Malta Culture 365

Tuesday 7 August An hour before daybreak when we saw that the enemy from Corradino had begun to move down towards St. Michael. Men from the fleet embarked at Marsamxett and were transported to Mount Salvador, both of which were a clear sign that we were to expect a general assault during the day, as indeed happened. As soon as it was light, they attacked St. Michael and the Post of Castile en masse, with such an uproar and blare of military music, that we would have marvelled had we not become used to it on previous occasions. 8,000 Ottomans attacked St. Michael and 4,000 the Post of Castile. They all came in a rush, as we had anticipated. But as soon as they left the trenches, we were ready for them - incendiary hoops blazing, pitch boiling, and everything primed for our defence. Thus when they started to scale the battlements, they were received like men well-expected. The attacks on this day were violent and fought on both sides with much bloodshed and cruelty. The main attack was o...

At the end of 2021, we saw the very welcome news that Palazzina Vincenti , considered by most architectural experts and those who study the subject to be amongst the best examples of residential Modernist architecture on the Islands, has been temporarily protected . This wonderful building is one of the few examples when the designer and owner are one and the same and thus the normal constraints did not apply, hence the resultant building which has been revered or reviled since its construction. There have been commendations in the past going back at least 2 years. The fact that some action on this was finally taken may signify some change in mentality . ..  or the power of social media.  Palazzina Vincenti, currently temporarily protected. This brought to mind other buildings which are or merit protection and have not yet been afforded this status. The following is the list of these buildings, which will be amended an updated as necessary. Villino Grech, Triq in-Naxxar, Birki...

Borgo Vilhena as Floriana was originally known is many times considered a suburb of Valletta. Possibly owing to this it is significantly under appreciated and many times seen as little more than a thoroughfare through which one travels to get to one's ultimate destination. Nevertheless, Floriana is a gem in its own right as hopefully this trail will show.  Floriana's name came from that of Pietro Paola Floriani, an Italian military engineer who was commissioned to design the Floriana Lines after in 1632, Grand Master Antoine de Paule received credible information that the Ottomans were preparing themselves for another attack on Malta. Floriani's design resulted in a massive system of multi tiered fortifications which are still largely visible, if not completely accessible. Although there were many objections to his project, mainly based on the expense and huge garrison required to defend it, Floriani defended the project by confirming that it could shelter the entire popula...

Iż-Żejtun is another of the older Maltese villages and has Phoenician and Roman origins. It was originally know as Terra Santa Catarina and was much larger than the current local council designation since it included a substantial part of the south eastern part of Malta, up to Cottonera. Up until 1680, Żejtun primarily had two separate residential communities: Bisqallin which is still known as Ir-Raħal t’Isfel and Ħal Ġwann and Ħal Bisbut, known as Ir-Raħal ta’ Fuq. In the eighteenth century when the new parish church was constructed between these the two communities, the present urban conglomeration was formed and Żejtun as we know it today came into being. The last Grandmaster of the order during their time in Malta conferred the title of Citta Beland to Żejtun, his mother's surname in 1797. If you scroll to the bottom of the page, there is a digital map which you can use to follow the route.  This walk around Żejtun starts off not from the parish church but from Aedis Danielis ...

Mosta is in the geographic centre of Malta. Some say that the name Mosta or Musta as it used to be pronounced until fairly recently is derived from the Arabic root W-S-T which means centre. Others are of the opinion that the name is derived from the Arabic adjective mistur or hidden. Whatever the source of the name, modern day Mosta has grown into one of the more popular towns in Malta, not only owing to its being well connected and well served with amenities, but the people it has produced are amongst the most patriotic of the Maltese Islands. For a map of the walk, scroll down to the bottom of the page or access it directly here . Mosta is most known for its Rotunda, Giorgio Grognet de Vasse's masterpiece which is visible from a significant distance away from Mosta proper. This church which replaced a typical Latin cross planned church design by Tumas Dingli started off  in a quite controversial manner. The design is strongly inspired by the pantheon in Rome as th...