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Malta and its historical places
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Message 1.Â
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Monday, 18th July 2011
My intention to start this thread is to give some people on here some recommendations regarding Malta and its history.
It´s now a month ago since I´ve been to Malta for the fourth time and I´ve visited some places which might be of interest for others as well. For further informations, i. e. the website of a particular place to visit, I restrain from setting up the link because it might contravene the house rules. But it´s easy to get there by google it according the name left on each paragraph in this post.
First to start with an overview about the history of Malta. I´ve taken the time to watch the show "The Malta Experience" which is located in Valletta, next to Fort St. Elmo. This show is a multivision film and covers the whole history of the Island from the ancient times to the present with a running time of about 30 minutes and the focus on key events in Maltese history that shaped the Island and its culture. It is screened on a wide screen and they have the tone available in many different languages to choose via a switchboard for the head phones. The show itself was IMO very impressive and informative. The admission fee was €10 and worth it.
For forther informations go to: www.themaltaexperience.com
To get some similar about the Maltese Capital Valletta, there is the film "Valletta Living History" shown daily at the Embassy Cinema in Valletta. The running time of that tilm is about app. 30 to 45 minutes and gives information about Valletta´s history from the middle ages to the present with also focus on key events, like the Great Siege of 1565, the Knights of Malta, the French taking over Malta from 1798 to 1800, then the British from 1800 to the Independence of Malta in 1964. Admission costs €9.75 and I also regard this film as recommendable because it fits in with The Malta Experience to have some informations in addition to what is provided in aforementioned show, but with the focus on Valletta.
For further informations and to watch a trailer about that go to: www.embassycomplex.com.mt or google "Valletta Living History".
Many places to visit about Malta´s history are located in Valletta, so as to mention the National Museum of Fine Arts in South Street Valletta. There one can see paintings from different centuries of various topics and, what I liked very much, paintings of the Maltese landscape, also some of them by W. Turner. Admission if €5 and rather cheap. The building itself has its own history, so to say that during the British colonial times, this was where the Admirality was located and which also served HM Queen Elizabeth II as accomodation when she has been to Malta.
For further informations go to: www.heritagemalta.org.
For informations about Malta during WWI and WWII there are two different museums. The first with exhibitions about both world wars is the National War Museum in Valletta, located at Fort St. Elmo. The second is the "Malta at War Museum" in Vittoriosa (also named Birgu). There is a underground tour provided by which one can go 40 ft downwards to rooms that were used as shelters during the "second Siege of Malta" in WWII from 1940 to 1942. They sell, among other items, a DVD with the title "Malta G.C. - The Movie". This film has been given by the IWM London as a copy to Malta and was made in 1943 to use it as a propaganda film in WWII. The quality of the film is excellent and the best I´ve ever purchased in Malta about this time. The film is also screened there before the underground tour starts. This Museum is also located in an old fortification "Couvre Gate". They also provide visitors with an free transfer service by minibus from the Lascaris War Rooms (located near the Upper Barracca Gardens Valletta), to "The Malta at War Museum".
For further informations about the National War Museum go to: www.heritagemalta.org. For "The Malta at War Museum", the "Lascaris War Rooms" and Fort Rinella, go to: www.wirtartna.org
People interested in the Naval History of Malte may find it interesting to visit the "Malta Maritime Museum", just a few minutes walk from "The Malta at War Museum" in Vittoriosa. The exhibition there is on the ground floor and the first floor with many artefacts and models (handcrafted) of various types of ships from the ancient times throughout both world wars, arms, uniforms and other things. Interesting was as well to go in a rebuild room with a ship cannon. This museum is located in the former Naval Backery.
Further informations can be taken from: www.heritagemalta.org. -
Message 2
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Monday, 18th July 2011
To continue the list, there might be the "Malta Aviation Museum" of some interest. It is located on the former RAF Airfield at Ta´Qali, where next to it, the "Ta´Qali Crafts Village" might also be worth a visit. There one can see craftsmen at work and some of the old RAF Huts.
Informations about the "Malta Aviation Museum" can be taken from: www.aviationmuseum.eu
Another nice but also quiet place is the "Palazzo Parisio", Palace and Gardens in Naxxar. The rooms and the forniture are from the 19th Century and this building with its garden is described as a "little Versailles".
What can be seen in Malta is the mixture of many historical things from various cultures through centuries and this all is concentrated on this Island. The traces of the past British colonial times there are to find on many places, most on old buildings, in parks and gardens. But also the cultural Influences from Italy, which is not so far from Malta, are present.
If one may ask what the culture of the Maltese is, I´d say that it is this mixture which makes this Island so unique in its heritage, shape and what it has to offer on visitors.
If there are some recommendations from other contributors on here, regarding places or events which I haven´t mentioned in my posts, they are all very welcome to add it.
Maybe Malta is one of the few countries which were part of the BE that displayes some pride in their heritage they share with the British in Europe. -
Message 3
Posted by Hugh Mosby-Joaquin (U14258131) on Monday, 18th July 2011
I have to declare my interest in recommending 'The Great Siege Diorama', which is located right in the middle of Valletta under the grand central library. I spent six months there constructing the settings many years ago, and enjoyed every minute of my working time in Malta. I will never forget driving the mannequin of Jean de Valette through the streets of the city named in his honour, in an open-topped jeep, whilst crowds roared and clapped in support of their hero. The figure must have been a good likeness...
It speaks volumes of the Malti people who are so proud of there stoic approach to attackers and seeing them off, that there appear to be half a dozen museums dedicated to various such events in the island's turbulent history.
Sadly, when I was there, the Carravagio painting, 'The Beheading of St John' had been temporarily removed from the Cathedral. I trust it has been re-instated.
A quirky place; very much 'England on Med', but with a fiendishly difficult language, certainly unique, essentially being Arabic written in Roman script, such that street-signs have the appearance of random hands of scrabble-tiles.
Also seek out 'The oldest terraced houses in the world'; I was informed of their existence, roughly bronze-age I think, but failed to find them. Does anybody else have any information on them?
For more information on The great siege, I cannot recommend too highly Ernle Bradford's fine volume on the subject. And if ever a slice of history deserved a serious but exciting movie to be made...this is it! Not least because its heroes were septuagenarians (Sean Connery as Valette? Omar Sharif as Suleiman?), but a visit to the city of Valetta will bring the book to life, given how much of that particular era survived.
On a lighter note, I would also make mention of Pauli's Bar, the 'Q2', wherein my partners and I must have jolly nearly drunk the entire stock of the Nation's beer, such thirsty work as the project was! -
Message 4
Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Tuesday, 19th July 2011
Thanks for writing this little analysis of the historical information available in Malta, Thomas. (And how nice to see you here, Hugh.) As I have said before we spent a week in Malta in March and before I went all I knew was that Malta – both civilians and the military - had been virtually starved during WWII. It seems now that I must have known more than that, but I didn’t. Not even where it was. Certainly nothing of it very rich and interesting history and the numerous times others have – I would say invaded, but think I have been pulled up for that word before – taken it over.
It might have been useful to have known a bit more before we went and realised we needed to see the Monolithic temples. We didn’t get to these, and only went to St Paul’s catacombs more or less by accident when it was too wet and the markets our tour was to go on was cancelled, so we were dropped off and told to find shelter, possibly in the tombs, which we did. not being fond of underground I didn’t explore them fully, especially since they seemed something of a labyrinth and exit signs weren’t completely clear in their intentions. But fascinating anyway.
Hugh, Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John is certainly back up – I spent considerable time looking at it and checking what we were told about it till my husband told me to hurry up, since he isn’t all that fussed on lots of blood and cruelty. There are advantages to not knowing much before you go to a place. We were in Valetta when I saw a postcard of this cathedral and we went there and were quite amazed by its incredible Baroque art and decoration. Of course we might have missed it altogether, but doubtless by the end of the week we would have heard of it – as it was it felt like an achievement. However I didn’t know about the National Museum of Fine Arts and we didn’t go there.
We didn’t go into any of the war museums or underground areas, but saw and learnt of them on a cruise around where the shelters etc were.
The religious history of the island is really interesting, isn’t it, with the St Paul story (still haven’t checked this in the Bible – perhaps now would be a good time), and then the St John annexation – we never did quite understand exactly how the Knights came to be in charge – and holding out the Saracens in the siege.
Not to mention the bomb coming through the Mosta cathedral (I am reading Malta – the thorn in Rommel’s side by Laddie Lucas at the moment, and he says some of the mythology around that is not accurate – bomb much smaller than usually mentioned, and only about 30 people in the church, according to his eye-witness pilot friend.) And while we were there the newspapers (I have found newspapers are a great way of learning about what is interesting the people of a country) were full of the divorce referendum, which will bring divorce to Malta, the last country in Europe not to have it. Malta is coming into the modern world – I don’t know if that’s a good thing, but then I don’t live there and need a divorce. Or a quick safe bus.
One thing you haven’t mentioned that we found surprisingly interesting was a modern limeworks historical diorama thing. It was made when a lime quarry was finished and instead of just putting it back as it was the owner made this tourist attraction. It was excellently done and helped us understand the importance of lime (which was obvious from the buildings) and its place in the economy, changes in its work practices, and had an example of a modern girna, the little huts formerly used as homes, and now popular again for nostalgic and back-to-basics reasons.
Another I found gave a flavour of the history and importance to the Maltese were all the many statues around; in most of the towns they tended to be of religious figures, but in Valetta near the war museum there were dozens of them to various heros, military ones, courageous ones, others just unlucky. Some from Malta but others from Britain and other Commonwealth countries. Speaking of which I think New Zealand still values its British ties, Thomas – certainly its Scottish ones are celebrated where I live, with Dunedin making much of its origins from Scottish settlers – a Scottish shop, Burns night, bagpipes. (Though the council did try to forbid a young man playing the bagpipes in the street – annoyed the shop-owners – but there was an outcry about Scottish heritage and freedoms so a compromise was found. No more than an hour in one place per day or something.)
While we loved the buses the Maltese were so proud of (and must now be a thing of the past – EU regulations demanding nice new British ones) they did sometimes mean that travel took rather a long time, so we didn’t see as much as we might have. And we weren’t always looking for history – one day we went to the glassware area and spend forever trying to decide what to buy. One disappointment for us was the cancellation of the trotting meeting – as we have been interested in trotting for many years we were quite excited to learn there was a Sunday trotting meeting but it poured that day. (The only day of real rain in our two months away, the rest of it in England and Wales.)
Anyway thanks for that bit of history into a country that isn't Britain - I have liked the Belgium one too, though I don't really have anything to contribute there.
Cheers, Caro. -
Message 5
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Tuesday, 19th July 2011
In reply to Hugh Mosby-Joaquin:
Thanks for your interesting post. -
Message 6
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Tuesday, 19th July 2011
Hi Caro,
When I´ve noticed in March that you were travelling to Malta, I´ve tried to give you some useful informations, but obviously I was too late.
When visited Malta for the first time with my Father in 1998, I´ve had no knowledge about it except the name of its capital Valletta. It was Winter then back home and the climate in Malta was according to the temperatures like we have in Spring. I´ve got my first impressions from this holiday but unfortunately we were accommodated in Bugibba / Qawra near St Pauls Bay and at that time, they used to burn their rubbish near the coastline. So when the wind has turned, you´ve got the smell of that right into the hotel through open windows and doors. I felt unwell at that time and this has rather spoiled my holiday so the first impressions of Malta were overshadowed by that. When I saw the old buses and some streets there, I thought I were in England (well, there are no such red brick houses in Malta) but much has reminded me of England in some way. We also visited the St Paul´s catacombes when we took a trip to Mdina and Rabat. It wasn´t that worse to me like the catacombes in Rome, for I´m not found of underground toures either.
Five years later, my wife and I made our honeymoon in Malta and she has spent her previous holiday in Malta a couple of years before in another city in Malta. Since then we´ve been to Malta three times together. Every time in June and from my experiences it is better to travel to Malta either in May or during the first two weeks of June because from mid June onwards, there are temperatures around 30° C. I´ve made most of the Museum visits on my own because my wife has no interest in visiting Museums in the Summer time. We went together to see the ancient temples at Tarxien (pronounced "Tarshien"). She was rather a bit disappointed because they are located in the centre of Tarxien and the area is rather small in compare to Hagar Quim (pronounced "Hadscharim") which we´ve visited five years ago.
I´ve taken note of the Caravaggio painting from your thread in March and considered to see that too. Every time when I was in Valletta, I saw a long que of people waiting to get in, so I omitted that and passed by.
I´ve started just some five years ago with my interest in Maltese history, well more with the focus on its relation with British history. The more I learn the more I´ll get some insight of the Maltese culture, beyond the times of the British colonial times.
It´s interesting to read your story from NZ, though I think that it is a bit different when some links to Britain are descending from former settlers from the UK which means that they brought their culture and traditions with them and maintaned their heritage. In Malta it´s a bit more mixed in this regards. They´ve adapted much from the British in their daily life, but they haven´t forgotten about their own cultural roots which has also parts from Italian and Arabic influence through the centuries.
What made Malta important for every conquerer was its geographical location and therefore its geopoltical value. As it has been told in the show "The Malta Experience", all the changes in Maltese history came from the sea. Remarkable in its whole timeline is, that in most changing times, there has been fights to get this Island. The exception was when the Knights of Malta surrendered to the French in 1798 without a shot fired. That was the end of the Knights of Malta. The behaviour of the French during the 1 1/2 years of occupation was that worse that the Maltese locked the French up in Valletta and they couldn´t escape or send for inforcement. From 1800 onwards with the British this special relationship between them and the Maltese has developed and found its peak during WWII.
From the documentaries I´ve seen it´s a fact that Malta had to suffer not only the same scale of bombardments as Britain, it seems to had been even worse. This because the Island were the target of both the German and the Italian bombers. At the Lascaris War Rooms in Valletta, where the former control rooms were situated with radar equipped, there is film shown to every visitor to start the tour. It´s called "Convoy to Malta" and has its focus on the bombing of the Merchant ships with supplies to Malta by the Axis Airforces.
In the film "Malta G.C. - The Movie", there is a short frequence in which a square in front of a Church like building in Floriana is shown. This place has some round stumps reaching out from the ground. Although they look like stumps of collums, they aren´t because below them, are underground chambers in which the people have stored the harvest. To feed the people by rations via their Victory Kitchens during the times of starvation.
As for you´ve mentioned the change from the old buses to a new company, I´ll try to keep it short for these are current affairs, they are in a complete mess since the new service started on July 3rd. If you´re interested to get a bit more informations on this subject, go to the website of the times of malta. I´ve followed the development of this story since I´m back from Malta. Remarkable in this case is, that the company "Arriva" is of British origine, although bought by the Deutsche Bahn last year, and operating in various European countries, they can´t cope with that mess proper.
Cheers,
Thomas -
Message 7
Posted by suvorovetz (U12273591) on Wednesday, 20th July 2011
Thomas,
this is off-topic, but I couldn't think of a better way of putting you on notice. There's been a new anthology about Stalin's role in WWII published in Germany just now. It's called "Die Rote Walze"; compiled by Dmitrij Chmelnizki. I'd be interested in your opinion, if you're interested. -
Message 8
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Wednesday, 20th July 2011
Hi suvorovetz,
I´ve to admit that I haven´t come across the book you mentioned and since a few years the only books I purchase are in English language.
I´ve brought some books regarding the history of Malta from my recent holiday there and that´s alone much to read.
Nevertheless, if you´ve read that book about Stalin´s role in WWII we could have a thread about it, so far as you´re inclined to start it. I could just comment on passages if you would cite some of it in the thread and also I could just hope that your thread will not be hijacked again by the usual drivel from certain posters (you may know what I mean).
Regards,
Thomas -
Message 9
Posted by suvorovetz (U12273591) on Wednesday, 20th July 2011
This one has pieces I've already read in Russian and cited here and there. I thought that you'd be interested to read the whole thing. It's just been published, so you wouldn't have seen it anywhere just yet.
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Message 10
Posted by Caro (U1691443) on Wednesday, 20th July 2011
Hello Thomas,
Thanks for that. I was interested in your comment that there were always queues at the St John Cathedral and couldn't remember that from our visit. My husband said there was a short queue when we went, but then mentioned two or three people, which I barely consider a queue. (Though British people do and ensure that the three of you get on the bus in the correct order!) Travelling in winter has some big advantages, though contrary to what everyone assumes we were often cold in Malta, and never too hot. There just happened to be a cold snap in the Italy area at that time, and Malta was as cold as it ever gets in March.
From the documentaries I´ve seen it´s a fact that Malta had to suffer not only the same scale of bombardments as Britain, it seems to had been even worse.Â
Elsewhere I have written the following, Thomas. "The book I am reading - Malta - the Thorn in Rommel's Side by Laddie Lucas said, "There was a stoic courage and buoyancy in the East End of London during the worst of the Blitz which had never been exceeded at any time elsewhere in the world. It was matched, mother for mother, child for child, family for family, ruin
for ruin in Malta in those terrible months of March and April 1942." I don't mean to downgrade the sufferings of the East Londoners but I wonder if Israelis, Palestinians, Afghanistans during the Taliban wouldn't feel their much longer bombings, catapultings, torture, and constant fear doesn't have to exceed them. The Maltese people were starved as well as terrified and confined; London was rationed but not starved really."
I do think the Maltese people suffered dreadfully in the war, and without the feeling really that they would withstand this onslaught, which I think is slightly different from the London situation.
Like you, I was very taken with the changing fortunes and changing conquerors the strategic situation of Malta has placed it in, and the way this has changed Malta and forged its past and present.
I have thought more about your comments on Malta's acceptance and adaptation of Britishness and how it compares with where I live. You are right that the Maltese have incorporated this more as a native people taking on another culture, but they have done this all through their existence really, haven't they. I was going to say that Maori generally probably still look to their Maoriness and have only embraced English institutions because they have had to. But then I remembered the church - Polynesian countries and peoples generally are far stronger in their Christianity than British descendants (or European ones generally); Maori are a much more religious people than Pakeha (the rest of us, more or less). They do incorporate elements of their older Maori religions perhaps, at least in their deeper beliefs. (Sometimes when I talk of Maori, I am just meaning those Maori who have held on to the Maoriness in a more spiritual way - this doesn't apply to all Maori.)
I suppose the bus changeover might just take a while to settle down. I will try and check this more on the internet.
Cheers, Caro. -
Message 11
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Thursday, 21st July 2011
In reply to suvorovetz:
I´m sorry but I´m not inclined to buy that book for I´ve much other books to read which are currently on top of my interests.
Anyway, if you start a thread about that Stalin book, I might take part in posting there.
Thomas -
Message 12
Posted by Thomas_II (U14690627) on Thursday, 21st July 2011
Hello Caro,
There is indeed a difference to when one travels to Malta. The peak season there is from June to September. I´ve been there in the mid of June. It was already very warm in the early morning but there is most a wind from the sea which makes the temperatures bearable in some ways.
I can imagine that it has been a bit too chill in Malta in March, considering that at that time in NZ it was late Summer. As I said when we went to Malta in December it was quite the other way round, from Winter to Spring temperatures.
In general, I´m rather to avoid crowds of people if possible. I´ve missed the Caravaggio picture, but I´ve seen some other pictures in the National Museum of Fine Arts which might not be that famous, but more of my interest, especially the paintings of views of Valletta and other Maltese landscapes. This is more like it to me, than other arts dealing with clerical background. The advantage there was that it wasn´t crowded. Afterwards I went up the Old Mint Street towards Heastings Gardens to visit this place. It´s nice there and a bit more quiet with a wide view towards Floriana and Sliema (the latter is on the opposite side of Valletta).
There is also a Ferry service from Sliema to Valletta and vice versa, running all days every 30 minutes. We used to take that Ferry from Valletta to Sliema, because it was easier to walk down that hill than upwards. We´ve been accommodated in Sliema and so the way back from Valletta was shorter by Ferry.
You may remember that sandy strand at Melieha Bay, just below Melieha, which is on the road to the Gozo Ferry. In Summer this place is one of the favourite strands not only for tourists, but as well for locals and naturally well frequented. From that place by looking land inwards one can see the "Red Tower" which is one of the many Watchtowers in Malta. Built during the times of the Grandmasters, they have been also used by the British Army.
Thanks for your assessment of Malta and London re WWII, in which I agree with your opinion. In all those years since I´m on these boards, the focus in WWII threads most have been on the Blitz regarding Britain, but I can´t recall any time in which Malta had been mentioned in a wider picture although it was part of the BE then and its strategic position was important for the British in the Mediterranean Sea.
I think that the contribution of Malta as a former British Colony in the times of WWI and WWII is rather neglected by the British. In WWI, the Island and its fortifications served the British as a place for retreat and recovery for wounded British soldiers, including some survivors from the Dardanelles. Malta has an history for medical care which dates back to the times of the Grandmasters and in this regard as well to the times of the Crusades. There were various hospitals by the British military administration to take care of their wounded in WWI. The Island also served as place to PoW in WWI. In the Malta Maritime Museum I came across a Loggbook of an German Ship which was seized by the British Authorities on the very outbreak of WWI and the German Crew captured and taken PoW for the whole of WWI. The were anchore at Valletta and so it was with no fuss for the British to seize them. There hasn´t been any resistance from the Germans anyway. Well, one may say that they were the lucky ones because for them, WWI passed them without being engaged into battles.
As the entries in that book were written in German (old handwriting style) I´d managed to read them, but there was no translation of that into English, just the then circumstances were explained.
You are right that the Maltese have incorporated this more as a native people taking on another culture, but they have done this all through their existence really, haven't they.Â
That´s quite right and this is what the Maltese man in the film "Valletta Living History" also told. It´s in the roots of the Maltese and their heritage. Otherwise the people had been hardly enough been able to cope with all these different cultures and influences upon them in history.
It´s always interesting and welcome to read about some comparisons with aspects from NZ. In that way I get some informations from your posts about a land far away.
Would you say that the people from NZ who helped Britain in both world wars came a bit too short in showing them gratitude for their service and support by the British? Sometimes it seems to me that they might had deserved a bit more.
I suppose the bus changeover might just take a while to settle down. I will try and check this more on the internet.Â
This Sunday it´ll be the third week since they started the new service and from what I´ve read on the peoples comments, there are not so much essential improvements to notice yet. The main problem are the new bus routes and of course the loss of bus drivers, for they either refused to show up to work or they simply told Arriva that they will never work for them. In one week from the very start the numbers of no show up bus drivers increased from 56 to at last 180. They (Arriva) brought in bus drivers from the UK, Portugal and the Netherlands to help them out filling the gap to keep the buses running. The whole situation is that bad because of mismanagement from various parts of the Maltese Government and the Arriva Co. Most informations on this can just be found via the Times of Malta, because the Maltese Independent isn´t that good to browse from my experiences. The Â鶹ԼÅÄ News don´t care about this topic and those Maltese people living in the UK, are posting on the Times of Malta.
I´ve read a brief history about the Bus services in Malta via the website of "Transport Malta". In this not too short sheet, are some explanations for why the old system was running as we know it and that some "traditions" of the Maltese bus drivers are dating back to the 1920s.
You may find this link informative to that subject:
Cheers,
Thomas -
Message 13
Posted by suvorovetz (U12273591) on Thursday, 21st July 2011
In reply to Thomas_II"
No problem. May be I will, perhaps even before this MB goes away,
Best Regards
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