10-22 Valletta, Malta

As we pulled into the harbor, it was still dark with the most beautiful full moon.  We had an 8:30 a.m. tour of Malta’s Capitals Old and New – Mdina and Valletta.

In our bus we learned the background of Malta in general.  It has a history that includes artifacts from the Stone Age and Bronze Age.  It is an island just 60 miles south of Sicily and east of Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea.  There are two smaller islands just north of Malta which make up this area.  Malta has a population of 450,000. Roman Catholic is the predominant religion with 360 churches on the island.  St. Paul is the patron saint of Malta.

Malta was occupied by many peoples – Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Normans.  This is reflected in the architecture in Valletta.  In 1530 Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem (also known as the Knights of Malta.)  The Knights were noblemen from the most important families of Europe – and they had a mission to protect the Catholic faith.  This group fortified Valletta so strongly that it became one of the greatest Mediterranean strongholds. 

During the 268 years the Knights were in Malta, there were 28 Grand Masters.  The Knights not only defended their city well, they also protected Christians making pilgrimages.  In addition, they gave aid to the sick and poor.  They built palaces, fortifications and other historical structures that give contemporary Valletta its unique character.  The town gets its name from the most famous Grand Master – Jean de la Valette. 

The distinctive eight-pointed Maltese cross represents the eight aspirations of the group (live in truth, maintain faith, repent sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and whole-hearted, and endure persecution.)

The Knights ruled until 1798 when Napoleon invaded and forced them to surrender, and they fled to Italy. The Maltese people rebelled against the French invasion and then the British came in and compelled the withdrawal of the French in 1799.  Malta became part of the British Empire, but in 1964 became independent.  Today you can still see the great influence of the British in this country.

The first capital of Malta was in Mdina, one of the world’s finest examples of a living medieval city.  It is a small city with beautiful architecture.  Only 300 people live inside this walled city today.  Mdina comes from the Arabic word meaning “fortress.” The roads are mainly pedestrian, and the only cars allowed are those of the residents. 

We saw the police station (whose door is always closed because Mdina is crime-free!), the building where 15 Benedictine nuns still live, and St. Paul’s square with the Cathedral at one end of it.  The Cathedral belongs to the Archbishop of Malta (who rumor has it may become a Cardinal soon.)  We saw the narrow roads where the residents live today.  They made the roads narrow to help better protect them, but they never needed that protection. 

From Bastian Square, we had a great view of 80% of Malta.  We saw the large clock tower where the British lived and which was a military center, St. Mary’s Church with the 4th largest dome in the world and the largest church in Malta, and St. Paul’s island in the distance.  On a clear day, you could see Sicily. 

All the buildings we saw in Malta are made from Malta limestone.  Today all the houses are made from this stone.  Even the garden areas are outlined with these stones. 

We had some free time, so Doug and I went to a glass shop which sold glass made in Mdina.  It is similar to the Murano glass in Venice.  We bought a multi-colored dish with a unique design on it.

Back on the bus we headed back  to Valletta, the capital of Malta today.  We went to the old, walled city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Before entering the main gate, we saw Triton Fountain in front. After entering through the gate, we walked down Republic Street, the main avenue.  It is a wide, pedestrian way with lots of old buildings along it – but today most of these buildings house restaurants and shops.  There was even a Burger King and McDonalds!  Most of the major sites are off this street. 

The two major sites are St. John’s Co-Cathedral and the Grand Master’s Palace.  We just went by them as part of the tour.  [We went inside the Cathedral on our own free time.] We saw the Baroque facade of one side of the the Cathedral with two bell towers.  The Grand Master’s Palace now houses the Parliament and the President’s Office. (President is elected every 5 years – he cannot serve a second term.) The front of it is undergoing restoration. 

In the 45 minutes free time we were given, Doug and I went inside St. John’s Co-Cathedral.  The outside facade is plain and with its two bell towers seems more like a fortress than a church.  However, the inside truly expresses the High Baroque era.

The church owes its rich history and artistic heritage to the fact that for over 200 years, it was the conventional church of the Knights of St. John.  The Grand Masters and Knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art by leading artists.  It truly expresses the High Baroque era. 

The main nave has a beautiful vaulted ceiling which depicts episodes form the life of St. John the Baptist in oil paintings.  There are eight side chapels, each exquisite on its own.  They represent the eight langues  of the Order.  But it is the marble floor that is as impressive as anything else.  The inlaid marble consists of a collection of tombstones. 

The imaginative use of symbols and heraldic devices make this floor a unique treasure.  This is where the Knights were buried and identified by their coat of arms.

In one section of the church (the Oratory – and the one place pictures were not allowed) are two famous paintings by Caravaggio.  These are St. Jerome and The Beheading of St. John.  The latter is his largest painting as well as the only one that is signed (in the blood!)

I could have spent several hours going through this cathedral.  It is so ornate, it is hard to take it all in so quickly.  We had a headset that explained each part, but with such a short time, I had to skip some of it. 

Our final stop on the tour was the Barrakka Gardens on the highest point of the 16th century walls that the Knights of St. John built to protect their city.  School girls were performing as we arrived.  We had a wonderful view of the Grand Harbor – our ship included! 

We then went out on our own.  We had lunch at a cafe across from the Cathedral called Cafe Caravaggio – named after the famous painter described above.  We had pizza, beer and wine.  It was so pleasant with a wonderful sunny day and mild temperature.

We walked around a while, and went back by the Grand Master’s Palace.  We saw two guards there we hadn’t seen before.  Don’t know if they do a changing of the guard.  The square in front of the Palace has very recently been redone and now has a water fountain area in the middle of the square. 

After an ice cream, we strolled back to the ship (mostly downhill!)  We had a better view (without as many people) of the Auberge de Castille, which houses the office of the Prime Minister of Malta.  It is an attractive building with two cannons in the front.

Our feet were tired, and we were weary after such a long day of walking.  The ship was over an hour late in leaving because they had not finished putting in the gasoline, so we had an early dinner in the Vista restaurant (just the two of us) and then headed back to our cabin to watch as we left port under a full moon.  We then relaxed and watched the movie Date Night on TV and then went to bed early.