CULTURE AND HERITAGE
The Maltese Islands are steeped in culture and heritage, having 7000 years of history. The Islands went through a golden Neolithic period, the Phoenicians, the Carthaginians, the Romans, and the Byzantines. In 60 AD St. Paul shipwrecked on the Island while on his way to Rome, and brought Christianity to Malta. The Arabs conquered the Islands in 870 AD, leaving an important mark on the Maltese language. Until 1530 Malta was then an extension of Sicily, the Normans, the Aragonese, and other conquerors who ruled over Sicily also governed the Maltese Islands. It was then Charles V who bestowed Malta to the Sovereign Military Order of St. John of Jerusalem, who ruled over Malta from 1530 to 1798. The Knights took Maltese through a new golden age making it a key player in the cultural arena of the seventeenth and eighteenth century Europe, with the presence of artists such as Caravaggio, Mattia Preti, and Favray amongst many others, who were commissioned by the Knights to embellish churches, palaces, and Auberges. In 1798 Napoleon Bonaparte took over Malta from the Knights when on his way to Egypt. The French presence on the Islands was short-lived as the English obstructed the Islands in 1800. Their rule lasted until 1964, when Malta obtained her Independence. Malta then became a Republic in 1974 and a member state to the European Union in May 2004. For further information about cultural and historical sites and places to visit in Malta click on www.heritagemalta.org ANNUAL FESTIVALS AND TRADITIONS The Maltese Islands are a strong Catholic country, with a wide diversity of festivities which makes up the religious year. Feast days are the life of the Islands and some holy days are actually national holidays. However, the most important events to all villages are their individual feasts, honouring their parish patron saint. A tradition that stretches back to the sixteenth century, village parish feasts are a time for both spiritual contemplation and for the whole parish to come together. These are the main social events in the village years, and the week of the feast is the outcome of months of hard work by willing volunteers and villagers. The festive commemorations are also a time of food, drink, and merriment which brings the Mediterranean roots of the locals. Families prepare large Christmas and Easter lunches. During the feasts the streets are lined with carts, selling a wide assortment of different foods, as well as the more traditional sweets and delicacies.
February in Malta brings along the Carnival week, which takes on a traditional pattern – extravagantly coloured floats area perched on lorries ready for the procession, children running around in fancy costumes, and Malta’s main nightlife centre (Paceville) catching the late night carnival goers who pile into the clubs and bars, still wear -
ing their outrageous outfits. The heart of the action takes place in Valletta, though various towns and villages across the Islands have their own version of festivities. Carnival takes on a more macabre and funny mood in the village of Nadur, Gozo. During the Holy Week and Easter, people flock to Mass in big numbers to commemorate the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ. Holy Week commences on the Friday preceding Good Friday, when the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is carried in a procession through the streets of many towns and villages. On Maundy Thursday, the ‘seven visits’ take place, which consist of visits to seven different churches to pay homage to the Alters of Repose. Good Friday gives a sombre outlook, as churches are deprived of the traditional ornamental style and red is the dominant colour, symbolizing the Blood of Christ. On Easter Sunday a procession of the Risen Christ moves around the streets close to the church, cleared at the end when the statue-bearers take a run to carry the statue triumphantly back into the church. The Feast of San Girgor (St. Gregory) falls on the Wednesday following Easter Sunday. A religious procession starts at the tiny chapel of St. Clement in Zejtun. According to tradition this procession was first held as a thanksgiving to God for his intervention to halt the Bubonic Plague which killed some 11,000 Islanders in the years 1675 – 1676. After the procession people head towards the nearby fishing village of Marsaxlokk, having family picnics.
Every year the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Malta Tourism Authority organise the Malta International Fireworks Festival, normally held at the Grand Harbour in Valletta at the end of April. This event is a showcase of the best pyrotechnical displays produced by both Maltese and international acclaimed pyrotechnic firms. This festival also commemorates the anniversary of Malta’s entry into the European Union.
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts organises an open air National Folk Singing Festival at the Argotti Gardens in Floriana; a jamboree of local and Mediterranean folk songs during the month of May.
The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul on 29 June marks an important event in the Maltese calendar. Apart from the religious holiday, a country harvest and folk festival is organised. This festival is named L-Imnarja, which means a festival of light. This sociable and fun affair having families and friends picnics during the day and night, takes place in Malta’s largest natural woodland, Buskett.
The Malta Jazz Festival takes place on the third weekend of July every year. Staged below the bastions of the sixteenth century city of Valletta and by the waters of the Grand Harbour, three Mediterranean nights of international jazz by world-renowned players take place. This event is organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.
During the months of July and August runs a celebration of the Malta Arts Festival, comprising of a wide variety of art forms. This celebration appropriately transforms the Old Opera House and Freedom Square in Valletta. Other venues participating in this festival include the Mediterranean Conference Centre, the MITP Theatre in the St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, both in Valletta, and The Grand Harbour Marina in Birgu. The 8th of September is a special public holiday since Malta commemorates two events: the birth of the Holy Virgin Maria Bambina and the end of the Great Siege of 1565. The feast is celebrated in the villages and towns of Senglea, Naxxar, Mellieħa, and Xagħra. A rowing regatta is held every year in the Grand Harbour on the day to commemorate the Great Siege, an annual event since 1878. An annual event on the Island of Gozo, Festival Mediterranea, offers all that Gozo boasts of in the cultural and artistic arena. This mid-autumn festival has an Island-wide aspect, with a wide variety of indoor and outdoor events. Festival Mediterranea offers visitors a great opportunity to learn about Gozo’s temple and archaeological sites through a series of lectures and visits. Christmas is a highly celebrated religious festivity in Malta, celebrated to its full with nativity scenes, displays of cribs, carol services, and other events which are normally organised in each locality. St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta organise a very special, spiritual evening with candlelit carol singing. Visiting cribs is a popular activity at Christmas time, and many Islanders spend time going round the ‘Presepju’, some of which are very elaborate showing the work of dedicated craftsmen. The annual pantomime held at the Manoel Theatre is a Christmas highlight; a happy mix of good slapstick humour for children and satire for adults. For further information about religious feasts in Malta and Gozo please contact the Public Relations Officer at the Archdiocese of Malta on (+356) 2124 1281 or by email on info@maltachurch.org.mt THE CAPITAL
Valletta, also known as The Fortress City or Citta’ Umilissima, is Malta’s capital city, named after its founder the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, Jean Parisot de la Valette. The magnificent fortress city grew on the Mount Sceberras peninsula, which rises steeply from two deep harbours: Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour. In an astonishingly short time of fifteen years, Valletta was completed with its impressive bastions, forts, and cathedral. World War II brought great havoc to Malta; Valletta was badly destroyed by bombardment, although the city managed to withstand the war with many of its treasures intact. Today Valletta has a smaller population than before the war, but it is a bustling place. Hosting a vast cultural programme, Valletta holds an intriguing historical site around every corner: votive statues, niches, fountains, and coats of arms high up on parapets. Narrow side streets are full of tiny, quaint shops and cafes, while Valletta’s main streets are lined with larger international branded shops with fashion, music, jewellery, and more. ACTIVITY AND FUN The Islands hold a variety of attractions for the whole family, including the children who can often get bored visiting cultural and historical sites. Tourists can see craftsmen making lace, silver filigree, pottery, fabrics, knitwear, baskets, and clock in the two main crafts villages in Malta (Ta’ Qali Crafts Village) and Gozo (Ta’ Dbiegi Crafts Village). Also fascinating to watch are the glass blowers. There is also a marine and water park available for water fun. Not to be missed by the kids is the Sweethaven Village, originally set for the 1980 musical production Popeye. NIGHTLIFE The Islanders’ approach to life is to enjoy and celebrate it as much as possible. Nightlife here in Malta is always bustling. St. Julian’s, Bugibba, Mellieha, and Marsascala are the areas with the most nightclubs and bars. Restaurants of all types and varieties as well as bars and clubs can be found in these locations. Paceville, on the coast near St. Julian’s, is a place to be for youngsters who like club crawling, and consists mainly of holiday accommodation. It is also suitable for the older, more adventurous individuals who enjoy pubs, wine bars, restaurants, rock clubs, jazz clubs, and movies. Most establishments in this city remain open until the early morning hours. PARKS AND GARDENS
The gardens that can be found in the Maltese Islands are numerous, but relatively small. The flagship of all the gardens is beyond any doubt San Anton Gardens in Attard. Other smaller gardens such as the two Barrakkas in Valletta offer breathtaking views of Malta’s Grand Harbour and the fortifications built by the Knights of Malta. Buskett in Rabat grew out of a hunting lodge that was built in the mid 1500s, and the Sa Maison gardens overlook the Marsamxetto Harbour. Equally interesting parks and gardens to visit include the Argotti Botanical Gardens in Floriana, Hastings in Valletta, Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar, Gardjola Gardens in Senglea, Għadira Nature Reserve in Mellieħa, Howard Gardens in Rabat, and the Ta’ Qali Natural Park. SPORTS
With such an agreeable climate, there are wide varieties of land and sea sport facilities available on the Islands. The Marsa Sports Club features an eighteen-hole gold course, miniature golf, eighteen tennis courts, five squash courts, cricket grounds, and a swimming pool. Many of the hotel facilities often include tennis courts, squash courts, weight rooms, and saunas, apart from offering sport facilities including scuba diving, water skiing, windsurfing, and sailing. Horseback riding is a well-liked activity by the locals, and horse racing is Malta’s prime spectator sport. Maltese lawn bowling and tenpin bowling are very popular at the local level, as well as clay pigeon shooting with competitions taking place on Sunday mornings. The Malta Marathon is held at the end of every February, attracting several long distance runners from around the world. DIVING
The Maltese Islands’ clear blue Mediterranean Sea is ideal for scuba diving and is highly accessible by relatively every area of the Islands. All three Islands offer excellently unique diving experiences with reefs, caves, and wrecks to make the dive one of the most interesting ones in the Mediterranean. There are several types of scuba diving courses and scuba diving activities offered by locally licensed diving schools. Divers need to complete a medical statement form prior to any diving indicating fitness to dive. It is always recommended to check with the diving centre as to where would be suitable to dive, depending on weather conditions and experience. For further information on dive schools and regulations, contact the Professional Dive Schools Association by email to info@pdsa.org.mt or by clicking on www.pdsa.org.mt
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