The Order of St John had intended to build a city on the site known as Mount Sceberras long before the actual birth of Valletta in 1566. In 1524, eight Knights who were sent to Malta, had already identified this peninsula standing high between two natural ports as the ideal place for a new fortified city.
Parmi toutes les périodes de l’histoire maltaise, celle durant laquelle Malte fut une colonie britannique suscite encore aujourd’hui des débats émotionnels. La raison principale qui explique cela est que la plupart des Maltais se souviennent encore aujourd’hui de la domination britannique, avec une pointe de nostalgie. De même, les ressortissants anglais résidant actuellement à Malte […]
Do you know when the Union Jack first flew over Malta? The answer will surprise you. Maltese history is a rich tapestry of events, influences and war. The Maltese are proud of British heritage, but few seem to know where the British flag was first flown over the islands. By the 18th century the threat […]
The Gonna tal-Kmand (Commanders’ Gardens) were set up by Sir Alexander Ball, the naval commander of the blockade against the French for use by each village’s temporary Lieutenant.
The Victoria Lines are a network of fortifications built by the British Armed Forces during the second half of the 19th century consisting of forts, batteries, entrenchments, searchlight emplacements and howitzer positions, all connected by a continuous infantry line.
SOME HISTORICAL FACTS Population in Malta and Gozo at the beginning of the War : 270,000 Air Raids registered throughout the war over Malta: 3,340 totalling 2357 hours 15,000 tons of bombs were dropped on the Maltese islands 1,581 Civilians killed – 3780 injured – Military and Merchant marine: 7,500 10,761 buildings destroyed especially in […]
This series of articles commemorating the 70th anniversary of Malta’s role World War II recalls the situation after the end of the blitz on HMS Illustrious in January 1941 and the heavy Luftwaffe attacks on the island which continued until May of that year.
In September and October 1941, Malta, which had by then become a prime target for Italian and German bombers, continued to be reinforced by air and sea: fighter aircraft for the defence of the island and also another convoy to strengthen the garrison.
April 1942 was called l-April tat-Tnejn u Erbgħin by the Maltese because the death and destruction which occurred during this month remained in their mind for many years.
The history of the urbanisation of the harbour area begins with its fortification, initiating with the construction of the Castrum Maris in medieval times, providing security to the inhabitants as up to that time there were no coastal defences.
Bormla lies just outside both Birgu and Isla, and therefore was an important first line of defence. The first stone of the bastions designed to surround the town of Bormla, known as the Santa Margherita or Firenzuola Lines, was laid on the 30th December 1638.
Isla is the smallest among the Three Cities in the Cottonera. Built on a tongue of land next to Birgu, it was a logical and natural development in the move to live in the harbour area created by the Knights with their arrival in Malta in 1530.
The Ċittadella, the oldest fortified site in Gozo, is an ancient fortress situated on a hill in the centre of the island. The fortress we see today was mostly built by the Knights in the beginning of the 18th century .
Do not miss the Upper Barrakka Gardens at the highest point on Valletta’s bastions to enjoy the Barrakka’s breath-taking view of the only natural harbour in the Mediterranean. With the Three Cities as its backdrop, this harbour has dictated Malta’s history.
Saint Mary’s Tower dates back to 1416, and remains the most notable structure on Comino, an extraordinary fortifications project since all building materials had to be ferried over to Comino. It now guards against contraband and illegal hunting of migratory birds.
Il-Maċina was a masting-crane mounted on the rampart known as Sheer Bastion from where its sheer-legs would raise masts and lower them into galleys moored beneath. Although obsolete by 1886, il-Macina remained an important focus-point for the area…
The formation and function of cart ruts form part of the most intriguing problems in Maltese archaeology.
Il periodo del tempio, uno dei periodi più importanti della storia di Malta, iniziò intorno al 3600 aC. Malta ha non meno di sei templi del Patrimonio Mondiale dell’UNESCO. Il tempio preistorico di Ġgantija (pietre giganti) a Gozo è il più antico edificio indipendente al mondo.
Die ersten Menschen kamen ungefähr 5 200 v.Chr. von Sizilien (ungefähr 100km im Norden) nach Malta und lebten größtenteils in Ackerbau- und Fischfang-Gemeinden. Von dieser Gemeinschaft sind lediglich Überreste von geschnitzten Statuen erhalten, die weibliche Eigenschaften als Fruchtbarkeitskult betonen. Trotz moderner Technologien, die den Forschern und Archäologen zur Verfügung stehen, weiß man kaum mehr aus […]
When Malta started to be affected by the Second World War, the Marfa-Gozo ferry service was gradually reduced from six crossings a week in 1940 to four, and eventually to two in 1941.
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