No. 2/2014 MHA Newsletter MARCH 2014

Merħba! Welcome to all the members and friends of the the “new” capital Maltese Historical Association. In this newsletter you will find an article on the “new” capital, Valletta. It is followed by a summary of our last talk on the Arab years in by Joseph Borg, who gave a controversial exposition, citing evidence that contradicted commonly held beliefs about those times. Together with the animated discussion afterwards, it made for a very interesting evening. On a lighter note, our next talk promises to be a lot of fun. Many of you know Albert Agius and I am sure that his topic on Valletta owes its existence to the Knights of St John Superstitions and the Maltese Bogeyman will generate Hospitaller, who planned the city in the 16th century, in many comments and stories from the audience. It will preparation for the likely reinvasion of Malta by the th be held on Tuesday 18 March at 7.30 pm in the Maltese expanding Ottoman Empire. The city was named Community Centre in Parkville. after Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette, who had Looking forwards to seeing you there, succeeded in defending the island from the Ottoman invasion of 1565. The official name given by the Order of Charles Gatt (Secretary)

Saint John was Humilissima Civitas Valletta — The According to the latest Most Humble City of Valletta, or Città Umilissima in newsletter of the Italian, However the magnificent city soon led to the Maltese Literature ruling houses of Europe nicknaming it Superbissima — Group, Mr Emanuel Most Proud. Cassar, who is also an Valletta was built on Mount Sceberras, also known as MHA member, has Xiberras, Monte Xberras and even Xebb ir-Ras. It lies qualified for a Master Of Arts degree from Victoria University. On behalf of the president, committee and members of the MHA, we wish to congratulate Mr Cassar for his achievement.

BANK OF VALLETTA PLC Australia Representative Office: between two natural harbours, Marsamxett and 16 Watt Street Sunshine Vic 3020 the . Once thought to be an arid Tel 9311 3222 Fax 9311 3216 wasteland, excavations for an underground carpark in 2009 indicate a site of intense, ancient and mediaeval Open on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays agricultural activity. A small fort at its extreme end, St from 9.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 5.00pm Elmo, had played a decisive role in the Great Siege of Uffiċċju Rappreżentattiv 1565, holding out for several weeks against L-Ewwel Bank Rappreżentattiv Malti fl-Awstralja bombardment and attack from Mount Sceberras by a huge invading Ottoman army, while the defences of the Church of St. John, which was to become St. Johns Co- other forts were consolidated. Cathedral. His successor, Pietro del Monte continued Grand Master La Valette knew that if the Order was to with the work at the same rapid pace and by 1571, the maintain its hold on Malta, it had to provide adequate Knights transferred their quarters from Vittoriosa () defences. Therefore, he drew up a plan for a new to their new capital. fortified city on the Sceberras peninsula. Rumour has it Architect Laparelli left Malta for active service in 1570, that a nominal rental of one glass of water may have only to die of plague a year later in Candia (Crete). He been paid by the Grandmasters to the Sceberras family. was replaced by his assistant Gerolamo Cassar from and Philip II of Spain backed the project. The Birgu, who had briefly studied the new style of building pope sent his foremost engineer, in . (1521-70), to build the city, both as a fortress to defend Cassar designed and supervised most of the early Christendom and as a cultural masterpiece that would buildings. The Sacra Infermeria, built in 1574, was one of later be referred to by Sir Walter Scott as "A City built by Europe's most renowned hospitals during the gentlemen, for gentlemen". Renaissance. It now houses the Mediterranean Conference Centre. Cassar also built the Conventual Church of St. John, the Grandmasters’ Palace, the parish church of St. Paul, the churches of St. Mary of Porto Salvo, Carmine, St. Augustine and St. Mary of Jesus, as well as numerous other buildings and houses for the members of the order. Cassar died in 1586. Due to extensive renovations and extensions over the years, the only surviving structures in Valletta which are still his original designs are the Auberge d'Aragon and the exterior of Saint John's Co-Cathedral.

Laparelli's surviving plans show that the Valletta remain fundamentally as he designed them. The main line of defence consisted of four stretching from Marsamxett harbour to the Grand Harbour, with two irregular transverse fronts made up of a combination of flat and polygonal bastions to cope with the irregularity of the site. There were to be nine cavaliers, of which two were built, those of St James and St John. A across a deep on the landward side led to a gate, named Porta San Giorgio. The main street ran straight from the gate to St. Elmo. Initially, Laparelli initially proposed a city with curving, flowing streets, but the grid layout was chosen as it allowed guns to be moved more easily from place to place. The stairs in some streets seem odd but were In 1577 Scipione Campi from Pesaro recommended the constructed to enable knights in heavy armour to climb construction of curved orillions, the deepening and the steps. widening of the ditches and the enlargement of the two cavaliers on the land front. In 1614, the Vendome The most important element of this was the huge ditch, adjoining Fort St. Elmo was also built. In 1632, which ran between the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett the Grand Master de Paule commissioned Tommaso Harbour, separating Valletta from the mainland. Almost Dingli, a Maltese architect to design a more ornate main 1,000 metres long, 20 metres wide and 18 metres deep, gate to the city, to replace the older Porta San Giorgio. this would afford Valletta the greatest protection. Within In 1853, the British erected a new gate consisting of two the short space of 5 years, the workers, often more than central arches with two smaller ones. was 8,000 a day, managed to complete the imposing known as Porta Reale, or "Putirjal" in Maltese, fortifications and bastions around Valletta that can be "Kingsway" in English or simply Bieb il-Belt, "Door to the seen today. city". The first building erected in the city was the Church of Our Lady of Victory to commemorate the lifting of the Great Siege. La Valette, died in 1568, aged 74 and was buried there, later being moved to the Conventual performed was of a minor nature such as repairs and maintenance but many of the existing works had deteriorated seriously.

This third gate was demolished in 1964 when the bridge connecting Valletta to was widened and a fourth was built. However, the surrender of Valletta, 'the very heart of the Order', to the French cannot be blamed on the design or condition of the fortifications. The conquest of the island by in 1798 was far more than a military defeat, but "it signalled the final collapse of the Order itself which no fortress, however strong, perfect or up-to-date, could have prevented." After the Knights' departure and the brief French occupation, building projects in Valletta resumed under British rule. These projects included widening gates, demolishing and rebuilding structures, building new This gate was in turn demolished in 2011 to make room houses, renovating and installing civic and cultural for a fifth gate. projects. Meanwhile with improvements in guns and with the introduction of mortars firing shells over considerable distance, it was necessary to create stronger defences to safeguard Valletta from attempted attacks. In 1635, Pietro Paolo Floriani arrived in Malta and proposed the Floriana Lines to be constructed across the neck of the peninsula well beyond the Valletta front. Thus, began the first of the ring of fortifications built to strengthen the citadel. Laparelli's front to Valletta was also strengthened. This work was completed in 1645. In 1681, three bastions in front of Fort St. Elmo, similar to those proposed by Laparelli in 1566, were constructed. World War II air raids caused much destruction. One of In 1715 De Tigné recommended that communication the buildings lost was The Royal Opera House, should be by means of sally ports and in the constructed at the city entrance in the 19th century. ditch. The covertway was too narrow, its parapets too low and it lacked traverses and places of arms. A lunette, first proposed in 1638, should be built covering the main gate. The problem of the bombardment on the flanks was solved by the construction of new defences. The Grand Harbour flank was protected by the Sta. Margherita Lines, the and Fort Ricasoli (the largest fort in the Commonwealth) built during the 17th century, and the Marsamxett flank was protected by and Fort Tigné built in the 18th century. In the later part of the 18th century no attempt was made at redesigning the fortifications to bring them into line with modern standards. The work that was

One of the best kept secrets of the war was the The et Leon, formerly the official seat the , which were originally used by of the Knights of Malta Langues of Castille, Léon and the Knights of Malta as living quarters for their slaves. Portugal, is now the office of the Prime Minister of Malta. During World War II, the British forces transformed the site into the headquarters of the Royal Navy’s The National Museum of Fine Arts is a Rococo palace dating back to the late 1570s, which served as the official Mediterranean fleet and centre of operations, residence of the Commander-in-Chief of the coordinating the air defence of Malta and some of the Mediterranean Fleet during the British era from 1789 greatest battles fought in the. Lascaris was onwards. The (Maltese: Teatru Manwel) the advance Allied HQ from where Operation Husky, the was constructed in just ten months in 1731, by order of Invasion of Sicily in 1943, was controlled. Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, and is one of the oldest working theatres in Europe. The Although badly battered by the bombing, the city Mediterranean Conference Centre was formerly recovered. In Valletta today there are 25 different the Sacra Infermeria. churches. St John's Co-Cathedral is one of the largest and most spectacular churches in Europe. The treasures During the post-war years, Valletta many of its citizens found there include the only signed painting by moved out to more modern houses in other localities Caravaggio in 1608, depicting the beheading of St. John, and its population dwindled to 9,000. However, in the an extraordinary paving of more than 300 marble in-lay last few years many individuals with a flair for unique tomb slabs and a splendid vaulted central nave with architecture are trickling back into the city and investing frescos of Mattia Preti. in old properties.

Valletta, the smallest capital of the European Union, is Several palaces in Valletta have been converted to now the island’s major commercial and financial centre government offices. is still privately and is visited daily by throngs of tourists eager to owned by the noble Maltese de Piro family. Comprising experience the city’s rich history. Valletta’s 320 over 50 rooms and three air raid shelters, it is open to monuments, all within an area of 55 ha, make it one of the public. the most concentrated historic areas in the world. A The Magisterial Palace, built unique example of the Baroque, Valletta has been between 1571 and 1574 and designated a World Heritage City. Although the smallest formerly the seat of the capital city in the EU, Valletta was unanimously Grand Master of the Knights named European Capital of Culture (ECoC) for 2018. of Malta, now houses the Charles Gattalletta Named European Capital of Culture Maltese Parliament and 201

offices of the President of Malta and is open to the public.

The Arab Years: 1st MHA presentation of 2014.

The MHA’s first presentation for this year was delivered The argument for this can also be deduced from the by Joseph Borg, the new President of the association. He Maltese language that we speak today. According to two spoke about the Arab Years. Maltese Linguists, there are no remains of Punic in the He started the discussion by putting the following questions: i) What language was spoken in Malta prior to the

Arab invasion of 870 AD? ii) What happened to the Maltese during this invasion? iii) Was Malta occupied during the years following the invasion? iv) What about Christianity at the time? Did it flourish? v) What happened when the Normans arrived? vi) What people resettled Malta and where did they come from? Maltese language. In fact, modern Maltese is based vii) What is the origin of today’s Maltese and of place- entirely on Arabic originating from Sicily (which also was names? under Arabic domination). Malta was resettled by Muslims and a large number of slaves, who could have It is generally accepted that the Maltese people, prior to been Muslim or Christian slaves, around 1040 AD. They the arrival of the Arabs, spoke a language which probably rebuilt the City (now called Medina) and settled on the was a hybrid, with Punic, Latin and Greek being in the island and started to re-build society. The Byzantines mix. Over the later years it was more than likely that attacked the island again in 1048-9. The Arabs asked for they spoke some form of Greek or Low Latin. a peace treaty but this was refused unless they handed Over the last few years, historians in Malta have all their wealth and their women to the Greeks. The discovered new information from various sources defenders realised that the number of slaves was larger suggesting that the Arab take-over was catastrophic for than that of the free men. So they asked the slaves to Malta. According to some Arab sources, especially Al- fight on their side and if they won the battle they would Himyari, it is suggested that the fortress of Malta was be given their freedom. The slaves sided with the Arabs demolished as were the churches. The masonry was sent and the Greeks were defeated. Hardly the action of to Tunis to build the palace of the Qa’id. The island was Christian slaves who would have been released by the laid to waste and left unpopulated for over 170 years. Greeks had they won the battle. Talbi suggests that this happened because the Maltese In 1090, Count Roger invaded Malta. He rescued the had broken their treaty with the Muslims by supporting Christian slaves present on the island. They went with the Byzantines in their attempt to re-conquer the island him to Sicily where he promised to build them a town sometime before 870 AD, as recorded by Ibn al-Atir. where they could live or else they depart for their own One can therefore read in this that the whole population countries. Malaterra, Roger’s scribe, did not report of the island was either massacred or taken as slaves. So whether any of the slaves were Maltese. He used the the Christian faith as we know it also disappeared from term ‘christian slaves’. A treaty was signed between the island. Some people argue that maybe some small Roger and the Arab Qa’id on the following terms: the number of people escaped and hid in caves to escape the recognition of Roger as overlord by the islanders, and the Arabs. This of course could have been so, but the payment of a tribute consisting of horses, mules, arms number would have been very small and most probably and ‘infinita pecunia’, as well as an annual tribute. over the years, when Arabs visited the island to cut However, he allowed the Arabs to stay and administer timber, to fish in the waters around the island, to the island. He was in Malta for only a week. capture donkeys that were running wild and to collect After Roger’s death in 1101, Malta seemed to have come honey, they would have come in contact with adverse under Arab influence again. Roger II, son of Count Roger, results. had to re-conquer Malta in 1127. According to Wettinger, Roger II left a Christian garrison on the island and reorganised the administration. Luttrel takes a much stricter position and says that the Norman Superstitions and the Maltese Bogey Men Conquest did not have much influence on life in Muslim by Albert Agius Malta. According to him ‘Malta was never really Norman at all’. In 1175, Bishop Burchard of Strasbourg, who Some superstitions that our ancestors believed in have passed Malta on his way to Egypt reported that Malta been lost in the long corridor of time. Many people, was inhabited by Saracens. however, still believe that certain actions or events bring bad luck. Others may not be too sure; but they are Tomb stones found on the site of the Roman Domus in cautious not to provoke potentially unhappy situations. Rabat were of Muslim people and date to the twelfth They might still take evasive actions, such as not walking century, suggesting that Muslim influence was alive and under ladders. Some of these superstitions are not well even then. restricted to the Maltese. The real integration of Malta with the Sicilian Kingdom In his forthcoming M.H.A. presentation Mr Albert Agius must have started as late as 1220, when Frederick II of will discuss many of the specific superstitions that the Hohenstaufen (1194-1250), the grand-son of Roger II, Maltese had, some of which border on the absurd. You came to Sicily to reorganise his Sicilian Kingdom. In 1224, may have different superstitions that you would like to he expelled many Muslims from Sicily and colonisation share. from the Italian mainland took place. It is possible that a Do you still fear the Bogey Man? (Għadek tibża’ mill- number of Muslims were also expelled from Malta and Babaw?) Maybe you would like to tell us if you still do – that this island was repopulated with people from or when you stopped fearing him. Celano in Abruzzi (Luttrel). This is verified by Ibn Qaldun. Have you ever been in a house haunted by the ‘Fatat’ or Because of the abrupt nature of the Arab take-over, the was it ‘Il-Ħares’? Have you ever played the ‘Fatat’ and language spoken at the time disappeared. Arabic became been caught out? the new speech and as was stated earlier it was Come and share your experience with us when you join introduced by Muslims from Sicily. Over the years, this us in a discussion about such matters during the M.H.A.’s language has been modified, firstly by the introduction March presentation. of Latin script and then, over the many years, by the You are all welcome to the talk which is titled introduction of Italian, Spanish, French, English and a ‘Superstitions and the Maltese Bogey Men’. It will be host of other words that make the language what it is held at the Ċentru Malti, in Parkville on Tuesday 18th today. One only has to look at the language of Pietro March at 7.30 pm. Caxaro’s ‘Cantilena’ to realise how the language has changed over a period of 350 years. Brief CV – Albert W. Agius Place names in Malta all have an Arabic nomenclature. Albert W Agius is well-known to our members. He There are some places which still have a Greek origin, attends most of the talks and he has made a number of like Xlendi. Otherwise they are all of Arabic roots. None presentations to our members. are of Punic origin. Albert migrated to Australia in November 1978 and he took an early interest in the various activities of the After the presentation, the audience participated in Maltese community. He was the correspondent for The many questions. Quite a few refused to believe that the Times (of Malta) for some 25 years and he obviously had events as suggested by Mr Borg could have happened. his finger on the pulse of the community and maintained They believe that Maltese folk remained hidden on the good relations with its leaders. island and that they carried their tradition as of old. His full-time job was as an Administrative Officer with Others argued that the fact that there are basically the Commonwealth Government of Australia. He spent hardly any Arab archaeological artefacts suggest that several years as an employee of the Commonwealth they were not as hard as Mr Borg suggested. Of course, Department of Health. In September 1993 he was the best piece of evidence is Mdina, which was built by seconded by the Australian Government as a Consultant the Arabs. However, Mdina has seen many to the Parliamentary Secretariat for the Care of the modifications, especially of its buildings due to Elderly in Malta under the auspices of the United Nations earthquakes etc. Unfortunately, archaeologists cannot Development Programme (UNDP). dig up Mdina. However, recently, when the authorities were digging trenches for infrastructure, quite a lot of In 1997 Albert became a Member of the Sovereign Arabic pottery was found. Military Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta. It seems, however, that everybody in attendance Albert was the Senior Journalist in the Maltese language enjoyed the presentation. with SBS (Special Broadcasting Services) between 1987 Joseph Borg and 1989. He was also busy with feature articles and news stories in the ‘Malta Cross’ and ‘Il-Maltija’.