, Sicily and Malta (which was often treated as an extension of Sicily) had crumbled for several reasons including attacks by naval forces from Pisa and Genoa.

In 1250 Pope Clement IV invited Charles of Anjou and Provence to take over Sicily. This created disputes and battles raged for 18 years. Charles was victorious but he was a tyrant and his Angevin dynasty was short-lived. He was crowned king of Sicily in 1283 and later that year the Aragonese sailed to Malta. The Maltese recognised their new rulers and provided them with provisions.

During the Aragonese period, Malta, although officially part of the kingdom of Sicily was often given as a ‘fiefdom’ to a nobleman who then became ‘Count of Malta’. In 1350 the Maltese begged King John I of Aragon for Malta and Gozo to be ruled directly from Sicily and an agreement was signed that same year. Subsequent kings ignored this agreement and it was only after widespread discontent between 1393 and 1397 that once again the King ordered that the Maltese islands were not to be given as a fief.

This promise was broken once again in 1420 under Aragonese King Alfonso I. A new feudal lord made the Maltese pay heavy taxes and by 1425 under yet another count, Consalvo Monroi, the Maltese were reduced to poverty. The situation was so miserable that the Maltese offered to pay Monroi the 30,000 florins that he had paid for the islands. In January 1427 the Maltese obtained what they wanted and moreover Mdina was granted the title of ‘Citta Notabile’ granting self-government. The repayment of all that money was not an easy task for Malta and to make matters worse Malta was invaded by pirates and then ravaged by a plague from 1427 to 1428.

After the death of King Alfonso I and then of his brother, the Maltese Islands passed under joint Sicilian and Spanish rule as Spain ruled over Sicily. Under the new King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella there was more misery in store for the Maltese when a huge army of 18,000 men from Tunisia attacked Malta and Gozo. The total Maltese population at the time was slightly less than the attacking forces so although they tried to resist they failed and some 3,000 Maltese were dragged away to slavery.

Following this disaster King Ferdinand ordered the building of Fort Saint Elmo, actually not much more than a tower, at the mouth of the Grand Harbour. This was the same fort that was later enlarged by the Knights and played an important part in the defense of Malta in the 1565 siege.

In 1522 the Knights of the Order of St John of Jerusalem were driven out of Rhodes by the Turks and after wandering Europe for 8 years, King Charles V of Spain gave Malta to the Knights as a base. This marks the end of Malta’s Medieval period as Malta’s stormy and feudal history from the eleventh to the fifteenth century meant that socially, Malta did not benefit much from the social and artistic Renaissance of the rest of Europe.