VALLETTA, Malta -- Location, location, location isn't always a
blessing, especially when referring to a small country
strategically situated in the Mediterranean between Sicily and
North Africa.
Over the centuries, Malta, consisting of several islands with a
total land mass of only 196 square miles, has known multiple
occupiers.
The upside is that the nation probably claims more history per
square mile than any place on Earth and can offer today's travelers
a wealth of sites and influences to enrich their visits.
While a few human teeth are all that remain from Neanderthal
times, some 40 neolithic sites dot the main islands of Malta and
Gozo, and temples dating to the fourth millennium B.C. still
stand.
Predating the Pyramids and Stonehenge, Ggantija is the world's
oldest known free-standing stone building. Located on Gozo, its two
temples cover a quarter of an acre.
Easily
accessible from Valletta, the capital, Hagar Qim is built of
enormous stone blocks, many incised with pitted, honeycomb designs;
swirls, or images of fish and other animals. Sacrificial altars and
openings for libations and oracles are evident.
Hypogeum, an underground place of ritual and burial, remains
closed but is expected to reopen in the near future for limited
tourism. A statue, known as the Sleeping Lady, was found here and
is on exhibit at the archaeological museum in Valletta.
Phoenician influence is apparent in pottery and other artifacts
from several sites as well as in the eye of Isis adorning the
colorful fishing boats in villages such as Marsxlokk. This symbol
was thought to ensure protection in rough seas.
Not surprisingly, the Romans had their day in the islands.
Perhaps the best place to experience this period is the Museum of
Roman Antiquities, situated in Rabat, about a half-hour's drive
from the capital.
High on a ridge adjacent to Rabat, present-day Mdina has been
inhabited since the Bronze Age. The Phoenicians surrounded the city
with a defensive wall, and centuries later, the Roman governor made
the city his seat of power.
In 870, the walls were extended by yet other rulers, the
Saracens.
On Gozo, hilltop villages, where houses huddle close to one
another for protection, evoke the days when Barbary pirates raided
the coast, carrying off thousands into slavery.
The tiny island of Comino (two square miles; population, five)
was once a pirate hideaway.
Along with Maltese cross and Maltese falcon, the term Knights of
Malta has a familiar ring.
Of all the people who occupied Malta before the 16th century,
none left an influence equal to the fortifications, churches,
culture, art and architecture bequeathed by the Knights of the
Order of St. John, who held sway for 268 years.
After successfully defending the islands against the Ottoman
Turks in what the Maltese call the Great Siege of 1565, the
knights, sons of European aristocracy, spared no expense in
creating surroundings befitting their grand view.
They built a fortress city, naming it Valletta after their Grand
Master, or leader.
Laid out in a grid, this carefully planned city was a model of
architectural design, sanitation and, always necessary in Malta,
fortifications.
In fact, Malta is said to be the most heavily fortified nation
in the world, relative to its size.
Even the swimming pool at Le Meridien Phoenicia Hotel nestles
against a section of Valletta's ancient wall.
Seriously damaged in World War II, Valletta has been restored to
its prior grandeur.
The city gates; the Grand Master's palace; the library; Manoel
Theater; the Co-Cathedral of St. John, housing tombs of various
Grand Masters, and the five remaining auberges (originally eight,
one for each langue, or language group, of the knights) combine to
offer visitors an appreciation of the life enjoyed by the Knights
of Malta.
Colorful enclosed balconies, called gallerijas, jut from many of
the honey-hued limestone buildings.
The fortified city of Mdina also benefited from the affluence of
the times.
Under the knights, its bastions were enhanced and a triumphal
arch was erected at the main gate.
After a 1693 earthquake, its grand homes were rebuilt, both by
the knights and the Maltese nobility, who always had called Mdina
home.
The Magisterial Palace was reconstructed in baroque style and
became a summer residence of the Grand Master.
Following the siege, the knights encircled Gozo's citadel with
battlements.
Within these walls, a cathedral boasts an interior "dome" which,
on closer inspection, proves to be a bit of trompe l'oeil
trickery.
Another lasting legacy of the knights is a largely Roman
Catholic population. In addition to historical churches and
street-corner niches holding statues of saints, this means that a
festa, or saint's day celebration, is likely to occur during one's
visit.
"Every village has a saint and every saint has a festa," is how
one tourism spokesman put it.
On this day, banners line the streets to the church, which is
illuminated by thousands of tiny, colored lights. Bands play and
garishly decorated nougat cakes are hawked.
As confetti falls from balconies and rooftops, robed volunteers
parade a life-sized saint's statue about the streets.
With the Turkish defeat, the knights abandoned their disciplined
ways.
When Napoleon's army, en route to an Egyptian campaign, landed
at Valletta's Grand Harbor, it met little resistance.
It wasn't long, however, before the Maltese and the British
combined forces to drive out the French.
From then until independence in 1964, Malta was under the
protection of the British crown.
This left English an official language, along with Maltese, a
convenient legacy for agency clients.
During World War II, the islands' airfields and dockyards played
an important role, as the nation was situated to block supply lines
from Germany to its troops in North Africa. Malta also served as a
staging area for the invasion of Sicily.
The small country paid a large price for its strategic position,
suffering more than 2,000 air raids.
At war's end, the governments of England and the U.S. paid
tribute to Malta's heroism.
After centuries of uninvited "guests" seeking to impose their
ways and will, the Maltese hardly could be faulted for rolling up
the welcome mat. However, visitors find a courteous and friendly
people, eager to share the history and culture in which they take
such pride.
Malta Tourist Office
Phone: (973) 884-0899 or (877) GO MALTA
Web: www.visitmalta.com