Lying just 6 km off the coast of northern Malta, Gozo is often assumed to be a smaller version of its sister island. In some ways it is: the neat fields sheltered by stone walls, the flat-roofed houses and the dazzling blue waters surrounding the island are all reminiscent of Malta. At the same time it is noticeably more peaceful and rural, the pace of life is slower, the land is greener, the streets are cleaner and the coast is quieter. Looking over the wide valley and sweeping sands of Ir-Ramla (Ramla Bay), it is easy to see why the Gozitans (among other contenders) have always claimed theirs as the fabled Island of Calypso where the sea-nymph held the Greek hero, Odysseus, captive for seven years.
Monthly Archives: October 2008
History of Malta
Around 5000 BC
Neolithic farmers arrive.
5000-4000 BC
Neolithic period: Skorba Temples built.
4000-3000 BC
Temple Period: Age of Tarxien and Ggantija temples and Hal Saflieni Hypogeum.
2500-700 BC
Bronze and Iron Age. Period of fortified villages and ‘cart tracks’.
700-550 BC
Phoenicians colonize the islands.
Culture in Malta
Malta’s strategic setting at the crossroads of the Mediterranean shipping lanes has always played a crucial role in the island’s history. Over the centuries the great Mediterranean powers have fought to dominate the islands, each new arrival leaving its legacy. What you see today is a complex amalgam of ethnic influences. The Arabs introduced citrus trees and the flat-topped houses, and they laid the foundations for the Maltese language. The Aragonese, from central Spain, left their mark in the medieval architecture of Malta’s historic town centers and the enclosed wooden balconies which typify the splendid town houses.
Valletta, Capital of Malta
It didn’t take the knights of St John long to discover the potential of the slopes of Mount Sceberras and the great sweep of surrounding harbour. A matter of months after the epic siege of 1565, Francesco Laparelli was sent to Malta by Pope Pius IV to advise on the building of a new city. The first stone was laid on 28 May 1566 and the city was completed by Lamparelli’s Maltese assistant, Gerolamo Cassar, just five years later. With the city complete, Cassar spend the 20 years designing the various auberges, the residences for the Knights, as well as the grand Masters’ Palace and the Great Co-Cathedral of St John.