“As we begin to think about the upcoming reunion in the Philippines, I remember the good times we had together in Malta. So I share these memories in hopes that they will prompt others to sign up and then we will meet again.” Bruce
As an archipelago of five small islands strategically located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Malta has for millennia been the subject of outside powers. This monument celebrates the ultimate achievement of Independence as a sovereign nation in 1964.
Although Malta sits 81 km away from Europe and even further from Africa, it has a history of human occupation stretching back more than 5000 years. We visited two Neolithic temples which are the second and third oldest temples discovered so far, preceded only by Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. At the older one, Tal Ggantija seen below archaeologists found many fertility images suggesting a cult to promote conception and protection in childbirth. Its mission was clearly in line with that of our dear employer! At the other, near Tarxien, we found a complex of temples which like Stonehenge seem to be aligned to draw in the first rays of the sunrise on the winter and summer solstices and the spring and fall equinox.
One convention honored by both sides of the WW2 horror was to spare sacred buildings. Almost all the beautiful buildings we visited predating the war were churches. In our current secular age, one wonders if such a convention would be so honored today. What is happening in Gaza where one side tunnels under public buildings and the other blasts to get at them, is not encouraging.
The magnificent “co cathedral” of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John in Jerusalem is one of those survivors. It is the most ornate Baroque church I have ever seen. The Knights were celibate monk soldiers but to be eligible to join this Order all four of their grandparents had to belong to noble lineages stretching back for 250 years. The size of inheritance they brought to the Order helped to determine their stature within it. Another way to raise money for the beautification of the co-cathedral was to assign a side chapel to each dynasty which could incorporate the donor’s coat of arms into the decor.
The Grand Master of the Order ruled the archipelago. His appointment was confirmed by the pope to whom the GM reported directly. Nonetheless there was a bishop of the diocese residing elsewhere and it is his church which is called the cathedral.
Initially the Knights did not want to come to Malta because there was already a resident bishop. The Ottomans had forced them to leave Rhodes which had been their stronghold since defeat of the Crusaders in the Levant some two centuries before. Shortly after the Knights installed themselves in Malta in 1530, the Ottomans attacked again. That the Knights succeeded in repelling this much larger force was taken as a sign of God’s blessing and they therefore entrenched themselves for the next 268 years. Napoleon put an end to the Knights’ regime in 1798 but the French only held it for two years. Then the British navy moved in.
Prior to the arrival of the Knights the mentality of the people was much more inward. I presume this given the placement of the old capital, Mdina, a walled city on a hill, 11 km inland from Valletta.
Today the city has only 250 residents mostly clerics (82% of Maltese are Roman Catholics) and nobles ensconced in grand palaces. We visited a Benedictine nunnery where one solitary nun remains. Though many of novices once came from rich families their stoic embrace of poverty struck a sharp contrast to the life of affluent comfort we take for granted today.
The British were the last of Malta’s colonial masters. They ruled the archipelago from 1800 when the population rebelled against Napoleon until 1964. The Admiralty headquarters pictured here was a major center of that power as the British were primarily interested in Malta’s strategic location and its deep, well sheltered harbor.
The flag of independent Malta proudly flies above the old Admiralty. There are various theories as to why it has equal white and red sections. Some say it recalls its rulers over the past thousand years notably the Normans, Knights Hospitaller and the British. What is in no doubt is the cross on the top right hand corner representing the George Cross, Britain’s highest military honor given to the Maltese people collectively in 1944 in recognition of their extraordinary valor repelling the multiple, devastating attacks by the Nazis during the Second World War.
Next to the Parliament building stand the remains of a once beautiful Royal Opera House built in classical Greek revival style in the 1860s. Utterly destroyed by Nazi bombers along with most of the capital city during WW2 it stands as a stark reminder of those bleak days. Public concerts are occasionally staged outdoors in the ruins.
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| Independence Monument |
Although Malta sits 81 km away from Europe and even further from Africa, it has a history of human occupation stretching back more than 5000 years. We visited two Neolithic temples which are the second and third oldest temples discovered so far, preceded only by Gobekli Tepe in Turkey. At the older one, Tal Ggantija seen below archaeologists found many fertility images suggesting a cult to promote conception and protection in childbirth. Its mission was clearly in line with that of our dear employer! At the other, near Tarxien, we found a complex of temples which like Stonehenge seem to be aligned to draw in the first rays of the sunrise on the winter and summer solstices and the spring and fall equinox.
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| Neolithic Temple |
One convention honored by both sides of the WW2 horror was to spare sacred buildings. Almost all the beautiful buildings we visited predating the war were churches. In our current secular age, one wonders if such a convention would be so honored today. What is happening in Gaza where one side tunnels under public buildings and the other blasts to get at them, is not encouraging.
The magnificent “co cathedral” of the Knights Hospitaller of the Order of St. John in Jerusalem is one of those survivors. It is the most ornate Baroque church I have ever seen. The Knights were celibate monk soldiers but to be eligible to join this Order all four of their grandparents had to belong to noble lineages stretching back for 250 years. The size of inheritance they brought to the Order helped to determine their stature within it. Another way to raise money for the beautification of the co-cathedral was to assign a side chapel to each dynasty which could incorporate the donor’s coat of arms into the decor.
The Grand Master of the Order ruled the archipelago. His appointment was confirmed by the pope to whom the GM reported directly. Nonetheless there was a bishop of the diocese residing elsewhere and it is his church which is called the cathedral.
Initially the Knights did not want to come to Malta because there was already a resident bishop. The Ottomans had forced them to leave Rhodes which had been their stronghold since defeat of the Crusaders in the Levant some two centuries before. Shortly after the Knights installed themselves in Malta in 1530, the Ottomans attacked again. That the Knights succeeded in repelling this much larger force was taken as a sign of God’s blessing and they therefore entrenched themselves for the next 268 years. Napoleon put an end to the Knights’ regime in 1798 but the French only held it for two years. Then the British navy moved in.
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| Co-cathedral |
Another highlight was a boat tour of the well protected, deep harbor in the middle of the Mediterranean which made Malta such a strategic military asset. On the crests of the hills defending the entry to each of the harbor’s multiple arms we saw fortifications built and reinforced over many centuries. In addition to their inheritances, the Knights enriched their Order by sallying forth from this safe stronghold to attack Ottoman shipping to their colonies along the African coast. In short they were pirates authorized by the state.
Nowadays, the harbor caters mainly to tourist cruise liners, dry dock repairs and especially pleasure crafts of every description which jam the inner reaches of the channels.
Nowadays, the harbor caters mainly to tourist cruise liners, dry dock repairs and especially pleasure crafts of every description which jam the inner reaches of the channels.
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| Harbor |
Prior to the arrival of the Knights the mentality of the people was much more inward. I presume this given the placement of the old capital, Mdina, a walled city on a hill, 11 km inland from Valletta.
Today the city has only 250 residents mostly clerics (82% of Maltese are Roman Catholics) and nobles ensconced in grand palaces. We visited a Benedictine nunnery where one solitary nun remains. Though many of novices once came from rich families their stoic embrace of poverty struck a sharp contrast to the life of affluent comfort we take for granted today.
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| Mdina |
The British were the last of Malta’s colonial masters. They ruled the archipelago from 1800 when the population rebelled against Napoleon until 1964. The Admiralty headquarters pictured here was a major center of that power as the British were primarily interested in Malta’s strategic location and its deep, well sheltered harbor.
The flag of independent Malta proudly flies above the old Admiralty. There are various theories as to why it has equal white and red sections. Some say it recalls its rulers over the past thousand years notably the Normans, Knights Hospitaller and the British. What is in no doubt is the cross on the top right hand corner representing the George Cross, Britain’s highest military honor given to the Maltese people collectively in 1944 in recognition of their extraordinary valor repelling the multiple, devastating attacks by the Nazis during the Second World War.
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| Admiralty |
Next to the Parliament building stand the remains of a once beautiful Royal Opera House built in classical Greek revival style in the 1860s. Utterly destroyed by Nazi bombers along with most of the capital city during WW2 it stands as a stark reminder of those bleak days. Public concerts are occasionally staged outdoors in the ruins.
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| Opera |
For me the most appropriate symbol of the new Malta is the empty chair which sits in front of a statue of Queen Victoria in Republic Square. The last colonial regime is gone and the country has entered a new chapter of its history as an independent nation. ChatGPT says that the chair symbolizes the absence of a political leader and the responsibility of all citizens to defend the principles of democracy and contribute to shaping the future of the country.
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| Empty Chair |
Headlining the Opening Dinner was the young woman seen in this photo who is autistic and suffers multiple other medical problems. Despite all her problems she managed to sing and dance for us. She has become a powerful advocate for child rights in Malta. Her message to us was clear: Every child has the right to participate fully in their society and realize their full potential.
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| Opening Dinner |
The tour included most of our meals. These were invariably excellent as the Mediterranean fare usually is. Often we ate in intimate, historically evocative places. Unfortunately not everyone had the mobility to squeeze into tight spaces where some seats sat empty. Platters of food were delivered for groups of four. This succeeded in prompting interaction among people sitting nearby but it proved difficult logistically as vegetarians and carnivores did not always sit in separate groups.
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| Meals |
We were honoured to meet with the ex President of Malta, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca (2014 to 2019). As an indefatigable advocate on issues affecting women and children, her remarks touched a deep chord in her XUNICEF audience.
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| President's speech |
Our senior and highly respected colleague, Mary Racelis presented the President with a shawl from India as a momentum of our appreciation for her leadership in Malta in advocating for Child Rights.
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| President's gift |
The closing dinner was organized in the elegant Corinthia Palace Hotel. Many people came in national dress to enliven the occasion. Here George and Jill Kassis wear Armenian and Egyptian dress respectively.
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| Dress Code |
We have Margherita Amodeo and her team to thank for making the reunion possible. It is an enormous amount of work checking out details and answering a huge number of emails. In this photo she is showing a water painting, one of many items our creative colleagues donated to raise money for the children of Gaza. The auction managed to raise $2500 for that important cause during our Farewell Dinner.
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| Auction |
Thank you Bruce. You captured these memories so beautifully!
ReplyDeleteDear Bruce,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your excellent synopsis of Malta’s history.
Malta consists of a group of small islands with a very significant and rich history. I was particularly captivated by the Knights of St. John and their heroic defense during the Ottoman siege of the island.
However, you did not mention Jean de La Valette, who was the Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He is most renowned for his leadership during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, where he played a pivotal role in defending the island against the Ottomans. Under his command, the outnumbered Knights successfully repelled the invading Ottoman force, which marked one of the greatest military engagements of the 16th century. In recognition of his leadership and the Order's success in the siege, the city of Valletta, the capital of Malta, was named in his honor. He is remembered as a symbol of resistance against overwhelming odds and for his dedication to the Order.
Jean de La Valette's leadership and bravery during the siege solidified his reputation as a legendary and inspirational figure in European history.
I was so fascinated with Malta and its history with the Knights of St. John that after our XUNICEF reunion, I read two great books that I’d like to recommend: “The Shield and the Sword,” written by Ernie Bradford, and “Empires of the Sea” by Roger Crowley. In "Empires of the Sea," Crowley gives a detailed description of the Battle of Lepanto, where one of my all-time favorite writers, Miguel Cervantes, almost lost his left arm and nearly his life. Cervantes is, of course, the acclaimed author of Don Quixote.
Indeed, inspired by Malta’s rich history, I chose to forgo the Manila reunion. Instead, we're embarking on a cruise through the Greek islands, with a stop in Rhodes.
Oscar
Valencia, España