Picture of Malta
Caption: Magical Malta DVSN
Caption: My latest stop was Malta which is a country shrouded in beauty and a rich, violent history. In the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, where the sea narrows between African and European continents, the islands of Malta and Gozo offer the best of both worlds. The laid back Italian culture permeates every nook and cranny of its cities such as Valletta and Birgu while the hot African climate means clear skies and very little chance of rain.
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Caption: Malta possesses natural deep and well-protected harbours. These were one of the island’s most important assets, and that is the main reason why the different Mediterranean powers, whether for trade or for control, always desired to occupy the archipelago. When the knights of St John arrived in Malta in 1530, the peninsula on which Valletta and Floriana were to be built was practically uninhabited. There was a small church and probably a tower at its tip, to watch over the entrance to the harbours and perhaps a few farmhouses. The area was immediately recognised by the knights as an excellent strategic site for a fortified city.
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Caption: The very first structure to be built was For St Elmo. The piratical attack of 1551 made it clear to the knights that they were in grave danger. There were no adequate defences and they decided to build fortifications in case that raid was just a spying mission. A year later a small star-shaped fort was erected to the designs of Pietro Pardo. It was built in such a hurry that it was said that attacked would take it in a few days. Because of this detail, various grand masters continued to add walls and better fortifications , without actually making it better. Other suggestions and even plans were prepared to build a fortified city but, since it was felt that an attack was imminent and there was not enough money to start such a large project, they were postponed. In 1565, when a large Ottoman armada landed in Malta, only Fort St Elmo was in place.
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Caption: The Maltese islands are an architectural paradise. The various powers that occupied the islands throughout the last 7,000 years have all left their mark, one way or another. The most impressive architectural remains must surely be the prehistoric temples, which have been called ‘the oldest free-standing buildings in the world’. One can appreciate the techniques used by these prehistoric builders, even though they lacked the proper tools to erect such impressive structures. Chronologically, the next architectural gems are from the Roman period, with the most important being the Domus at Rabat and the Roma Baths, limits of Mgarr.
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Caption: Medieval architecture can be mostly seen at Mdina or in the various older village cores that still abound. The small houses have been lost, but the impressive palaces built by the well-to-do and the noble families have survived. The two-mullioned windows and the pointed arches are typical of this period. Something similar can be seen at Birgu, especially inside the Inquisitor’s Palace. Some churches dating from this period ave survived as well, although they are not amongst the most impressive.
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