Culture of Malta
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2008-07-06T23:54:08Z
Yolgnu
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national calamities contributed, but weren't the main cause, of the rise of Latin European influence - repopulation was
The '''culture of Malta''' is a reflection of various cultures that have come into contact with the [[Maltese Islands]] throughout the centuries, including neighbouring [[Mediterranean]] cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled [[Malta]] for long periods of time prior to its [[History of Malta#Independence|independence]] in 1964.
== The culture of prehistoric Malta ==
{{TOCright}}
[[Image:Malta 16 Mnajdra.jpg|thumb|left|The temple complex at Mnajdra ([[4th mi-3200 BCE]])]]The earliest inhabitants of the Maltese Islands are believed to have been farmers who crossed over from nearby [[Sicily]] sometime before 5000 BCE. They grew cereals and raised domestic livestock and, in keeping with many other ancient Mediterranean cultures, worshipped a [[mother goddess]], represented in Malta by statuettes of unusually large proportions. Pottery from the earliest period of Maltese civilization (known as the [[Għar Dalam]] phase) is similar to that found in [[Agrigento]], Sicily. These people were either supplanted by, or gave rise to a mysterious culture of [[megalithic]] temple builders, whose surviving monuments on Malta and Gozo are now believed to be the oldest standing stone structures in the world.<ref>[http://www.otsf.org/ Old Temples Study Foundation (OTSF)]</ref> <ref>[http://users.aber.ac.uk/jpg/malta/arch.html Aberystwyth, The University of Wales]</ref> <ref>David Trump et al., ''Malta Before History'' (2004: Miranda Publishers)</ref> The temples date from 4000–2500 BCE, and typically consist of a complex trefoil (cloverleaf) design.
Little is known about the temple builders of Malta and Gozo; however, there is some evidence that their rituals included [[animal sacrifice]]. This culture disappeared from the Maltese Islands around 2500 BCE. The reasons for the disappearance are shrouded in mystery, although historians and archeologists have speculated that the temple builders fell victim to famine and disease. War is unlikely to have been the cause of their disappearance, since archeological digs on Malta have yielded little or no evidence of weapons.
The Maltese Islands were depopulated for several decades, until the arrival of a new influx of [[Bronze Age]] immigrants, a culture that is known to have [[cremation|cremated]] its dead, and introduced smaller megalithic structures called [[dolmens]] to Malta.<ref>Daniel Cilia, [http://web.infinito.it/utenti/m/malta_mega_temples/linetime.html "Malta Before Common Era", in ''The Megalithic Temples of Malta'']. Accessed January 28, 2007.</ref>
==The development of modern Maltese culture==
{{main|History of Malta}}
{{See also|Timeline of Maltese history}}
The culture of modern Malta has been described as a "rich pattern of traditions, beliefs and practices," which is the result of "a long process of adaptation, assimilation and cross fertilization of beliefs and usages drawn from various conflicting sources." It has been subjected to the same complex, historic processes that gave rise to the linguistic and ethnic admixture that defines who the [[Maltese people|people of Malta and Gozo]] are today.<ref>J. Cassar Pullicino, "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', Malta University Press (1992), p. 68.</ref>
==Overview==
Maltese culture has both [[Semitic]] and [[Latin European]] origins; however, the Latin European element is more readily apparent in modern Malta for two key reasons: (i) the fact that Latin European cultures have had more recent, and virtually continuous impact on Malta over the past eight centuries through political control; and (ii) the fact that Malta shares the religious beliefs, traditions and ceremonies of its Sicilian neighbor. In 1551, the [[Saracens]], led by [[Dragut Reis]], raided [[Gozo]], taking almost the entire population of that island, some 5,000 inhabitants, away into slavery. The subsequent repopulation of Gozo, undertaken by the [[Knights of Malta]] between 1565 and 1580, had a lasting impact on the culture and history of the sister island.
===Sources of Semitic influence===
====Ancient Phoenicians====
The [[Phoenicia|Ancient Phoenicians]] inhabited the Maltese Islands from around 700 BCE, and made extensive use of their sheltered harbours. By 480 BCE, with the ascendancy of [[Carthage]] in the western Mediterranean, Malta became a [[Punic]] colony. Traditional Maltese folklore suggests Phoenician origins for the Maltese people and their customs; however, modern scholars dispute whether any pre-Arab, Phoenician substratum still survives today in the [[Maltese language|language]], culture and traditions of Malta.<ref>J. Cassar Pullicino, "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', Malta University Press (1992), p. 70</ref> [[Algeria]]n legend claims that the ancestors of the present Maltese, together with the first Algerians, fled from their original homeland of [[Aram (Biblical region)|Aram]], with some choosing to settle in Malta and others in North Africa, which would suggest that the prototypical Maltese culture had [[Aramaean]] origins.<ref>E. Magri, ''Ħrejjef Missierijietna, Book III: Dawk li jagħmlu l-Ġid fid-Dinja'', no. 29 (1903), p. 19</ref> Another legend suggests that the Maltese are descended from shepherd tribes who fled [[Bethlehem]] in the face of an advancing enemy, set sail from [[Jaffa]], and settled in Malta.<ref>L. Cutajar, "X'Igħidu l-Għarab fuq Malta", ''Il-Malti'' (1932), pp. 97-8.</ref> There is also some evidence that at least one North African tribe, the Oulad Said, claim that they share common ancestry with the Maltese.<ref>G. Finotti, ''La Reggenza di Tunisi'', Malta (1856), pp. 108-9.</ref>
====Arab conquest====
A period of [[Arabization]] is said to have followed the conquest of Malta by the Arabs. However, it is difficult to trace a continuous line of cultural development during this time, since various historians have reported that the Maltese Islands were depopulated, or sparsely populated, following the Arab invasion of 870 CE. Some historians have speculated that the Maltese were decimated during the invasion, or carried off into slavery, or perhaps that they escaped to Sicily and elsewhere. According to the ''Rawd al-mi'ṭār fī khabar al-aqṭār'' ("The Scented Garden of Information about Places"),<ref>Ibn 'Abd al-Mun'im al-Himyarī, ed. Iḥsan 'Abbās (Beirut, 1975), cited in J.M. Brincat, ''Malta 870-1054: Al-Himyarī's Account and its Linguistic Implications'', Malta, 2d. rev. ed. (1995)</ref> after the capture of Malta by the [[Aghlabids]], the islands were left depopulated, wasted and abandoned (''"khirba ghayr āhila"''), visited by Arabs from time to time solely for the purpose of gathering honey and timber, and catching fish.
A small commune of Muslims from neighbouring [[Sicily]] refounded the city of [[Mdina]] in 1040. <ref>[http://www.hopeandoptimism.com/essay.htm D. Cutajar, "An Overview of the Art of Malta"]</ref> Up to two hundred years after the conquest of Malta by [[Roger I of Sicily|Count Roger the Norman]], there continued to be significant differences between the customs and usages of the inhabitants of Malta as compared to those prevalent in other parts of the [[Kingdom of Two Sicilies]]: ''"homines insularum ipsarum vivunt aliis moribus et constitutionibus, quam alii homines regni nostri Sicilie."''<ref>E. Winklemann, ''Ex Act. Imperii Ined. seculi XIII et XIV'', tom. I, pp. 713 et seq. (1880) Innsbruck; cited by J. Cassar Pullicino, in "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', (1992) Malta University Press, p. 71.</ref> The marble gravestone of an Arab girl named Majmuna (pr. ''My-moona''), found in the [[Xewkija]] area of [[Gozo]] and dating back to 1173, confirms that Arabs were still present in Maltese society in the years following the Norman invasion. It should be noted, however, that the population of Malta at that time amounted to no more than 1,119 households, of whom 836 were described as "[[Saracens]]".
Arab influence is evident in traditional Maltese architecture, in the names of many Maltese towns and villages, and in the [[Maltese language]].
====Slavery====
Semitic influences over Maltese customs and traditions are now believed to have continued unabated during the 268-year rule of the [[Knights of Malta|Knights of St. John]] over Malta, due in part to trade between the Knights and North Africa, but primarily due to the large numbers of slaves present in Malta during the 17th and 18th centuries: upwards of 2,000 at any given time (or about 5 per cent of the population of Malta), of whom 40-45 per cent were [[Moors]], and the remainder [[Turkish people|Turks]], [[Jews]] and [[Africans]]. The slaves were engaged in construction, in shipbuilding and repair, baking, the manufacture of armour, cloth and rope and the transportation of Knights and noble Maltese by sedan-chair. They were also occasionally permitted to engage in their own trades for their own account, including hairdressing, shoemaking, woodcarving, as water vendors and cooks, which would have brought them into close, and frequent contact with the local population in towns and villages. [[Holy Inquisition|Inquisitor]] Federico Borromeo ''(iuniore)'' reported in 1653 that:
<blockquote>
"[the slaves] strolled along the street of [[Valletta]] under the pretext of selling merchandise, spreading among the women and simple-minded persons any kind of superstition, charms, love-remedies and other similar vanities."<ref>A. Bonnici, "Superstitions in Malta towards the middle of the Seventeenth Century in the Light of the Inquisition Trials," in ''Melita Historica'', Vol. 4, No. 3, 1966, pp. 156-7.</ref>
</blockquote>
A significant number of slaves converted to Christianity, were emancipated, or even adopted by their Maltese patrons, granted permission to marry, and essentially integrated into the Maltese population, which may have further entrenched their native customs and beliefs into Maltese culture.<ref>G. Wettinger, cited by J. Cassar Pullicino, in "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', (1992) Malta University Press, pp. 71 and 72.</ref>
====Jewish presence====
{{main|History of the Jews in Malta}}
A number of Jewish families resided in Malta almost consistently from approximately 1500 BCE to the 1492 [[Alhambra Decree|Edict of Expulsion]], and again from the time of the [[Knights of Malta]] through to the present. This can be seen as yet another source of Semitic influence in Maltese culture.
According to local legend{{fact|date=June 2008}}, the earliest Jewish residents arrived in Malta some 3,500 years ago, when the seafaring tribes of [[Zebulon]] and [[Asher]] accompanied the ancient Phoenicians in their voyages across the Mediterranean. The earliest evidence of a Jewish presence on Malta is an inscription in the inner apse of the southern temple of [[Ġgantija]] in [[Xagħra]], which says, in the Phoenician alphabet: ''"To the love of our Father Jahwe"''. There is also evidence of a Jewish community on Malta during the Roman period, in the form of carved [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]]s the [[catacombs]] in [[Rabat, Malta|Malta]]. Members of the Malta's Jewish community are known to have risen to the highest ranks of the civil service during the period of Arab occupation, including the rank of [[Vizier]]. By 1240, according to a report prepared for Emperor [[Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick II]], there were 47 Christian and 25 Jewish families on Malta, and 200 Christian and 8 Jewish families on Gozo.
Unlike the Jewish experience in the rest of Europe, throughout the Middle Ages the Jews of Malta generally resided among the general population rather than in [[ghetto]]s, frequently becoming landowners. The Jewish population of Malta had flourished throughout the period of Norman rule, such that one third of the population of Malta's ancient capital, [[Mdina]], is said to have been Jewish.<ref>Godfrey Wettinger</ref>[[Image:Alhambra Decree.jpg|thumb|right|Alhambra Decree]]In 1492, in response to the Alhambra Decree the Royal Council had argued - unsuccessfully - that the expulsion of the Jews would radically reduce the total population of the Maltese Islands, and that Malta should therefore be treated as a special case within the Spanish Empire.<ref name="Tayar">Tayar, Aline P'nina: "[http://www.bh.org.il/Communities/Archive/Malta.asp The Jews of Malta]". Accessed January 5, 2007.</ref> Nonetheless, the decree of expulsion was signed in [[Palermo]] on June 18, 1492, giving the Jewish population of Malta and Sicily three months to leave. Numerous forced [[Religious conversion#Conversion to Christianity|conversions]] to Catholicism, or exile, followed. Evidence of these conversions can be found in many Maltese family names that still survive today, such as the families ''Ellul'', ''Salamone'', ''Mamo'', ''Cohen'', and ''Azzopardi''.<ref>E. Ochs and B. Nantet, [http://www.aboutmalta.com/grazio/juifsamalte.html "Il y a aussi des juifs à Malte"]</ref>
A new, but much smaller Jewish community developed under the rule of the Knights of Malta, but this consisted primarily of slaves and emancipated slaves. During this period, the Jews were frequently ordered to reside in Valletta's prisons at night, while by day they remained free to transact business, trade and commerce among the general population.
Traces of a significant Jewish presence on Malta can still be found in local place names, such as ''Bir Meyru'' (Meyer's Well), ''Ġnien il-Lhud'' (The Jew's Garden) and ''Ħal-Muxi'' (Moshé's Farm).<ref name="Tayar">Tayar, Aline P'nina: "[http://www.bh.org.il/Communities/Archive/Malta.asp The Jews of Malta]". Accessed January 5, 2007.</ref>
====National calamities====
Frequent national calamities - including loss of property, forced labour and enslavement - suffered by the Maltese from the 9th century through to the early 16th century due to [[piracy]] and raids of their islands, primarily at the hands of the [[Hafsids]] of [[North Africa]] and [[Barbary pirate|Turkish corsairs]] had a profound effect on Maltese culture. These incursions by Moslem Arabs and Turks naturally prompted the population to rely on the rest of Christian Europe for aid and relief, which contributed to the subsequent decline in the importance of the Semitic origins of Maltese culture and folklore and the ascendancy of Latin European influence on the island. The most recent, and arguably, most devastating of such incidents occurred in 1551, when the [[Saracens]], led by [[Dragut Reis]], raided [[Gozo]], taking almost the entire population of that island, some 5,000 inhabitants, away into slavery,<ref>See: [[Turgut Reis#Bey of Algiers|Turgut Reis]]. The subsequent repopulation of Gozo, undertaken by the [[Knights of Malta]] between 1565 and 1580, had a lasting impact on the unique culture and history of the sister island.</ref> and in 1565, when the [[Ottoman Empire]] again, led by Dragut, invaded and [[Siege of Malta (1565)|besieged]] Malta. Although the Knights and the Maltese were ultimately victorious against the Ottoman forces, victory came at a high cost: one third of the population of Malta is said to have perished in battle.
These dramatic incidents remain etched in the collective memory of the Maltese, and are reflected in some Maltese superstitions, beliefs, sayings and proverbs{{fact|date=June 2008}} including Maltese literature, with works such as Anton Manwel Caruana's ''Ineż Farruġ'' (1889) and the traditional ballad ''l-Gharusa tal-Mosta''<ref>''l-Gharusa tal-Mosta; Fatt li gara f'Malta fi zmien it-Tork'' (trans.'The Maiden of Mosta, a story of what happened in Malta during the Turkish years') [http://www.allmalta.com/ghana/fatti26.html AllMalta.com: The Home of Maltese Għana]</ref>, detailing the kidnap of a Maltese maiden by Turkish pirates. The poem is popularly included in Malta's [[għana]] repertoire.
=== Sources of Latin European influence ===
====Roman municipium====
From 218 BCE to 395 CE, Malta was under Roman political control, initially as a praetorship of [[Sicily]]. The islands were eventually elevated to the status of Roman [[municipium]], with the power to control domestic affairs, mint their own money, and send ambassadors to Rome. It was during this period that [[Saul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] was shipwrecked on the Maltese Islands and introduced Christianity. Few archeological relics survive in Malta today from the Roman period, the sole exception being the Roman Domus, just outside the walls of [[Mdina]]. From a cultural perspective, the Roman period is notable for the arrival in Malta of several highly placed Roman families, whose progeny form part of the Maltese nation today. These include the [[Testaferrata]] family (originally, "Capo di Ferro"), today one of Malta's premier noble families.
Whether the origins of Maltese culture can be found in the Eastern Mediterranean or North Africa, the impact on Malta of [[Punic]] culture is believed to have persisted long after the Island's incorporation into the [[Roman Republic]] in 218 BCE:
<blockquote>
''"...at least during the first few centuries of Roman rule, tradition, customs and language were still Punic despite romanization of the place. This is in agreement with what can be read in the [[Acts of the Apostles]], which call the Maltese "barbarians", that is using a language that was neither [[Greek language|Greek]] nor [[Latin]], but Punic."''<ref>Università degli Studi di Roma, ''Missione archeologica italiana a Malta: Rapporto preliminare della campagna 1966'', Rome (1967), p. 133.</ref>
</blockquote>
With the division of the Roman Empire, in 395 CE, Malta was given to the eastern portion ruled from [[Constantinople]], and this introduced several [[Greeks|Greek]] families to the Maltese collective, who brought with them various superstitions, proverbs, and traditions that linger within Maltese culture today{{fact|date=June 2008}}.
==== Catholicism ====
{{main|Religion in Malta}}
[[Image:Malta 25 Gozo.jpg|thumb|left|The dome of the Parish Church of St. John the Baptist dominates the skyline of Xewkija, Gozo]]It is said that in Malta, Gozo, and Comino there are more than 360 churches, or one church for every 1,000 residents. The parish church (Maltese: ''"il-parroċċa"'', or ''"il-knisja parrokjali"'') is the architectural and geographic focal point of every Maltese town and village, and its main source of civic pride. This civic pride manifests itself in spectacular fashion during the local village '''festas''', which mark the feast day of the patron saint of each parish with marching bands, religious processions, special [[Holy Mass|Masses]], [[fireworks]] (especially [[fireworks#Maltese petards|petards]]), and other festivities.
Making allowances for a possible break in the appointment of bishops to Malta during the period of Arab rule (869 to 1127 CE), the Maltese Church is frequently referred to today as the only extant [[Apostolic See]], other than [[Rome]] itself. According to tradition, and as recorded in the [[Acts of the Apostles]], the Church in Malta was founded by [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]] in 70 CE, following his shipwreck on these Islands. The earliest Christian place of worship in Malta is therefore said to be the cavern on the north-east of Malta, now known as St. Paul's Grotto, where St. Paul was reputedly imprisoned during his stay on Malta. There is evidence of Christian burials and rituals having taken place in the general vicinity of the Grotto, but these date back to no earlier than the 3rd century CE. Further evidence of Christian practices and beliefs during the period of Roman persecution can be found in the many [[catacombs]] that lie beneath various parts of Malta, including St Paul’s Catacombs and St Agatha’s Catacombs in [[Rabat, Malta|Rabat]], just outside the walls of [[Mdina]]. The latter, in particular, were beautifully frescoed between 1200 and 1480, although they were defaced by marauding [[Ottoman Empire|Turks]] in the 1550s. There are also a number of cave churches, including the grotto at [[Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa|Mellieħa]], which is a Shrine of the Nativity of Our Lady where, according to legend, [[St. Luke]] painted a picture of the [[The Madonna|Madonna]]. It has been a place of pilgrimage since [[medieval]] times.
The writings of classic Maltese historian, '''Gian. Francesco Abela''', are in large part responsible for the widely held belief that following their conversion to Christianity at the hand of [[Saul of Tarsus|St. Paul]], the Maltese somehow retained their ancient [[Punic]] language and their new Christian religion, despite 258 years of Moslem rule.<ref>G.F. Abela, ''Della Descrittione di Malta, (1647) Malta''.</ref> This was the dominant myth of Maltese identity, which survived largely unscathed until the 1960s. It is now recognized that Abela's writings were in part designed to assist the [[Knights of Malta]] in their efforts to win the hearts and minds of the Maltese, by demonstrating that Malta had been ordained by God as a "bulwark of Christian, European civilization against the spread of Mediterranean Islam."<ref>A. Luttrell, ''The Making of Christian Malta: From the Early Middle Ages to 1530'', Aldershot, Hants.: Ashgate Varorium, 2002.</ref> Modern historians now accept that Christianity largely disappeared from Malta under the Arabs and did not resume its role as the religion of the majority of Maltese until Norman rule over Malta brought mass immigration to Malta from Italy in the 12th and 13th centuries.
For centuries, leadership over the Church in Malta was generally provided by the [[Diocese]] of [[Palermo]], except under [[Charles of Anjou]], who caused Maltese bishops to be appointed, as did - on rare occasions - the Spanish and later, the Knights. This further enhanced Malta's cultural connections with [[Sicily]] and [[Italy]], and may have contributed to the entrenchment, from the 15th century to the early 20th century, of [[Italian language|Italian]] as Malta's primary language of culture and learning. Since 1808 all bishops of Malta have been Maltese.
As a result of the [[History of Malta#Norman period|Norman]] and [[History of Malta#Spanish period|Spanish]] periods, and the rule of the Knights, Malta became the devout [[Roman Catholic|Catholic]] nation that it is today. It is worth noting that the Office of the [[Spanish Inquisition|Holy Inquisitor]] had a very long tenure in Malta following its establishment in 1530: the last Inquisitor departed from the Islands in 1798, after the Knights capitulated to the forces of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].
==== The Normans ====
[[Image:Roger II Sicily.jpg|thumb|right|Under Roger II, King of Sicily, Arab influence over Malta was virtually eliminated]]The later years of [[History of Malta#Middle Ages|Norman rule]] over Malta brought massive waves of immigration to the Islands from both Sicily and from the Italian mainland, including Sicilian and Southern European clergy and notaries. [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]] became the sole written language of Malta, as evidenced by notarial deeds from this period, but this was eventually supplanted by [[Italian language|Tuscan Italian]], which became the primary literary language, and the medium of legal and commercial transactions in Malta. A large number of Sicilian and Italian words were adopted into the local vernacular.
Traces of [[Siculo-Norman]] architecture can still be found in Malta's ancient capital of [[Mdina]] and in [[Birgu|Vittoriosa]], most notably in the Palaces of the ''Santa Sofia'', ''Gatto Murina'', ''Inguanez'' and ''Falzon'' families.<ref>[http://www.victorborg.com/html/architecture_essay.html Victor Paul Borg, "Architecure," in ''A Rough Guide to Malta and Gozo'' (2001)]. Viewed online on February 10, 2007.</ref>
==== Spain ====
[[Image:Street in Valetta, Malta.jpeg|thumb|left|The wooden balconies and wrought-iron railings of Valletta]]Traces of the ascendancy of the [[Crown of Aragon]] in the Mediterranean, and Spanish governance over Malta from 1282 to 1530, are still evident in Maltese culture today. These include culinary, religious, and musical influences. Two examples are the enduring importance of the [[Spanish guitar]] (Maltese: ''il-kitarra Spanjola'') in Maltese folk music, and the enclosed wooden balconies (Maltese: ''gallerija'') that grace traditional Maltese homes today. It is also possible that the traditional Maltese costume, the [[Faldetta]], is a local variation of the Spanish [[mantilla]].
The Spanish period also saw the establishment of the [[Maltese nobility]], with the creation of Malta's oldest extent title, the [[Barony of Djar-il-Bniet e Buqana]] and numerous others. Under Spanish rule Malta developed into a feudal state. From time to time during this period, the Islands were nominally ruled by various Counts of Malta, who were typically illegitimate sons of the reigning Aragonese monarch; however, the day-to-day administration of the country was essentially in the hands of the local nobility, through their governing council known as the ''Università''.
Some of Malta's premier noble families including the ''Inguanez'' family, settled in Malta from Spain and Sicily during this time. Other Maltese families of Spanish origin include: ''Calleja'', ''Alagona'', ''Aragona'', ''Abela'', ''Flores'', ''Guzman'' and ''Xerri''.
The period of Spanish rule over Malta lasted roughly as long as the period of Arab rule; however, this appears to have had little impact on the language spoken in rural Malta, which remained heavily influenced by [[Arabic language|Arabic]], with Semitic [[morphemes]]. This is evident in Pietro Caxaro's ''Il-[[Cantilena]]'', the oldest known literary text in [[Maltese language|Maltese]], which was written prior to 1485, at the height of the Spanish period.
==== The Knights of St. John ====
The population of Malta increased considerably during the rule of the [[History of Malta#Knights of St. John|Knights]], from 25,000 in 1535 to over 40,000 in 1621, to over 54,463 in 1632. This was primarily due to immigration from Western Europe, but also due to generally improved health and welfare conditions, and the reduced incidence of raids from North African and Turkish [[corsairs]]. By 1798, when the Knights surrendered Malta to the forces of [[Napoleon Bonaparte]], the population of Malta had increased to 114,000.
The period of the Knights is often referred to as Malta's '''Golden Age''', as a result of the architectural and artistic embellishment of the Islands by their resident rulers, and as a result of advances in the overall health, education and prosperity of the local population during this period. Music, literature, theatre and the visual arts all flourished in Malta during this period, which also saw the foundation and development of many of the [[Renaissance]] and [[Baroque]] towns and villages, palaces and gardens of Malta, the most notable of which is the capital city, [[Valletta]].
Contact between the Maltese and the many Sicilian and Italian mariners and traders who called at Valletta's busy [[Grand Harbour]] expanded under Knights, while at the same time, a significant number of Western European nobles, clerics and civil servants relocated to Malta during this period. The wealth and influence of Malta's [[Maltese nobility|noble families]] - many of whom trace their ancestry back to the Norman and Spanish monarchs who ruled Malta prior to the Knights - was also greatly enhanced during this period.
Maltese education, in particular, took a significant leap forward under the Knights, with the foundation, in 1530, of the ''[[University of Malta#History|Collegium Melitensæ]]'', precursor to today's [[University of Malta]], through the intercession of Pope [[Clement VIII]]. As a result, the University of Malta is one of the oldest extant universities in Europe, and the oldest Commonwealth university outside of the [[United Kingdom]]. The '''School of Anatomy and Surgery''' was established by [[Grandmaster (order)|Grand Master]] Fra [[Nicolas Cotoner]] at the '''''Sacra Infermeria''''' in Valletta, in 1676. The ''Sacra Infermeria'' itself was known as one of the finest and most advanced hospitals in Europe.
==== Sicily and the Italian mainland ====
Located just 60 miles to the north, [[Sicily]] has provided Malta with a virtually continuous exchange of knowledge, ideas, customs and beliefs throughout history. Many modern Maltese families trace their origins to various parts of Sicily and Southern Italy. The geographic proximity has facilitated a considerable amount of intermarriage, cross-migration, and trade between the two groups of islands. It is likely that this was just as true during the period of [[History of Sicily#Arab period|Arab domination over Sicily]] as it has been since the [[History of Sicily#High Middle Ages|Norman liberation of Sicily]] in 1060 CE. Accordingly, it is difficult to determine whether some of the Semitic influences on Maltese culture were originally imported to Malta from North Africa, or from Sicily.
The Sicilian influence on Maltese culture is extensive, and is especially evident in the [[Maltese cuisine|local cuisine]], with its emphasis on olive oil, pasta, seafood, fresh fruits and vegetables (especially the tomato), traditional appetizers such as caponata (Maltese: ''"kapunata"'') and rice balls (''[[arancini]]''), speciality dishes such as rice timbale (Maltese: ''"ross fil-forn"''), and sweets such as the ''[[cassata]]'' and ''[[cannoli]]''.
Sicilian influence is also evident in many of the local [[superstitions]], in simple children's [[nursery rhymes]], and in the devotion to certain [[saints]], especially [[St. Agatha]]. Centuries of dependence on the Diocese of Palermo brought many Sicilian religious traditions to Malta, including the Christmas [[Nativity Scene|crib]] (Maltese: ''"il-presepju"''), the ritual visiting of several Altars of Repose on [[Good Friday]] (Maltese: ''"is-sepulkri"''), and the graphic, grim realism of traditional Maltese religious images and sculpture.
Ironically, despite Malta's rapid transformation into a strategic naval base during the [[History of Malta#British rule|British period]], the influence of [[Culture of Italy|Italian culture]] on Malta strengthened considerably throughout the 19th century. This was due in part to increasing levels of literacy among the Maltese, the increased availability of Italian newspapers, and an influx of Italian [[intelligentsia]] to Malta. Several leaders of the Italian [[risorgimento]] movement were exiled in Malta by the [[House of Bourbon#Later Bourbon monarchs outside France|Bourbon monarchs]] during this period, including [[Francesco Crispi]], and Ruggiero Settimo. Malta was also the proposed destination of [[Giuseppe Garibaldi]] when he was ordered into exile; however, this never came to pass. The political writings of Garibaldi and his colleague, [[Giuseppe Mazzini]] - who believed that Malta was, at heart, part of the emerging Italian nation - resonated among many of Malta's upper- and middle-classes.
==== French rule ====
[[Napoleonic Wars|French]] rule over Malta, although brief, left a deep and lasting impression on Maltese culture and society. Several of the [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Masters]] of the [[Knights of Malta]] had been French, and though some French customs and expressions had crept into common usage in Malta as a result (such as the expressions ''"bonġu"'' for "good day", and ''"bonswa"'' for "good evening", still in use today), Napoleon's garrison had a much deeper impact on Maltese culture. Within six days following the capitulation by Grand Master Hompesch on board ''l'Orient'', [[Napoleon Bonaparte|Bonaparte]] had given Malta a Constitution and introduced the Republican concept of ''Liberté'', ''Egalite'', ''Fraternité'' to Malta. Slavery was abolished, and the scions of Maltese nobility were ordered to burn their patents and other written evidence of their pedigrees before the ''arbre de la liberté'' that had been hastily erected in St. George's Square, at the centre of [[Valletta]]. A secondary school system was established, the university system was revised extensively, and a new [[Civil Code]] of law was introduced to the legal system of Malta.
Under the rule of General Vaubois civil marriages were introduced to Malta, and all non-Maltese clergymen and women were ordered to leave the Islands. A wholesale plundering of the gold, silver and precious art of Maltese churches followed, and several monasteries were forcibly taken from the religious orders. The Maltese were scandalized by the desecration of their churches. A popular uprising culminated with the "defenestration" of Citizen Masson, commandant of the French garrison, and the summary execution of a handful of Maltese patriots, led by [[Dun Mikiel Xerri]]. With the French blockaded behind the walls of Valletta, a National Assembly of Maltese was formed. Petitions were sent out to the King of the [[Two Sicilies]], and to [[Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson|Lord Nelson]], soliciting their aid and support. The French garrison capitulated to Nelson in [[Grand Harbour]], on September 5, 1800.
== British Malta ==
[[History of Malta#British rule|British rule]], from 1800 to 1964, radically and permanently transformed the language, culture and politics of Malta. Malta's position in the British Empire was unique in that it did not come about by conquest or by colonization, but at the voluntary request of the Maltese people. Britain found in Malta an ancient, Christian culture, strongly influenced by neighbouring Italy and Sicily, and loyal to the Roman Catholic Church. Malta's primary utility to Great Britain was its excellent natural harbours, and its strategic location, and for many decades, Malta was essentially a "fortress colony".[[Image:HMS Alexandra at Malta.jpg|thumb|left|Malta was an important link in Britain's naval routes across the Mediterranean]]
Throughout the 19th century, Malta benefited from increased defence spending by Britain, particularly from the development of the dockyards and the harbour facilities. The Crimean War and the opening of the [[Suez Canal]] further enhanced Malta's importance as a supply station and as a naval base. Prosperity brought with it a dramatic rise in the population, from 114,000 in 1842, to 124,000 in 1851, 140,000 in 1870, and double that amount by 1914. Malta became increasingly urbanized, with the majority of the population inhabiting the Valletta and the Three Cities. Ironically, Malta's fortunes waned during times of peace in the early 20th century, and again after [[World War II]], leading to massive waves of [[emigration]].
Although Malta remained heavily dependent on British military spending, successive British governors brought advances in medicine, education, industry and agriculture to Malta. The British legacy in Malta is evident in the widespread use of the [[English language]] in Malta today. English was adopted as one of Malta's two national languages in 1936, and it has now firmly replaced [[Italian language|Italian]] as the primary language of tertiary education, business, and commerce in Malta.
[[Image:Domen i Mosta.jpg|thumb|right|Parish Church of Sta. Marija Assunta (Mosta Dome)]]The British period introduced the [[Neoclassical architecture|Neoclassical]] style of architecture to Malta, evident in several palaces built during this period, in the [[Greek revival]] [[portico]] of the parish church of [[Rotunda of Mosta|Sta. Marija Assunta]] in [[Mosta]], and in the soaring spire of [[St Paul's Anglican Cathedral]] which, alongside the massive Baroque dome of a nearby Catholic church, dominates the Valletta skyline. [[Image:Malta 22 Mdina.jpg|thumb|left|Neogothic architecture in Mdina]][[Neogothic]] architecture was also introduced to Malta during this period, in the Chapel of Santa Maria Addolorata at Malta's main cemetery, and in the Carmelite Church in [[Sliema]]. Sliema itself, which developed from a sleepy fishing village into a bustling, cosmopolitan town during the British period, once boasted an elegant seafront that was famed for its [[Regency architecture|Regency]] style architecture, that was strongly reminiscent of the British seaside town of [[Brighton]].
==== Impact of World War II ====
Perhaps as an indirect result of the brutal devastation suffered by the Maltese at the hands of [[Mussolini]]'s Reggia Aeronautica and the [[Luftwaffe]] during [[History of Malta#World War II|World War II]], the United Kingdom has arguably replaced neighbouring [[Italy]] and [[Sicily]] as the dominant source of cultural influences on modern Malta. The '''[[George Cross]]''' was awarded to the people of [[Malta]] by King [[George VI of the United Kingdom]] in a letter dated [[15 April]] [[1942]] <ref> {{cite web | title=BBC:On This Day | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/april/15/newsid_3530000/3530301.stm| accessdate=May 22 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> to the island's Governor Lieutenant-General Sir [[William Dobbie]], so as to "bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people" <ref> {{cite web | title=Merlins Over Malta - The Defenders Return| url=http://www.merlinsovermalta.com/worldwar2/| accessdate=May 22 | accessyear=2007}}</ref> during the [[Siege of Malta (1940)|great siege]] it underwent in the early parts of [[World War II]]. The George Cross is woven into the [[Flag of Malta]] and can be seen wherever the flag is flown.
The "culture clash" between pro-British and pro-Italian elements in Malta reached its apex in February 1942, when British Governor [[William Dobbie|Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie]] ordered the deportation of 47 notable Maltese, including [[Enrico Mizzi]], leader of the [[Nationalist Party (Malta)|Nationalist Party]], and [[Arturo Mercieca|Sir Arturo Mercieca]], Chief Justice of Malta, who were suspected by the Colonial authorities of being sympathetic to the [[fascist]] cause. Their exile in [[Uganda]], which lasted until March 8 1945, was and remains a source of controversy among the Maltese.
==== British traditions in modern Malta ====
British traditions that live on in Malta include a relatively efficient civil service, a [[Armed Forces of Malta|military]] that is based on the British model, a [[Westminster System|Westminster-style]] parliamentary structure, a governmental structure premised on the [[rule of law]], and a legal system based on [[common law]]. Another British legacy in Malta is the widely popular annual [[Christmas]] [[pantomime]] at the [[Manoel Theatre]]. Most Maltese families have adopted [[turkey (bird)|turkey]] and [[Christmas pudding|plum pudding]] as Christmas treats in place of the more traditional Maltese [[rooster]] and [[cassata]].
Due to Malta forming a part of the British Empire in the [[nineteenth century|19th]] and [[twentieth century|20th]] [[century]], and a considerable amount of intermarriage having taken place during that time period, the existence of [[English people|English]] surnames is increasingly common. Examples include: ''Atkins'', ''Crockford'', ''Ferry'', ''Gingell'', ''Hall'', ''Hamilton'', ''Harmsworth'', ''Harwood'', ''Jones'', ''Mattocks'', ''Moore'', ''O'Neill'', ''Sixsmith'', ''Smith'', ''Strickland'', ''Turner'', ''Wallbank'', ''Warrington'' and ''Woods''. <ref>[http://help.com/wiki/Family_name/Malta], Family names </ref>.
== The impact of migration ==
Malta has always been a maritime nation, and for centuries, there has been extensive interaction between Maltese sailors and fishermen and their counterparts around the Mediterranean and into the Atlantic Ocean. More significantly, by the mid-19th century the Maltese already had a long history of migration to various places, including [[Egypt]], [[Tripolitania]], [[Tunisia]], [[Algeria]], [[Cyprus]], the [[Ionian Islands]], [[Greece]], [[Sicily]] and [[Lampedusa]]. Intermarriage with other nationals (especially Italians and Sicilians) was not uncommon. Migrants would periodically return to Malta, bringing with them new customs and traditions that over time have been absorbed into mainstream Maltese culture.
The extensive impact of migration on Malta is illustrated by the following statistics: in 1842, the total number of Maltese emigrants was estimated at around 20,000, or 15 percent of the population of Malta. These numbers increased steadily throughout the 1800s. The Maltese were distributed as follows:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! NUMBER OF MALTESE EMIGRANTS IN N. AFRICA<ref>Source: Mgr. Philip Calleja, ''Statistics and History of Maltese Migration Movements'', Study Session I of the Maltese Migrants' Convention (Malta), 1969.</ref>
|-
! Country
! Year - 1842
! Year - 1865
! Year - 1880s
|-
| '''Algeria''' ''([[Algiers]], Philipville and [[Bône]])''
| 5,000
| 10,000
| 15,000
|-
| '''Tunisia''' ''([[Tunis]])''
| 3,000
| 7,000
| 11,000
|-
| '''Egypt'''
| 2,000
| 5,000
| 7,000
|}
However, these early migration patterns were unstable, and repatriation occurred frequently. For example, many Maltese emigrants rushed back to their homeland due to an outbreak of [[Bubonic plague|plague]] in Egypt in 1835, and again in 1840 during the Anglo-Egyptian crisis (see: [[London Straits Convention]]).<ref>Mgr. Philip Calleja, ''Statistics and History of Maltese Migration Movements'', Study Session I of the Maltese Migrants' Convention (Malta), 1969.</ref> According to Pullicino:
<blockquote>
''"in spite of a certain amount of isolation there must have been a measure of adaptation by Maltese emigrants to local customs, food and dress. Besides, the frequent comings and goings of the Maltese in the 19th century must have facilitated the assimilation of at least some folklore material from North Africa that still needs to be identified."''<ref>J. Cassar Pullicino, "Determining the Semitic Element in Maltese Folklore", in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', Malta University Press (1992), pp. 73-4.</ref>
</blockquote>
There was heavy migration from Malta in the early 20th century, and again after [[World War II]] until the early 1980s; however the destinations of choice during this period tended to be more distant, English-speaking countries rather than the traditional, Mediterranean [[littoral]]. Over 10,000 Maltese settled in [[Australia]], [[Canada]], the [[United Kingdom]] and the [[United States]] between 1918 and 1920, followed by another 90,000 - or 30 percent of the population of Malta - between 1948 and 1967.<ref>[http://www.multiculturalcanada.ca/ecp/content/maltese.html The Multicultural Canada Project]</ref> By 1996, the net emigration from Malta during the 20th century exceeded 120,000,or 33.5% of the population of Malta.<ref>Source: [http://www.umsl.edu/services/govdocs/wofact96/161.htm The 1996 CIA World Factbook page on Malta]</ref>
In 1995, a section of [[Toronto]]'s [[The Junction|Junction]] neighbourhood was given the name "Malta Village" in recognition of the strong Maltese community that remains to this day. [http://www.torontosun.com/News/Columnists/Strobel_Mike/2006/09/23/1883629.html] It is believed to be the largest Maltese community in North America.
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! SUMMARY OF MALTESE MIGRATION PATTERNS (1946-1996)<ref>Source: [http://www.maltamigration.com/statistics/?s=4A624EE1-7D7101215028-ACE Malta Migration Museum Committee]</ref>
|-
! Country
! To
! From
! Net migration
! Return %
|-
| '''Australia'''
| 86,787
| 17,847
| 68,940
| 21.56
|-
| '''Canada'''
| 19,792
| 4,798
| 14,997
| 24.24
|-
| '''UK'''
| 31,489
| 12,659
| 18,830
| 40.20
|-
| '''U.S.A.'''
| 11,601
| 2,580
| 9,021
| 22.24
|-
| '''Other'''
| 1,647
| 907
| 740
| 55.07
|-
| '''Total'''
| 155,060
| 39,087
| 115,973
| 25.21
|}
Familiarity with the [[English language]] assisted Maltese migrants to assimilate in their adopted countries, and the incidence of intermarriage with foreigners is reputedly higher among Maltese emigrants than other ethnic communities. Extensive interaction between Maltese emigrants in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States, and their relatives in Malta, has further "westernized" Maltese culture. Many Maltese emigrants and second generation Maltese-Australians, Maltese-Americans and Maltese-Canadians returned to their homeland in the 1990s, and recent years have seen an increase in the number of foreign expatriates moving to Malta, especially British retirees. This has created an increasingly cosmopolitan environment in the towns and villages of Malta.
== The impact of telecommunications ==
{{main|Communications in Malta}}
The advent of [[radio]] and [[television]], and the steady increase in the availability of foreign newspapers and magazines throughout the 20th century has further extended and enhanced the impact of both [[Culture of the United Kingdom|British]] and [[Italian culture]] on Malta. Globalization and increased [[Internet]] usage (approx. 78.1% of the population of Malta as of Sept. 2005) is also having a significant effect on Maltese culture. As of December 22, 2006, Malta had the fourth highest rate of Internet usage in the world.<ref>[http://www.itu.int/home/index.html International Telecommunication Union]</ref>
==Education==
Education is compulsory between the ages of 5 and 16 years. While the state provides education free of charge, the [[Roman Catholic Church|Church]] and the private sector run a number of schools in Malta and [[Gozo]]. Most of the teachers' salary in Church schools is paid by the state. Education in Malta is based on the [[Education in the United Kingdom|British Model]].
==Religion==
{{main|Religion in Malta}}
Today, the Constitution of Malta provides for [[freedom of religion]] but establishes Roman Catholicism as the [[state religion]]. [[Freedom House]] and the ''[[World Factbook]]'' report that 98 percent of the Maltese profess Roman Catholicism as their religion, making Malta one of the most Catholic countries in the world. However, the [http://www.maltachurch.org.mt/Press/02006/SUNDAY_MASS_CENSUS_-_%20FINDINGS.pdf Sunday Mass Attendance Census 2005] commissioned by the [http://www.maltachurch.org.mt Church of Malta] reports that, as of 2005, only 52.6% of the population attended religious services on a regular basis.
==Languages==
{{Main|Maltese language}}
The national language of Malta is [[Maltese language|Maltese]], the only offical [[Semitic languages|Semitic language]] within the [[European Union]]. The [[Maltese alphabet]] is based on the [[Latin alphabet]], but uses the [[diacritic]]ally altered letters ''[[ż]]'', also found in [[Polish language|Polish]], as well as the letters ''[[ċ]]'', ''[[ġ]]'' and ''[[ħ]]'', which are unique to Maltese. The official languages are [[English language|English]] and Maltese. [[Italian language|Italian]], [[French language|French]] and [[German language|German]] are also widely spoken and taught in secondary schools, though the latter two less so.
==Literature==
{{Main|Maltese literature}}
====Diglossia====
The development of native, Maltese literary works has historically been hampered by the [[diglossia]] that has characterized the culture of Malta throughout its history. For many centuries, [[Maltese language|Maltese]] was the language of the kitchen and the workshop, while [[Italian language|Italian]] was the language of learning, literature, the arts, law and commerce.<ref>[http://www.aboutmalta.com/grazio/hebrew.html Lawrence Attard Bezzina, "Maltese and Hebrew: Two Cases of Cultural Survival"]</ref> Hence, until the early 20th century, the vast majority of literary works in Malta were written in Italian. In early Maltese history, diglossia manifested itself in the co-existence of an ancient [[Phoenician language]], and the language of a series of rulers, most notably, [[Latin]], [[Greek language|Greek]], [[Arabic language|Arabic]], [[Sicilian language|Sicilian]], [[French language|French]], [[Spanish language|Spanish]] and [[Italian language|Italian]], and from 1800 onwards, [[English language|English]]. The Maltese language today is heavily overlaid with [[Romance languages|Romance]] - and now, [[English language|English]] - influences as a result.
According to Prof. Oliver Friggieri:
<blockquote>
Maltese writers developed an uninterrupted local "Italian" literary movement which went on up to about four decades ago, whereas Maltese as a literary idiom started to coexist on a wide scale in the last decades of the 19th century. Whilst Maltese has the historical priority on the level of the spoken language, Italian has the priority of being the almost exclusive written medium, for the socio-cultural affairs, for the longest period. The native tongue had only to wait for the arrival of a new mentality which could integrate an unwritten, popular tradition with a written, academically respectable one.<ref>[http://www.aboutmalta.com/grazio/trendslit.html Prof. Oliver Friggieri, "Main Trends in the History of Maltese Literature"]</ref>
</blockquote>
====The emergence of Maltese literature====
The oldest known literary text in the Maltese language is [[Pietru Caxaro|Pietru Caxaro's]] poem, ''[[Cantilena]]'' (circa 1470 to 1485) (also known as ''Xidew il-Qada''), followed by Gian Francesco Bonamico's sonnet of praise to [[Nicolas Cotoner|Grand Master Nicolò Cotoner]], ''Mejju gie' bl'Uard, u Zahar'' ''(The month of May has arrived, with roses and orange blossoms''), circa 1672. The earliest known Maltese dictionary was written by Francois de Vion Thezan Court (circa 1640). In 1700, an anonymous Gozitan poet wrote ''Jaħasra Mingħajr Ħtija'' ''(Unfortunately Innocent)''. A Maltese translation of the [[Lord's Prayer]] appeared in Johannes Heinrich Maius's work ''Specimen Lingua Punicæ in hodierna Melitensium superstitis'' (1718). A collection of religious sermons by a certain Dun Ignazio Saverio Mifsud, published between 1739 and 1746, is now regarded as the earliest known Maltese prose. An anonymous poem entitled ''Fuqek Nitħaddet Malta'' ''(I am talking about you, Malta)'', was written circa 1749, regarding the uprising of the slaves of that year. A few years later, in 1752, a [[catechism]] entitled ''Tagħlim Nisrani ta' Dun Franġisk Wizzino'' ''(Don Francesco Wizzino's Christian Teachings)'' was published in both Maltese and Italian. The occasion of [[Maltese Carnival|Carnival]] in 1760 saw the publication of a collection of [[burlesque]] verses under the heading ''Żwieġ la Maltija'' ''(Marriage, in the Maltese Style)'', by Dun Feliċ Demarco.
A child of the [[Romanticism]] movement, Maltese patriot [[Mikiel Anton Vassalli]] (1764-1829) hailed the emergence of literary Maltese as "one of the ancient patrimonies...of the new emerging nation," seeing this nascent trend as: (1) the affirmation of the singular and collective identity, and (2) the cultivation and diffusion of the national speech medium as the most sacred component in the definition of the patria and as the most effective justification both for a dominated community's claiming to be a nation and for the subsequent struggle against foreign rulers. <ref>[http://www.aboutmalta.com/grazio/trendslit.html Prof. Oliver Friggieri, "Main Trends in the History of Maltese Literature"]</ref>
Between 1798 and 1800, while Malta was under the rule of Napoleonic France, a Maltese translation of ''L-Għanja tat-Trijonf tal-Libertà'' ''(Ode to the Triumph of Liberty)'', by Citizen La Coretterie, Secretary to the French Government Commissioner, was published on the occasion of [[Bastille Day]].
The first translation into Maltese of a [[biblical]] text, the [[Gospel of St. John]]. was published in 1822 (trans. Ġużeppi Marija Cannolo), on the initiative of the Bible Society in Malta. The first Maltese language newspaper, ''l-Arlekkin jew Kawlata Ingliża u Maltija'' ''(The Harlequin, or a mix of English and Maltese)'' appeared in 1839, and featured the poems ''l-Imħabba u Fantasija'' ''(Love and Fantasy)'' and ''Sunett'' ''(A Sonnett)''.
The first [[epic poem]] in Maltese, ''Il-Ġifen Tork'' ''(The Turkish [[Caravel]])'', by Giovanni Antonio Vassallo, was published in 1842, followed by ''Ħrejjef bil-Malti'' ''(Legends in Maltese)'' and ''Ħrejjef u Ċajt bil-Malti'' ''(Legends and Jokes in Maltese)'' in 1861 and 1863, respectively. The same author published the first history book in the Maltese language, entitled ''Storja ta’ Malta Miktuba għall-Poplu'' ''(The People's History of Malta)'', in 1862.
1863 saw the publication of the first [[novel]] in Maltese, ''Elvira jew Imħabba ta’ Tirann'' ''(Elvira, or the Love of a Tyrant)'', by the [[Neopolitan]] author, Giuseppe Folliero de Luna. Anton Manwel Caruana's novel, ''Ineż Farruġ'' (1889), was modelled on traditional Italian historical novels, such as [[Alessandro Manzoni|Manzoni's]] ''[[I promessi sposi]]''.
====Notable Maltese writers====
{{columns |width=150px
|col1 =
* [[Rużar Briffa]]
* [[Anton Buttigieg]]
* [[Ray Buttigieg]]
* [[Pietru Caxaro]]
* [[Ninu Cremona]]
|col2 =
* [[Francis Ebejer]]
* [[Henry Frendo]]
* [[Oliver Friggieri]]
* Alfons Maria Galea
* [[Guze Galea|Ġuzè Galea]]
|col3 =
* Herbert Ganado
* [[Emilio Lombardi]]
* [[Gioacchino Navarro]]
* [[Ġorġ Pisani]]
* [[Dun Karm Psaila]]
|col4 =
* Ġużè Cassar Pullicino
* [[Frans Said]]
* [[Alfred Grech]]
* [[Frans Sammut]]
* [[Mikiel Anton Vassalli]]
* [[Trevor Żahra]]
* [[Guze' Cardona]]
* [[Joseph Grima]]
}}
====Notable writers of Maltese descent====
* [[Trezza Azzopardi]]
==Visual arts==
====Theatre in Malta====
The theatres currently in use for live performances in Malta and Gozo range from historic purpose-built structures to modern constructions, to retrofit structures behind historic facades. They host local and foreign artistes, with a calendar of events that includes modern and period drama in both national languages, musicals, opera, operetta, dance, concerts and poetry recitals. The more notable theatrical venues include:
{{columns |width=400px
|col1 =
*'''[[St James Cavalier #The Centre for Creativity- Malta's Millennium Project|St. James Cavalier Centre for Creativity]]''', [[Valletta]]: Built as a raised gun platform at the entrance to the walled city c. 1565, retrofitted and inaugurated as a cultural centre on [[September 22]], [[2000]]
*'''Republic Hall''', [[Valletta]]: Built as the ''Sacra Infermeria'', the main hospital of the [[Knights of Malta]] in 1574, retrofitted and inaugurated as part of the multipurpose Mediterranean Conference Centre on [[February 11]], [[1979]]
|col2 =
*'''MITP''' (Mediterranean Institute Theatre Programme), [[Valletta]]: Housed in the ''Collegium Melitensæ'', c. 1592
*'''[[Manoel Theatre]]''', [[Valletta]]: Malta's National Theatre, inaugurated [[January 9]], [[1732]]
*'''Salesian Theatre''', [[Sliema]]: Originally known as ''Juventutis Domus'', inaugurated in 1908
*'''Astra Theatre''', [[Victoria, Malta|Victoria]], [[Gozo]]: inaugurated [[January 20]], [[1968]]
*'''Aurora Opera House''', [[Victoria, Malta|Victoria]], [[Gozo]]: inaugurated 1976
}}
====Art and Sculpture====
The '''neolithic temple builders''' [[39th century BC|3800]]-2500 BCE endowed the numerous temples of Malta and Gozo with intricate bas relief designs, including spirals evocative of the tree of life and animal portraits, designs painted in red ochre, ceramics, and a vast collection of human form sculptures, particularly the Venus of Malta. These can be viewed at the temples themselves (most notably, the [[Hypogeum]] and Tarxien Temples), and at the National Museum of Archaeology in [[Valletta]].
The '''Roman period''' introduced highly decorative mosaic floors, marble colonnades and classical statuary, remnants of which are beautifully preserved and presented in the '''Roman Domus''', a country villa just outside the walls of [[Mdina]]. The '''early Christian''' frescoes that decorate the [[catacombs]] beneath Malta reveal a propensity for eastern, [[Byzantine]] tastes. These tastes continued to inform the endeavours of '''[[medieval]]''' Maltese artists, but they were increasingly influenced by the [[Romanesque art|Romanesque]] and [[Southern Gothic]] movements. Towards the end of the 15th century, Maltese artists, like their counterparts in neighbouring Sicily, came under the influence of the School of [[Antonello da Messina]], which introduced '''[[Renaissance]]''' ideals and concepts to the decorative arts in Malta.<ref>[http://www.hopeandoptimism.com/essay.htm D. Cutajar, "An Overview of the Art of Malta".]</ref>
The artistic heritage of Malta blossomed under the [[Knights Hospitaller|Knights of St. John]], who brought Italian and Flemish [[Mannerist]] painters to decorate their palaces and the churches of these islands, most notably, [[Matteo Perez d'Aleccio]], whose works appear in the [[Grandmaster's Palace|Magisterial Palace]] and in the [[St. John's Co-Cathedral|Conventual Church of St. John]], and Filippo Paladini, who was active in Malta from 1590 to 1595. For many years, Mannerism continued to inform the tastes and ideals of local Maltese artists.<ref>[http://www.hopeandoptimism.com/essay.htm D. Cutajar, "An Overview of the Art of Malta".]</ref>
The arrival in Malta of [[Caravaggio]], who painted at least seven works during his 15-month stay on these islands, further revolutionized local art. Two of Caravaggio's most notable works, ''The Beheading of St. John the Baptist'', and ''St. Jerome'' are on display in the [[Oratory]] of [[St. John's Co-Cathedral]], [[Valletta]]. His legacy is evident in the works of local artists Giulio Cassarino (1582-1637) and Stefano Erardi (1630-1716). However, the [[Baroque]] movement that followed was destined to have the most enduring impact on Maltese art and architecture. The severe, Mannerist interior of [[St. John's Co-Cathedral]] was transformed into a Baroque masterpiece by the glorious vault paintings of the celebrated Calabrese artist, [[Mattia Preti]]. Preti spent the last 40 years of his life in Malta, where he created many of his finest works, now on display in the Museum of Fine Arts, in [[Valletta]]. During this period, local sculptor [[Melchiorre Cafà|Melchior Gafà]] (1639-1667) emerged as one of the top Baroque sculptors of the Roman School.
Throughout the 18th century, [[Neapolitan]] and [[Rococo]] influences emerged in the works of [[Luca Giordano]] (1632-1705) and [[Francesco Solimena]] (1657-1747), and local artists Gio. Nicola Buhagiar (1698-1752) and Francesco Zahra (1710-1773). The Rococo movement was greatly enhanced by the relocation to Malta of Antoine de Favray (1706-1798), who assumed the position of court painter to Grand Master Pinto in 1744.
[[Neo-classicism]] made some inroads among local Maltese artists in the late 18th century, but this trend was reversed in the early 19th century, as the local Church authorities - perhaps in an effort to strengthen Catholic resolve against the perceived threat of Protestantism during the early days of British rule in Malta - favoured and avidly promoted the religious themes embraced by the [[Nazarene movement]] of artists. [[Romanticism]], tempered by the naturalism introduced to Malta by [[Giuseppe Calì]], informed the "salon" artists of the early 20th century, including Edward and Robert Caruana Dingli.
A National School of Art was established by Parliament in the 1920s, and during the reconstruction period that followed the [[World War II|Second World War]], the local art scene was greatly enhanced by the emergence of the "Modern Art Group", whose members included Josef Kalleya (1898-1998), George Preca (1909-1984), Anton Inglott (1915-1945), Emvin Cremona (1919-1986), Frank Portelli (b.1922), Antoine Camilleri (b.1922) and Esprit Barthet (b.1919).
==Nightlife in Malta==
The long, warm summer nights of Malta lend themselves to a vibrant nightlife, which is at odds with Malta's traditional conservatism and the staunch Catholicism of older generations. '''Clubbing''' and '''pub-crawling''' - especially in the traffic-free zones of [[Paceville]] near [[St. Julian's]], and [[Buġibba]] - is a rite of passage for Maltese teenagers, young adults and crowds of tourists. Evenings start late and many clubbers continue the festivities into the early hours of the morning. Clubs frequently have large outdoor patios, with local and visiting DJs spinning a mix of Euro-beat, House, chill-out, R&B, hardcore, rock, trance, techno, retro, old school, and classic disco. Pubs, especially Irish pubs, are often the meeting place of choice for the start of a night of clubbing.
Laid back '''wine bars''' are increasingly popular among young professionals and the more discriminating tourists, and are popping up in the ''kantinas'' of some of the more picturesque, historic cities and towns, including [[Valletta]] and [[Birgu|Vittoriosa]]. They typically offer a mix of local and foreign wines, traditional Maltese appetizer platters, and occasionally, live entertainment.
Despite rapidly increasing tolerance and acceptance of alternative lifestyles, Malta offers its gay and lesbian locals and visitors less nightlife options than other Southern European destinations. With the exception of several staple bars (including ''Tom's'', Valletta and ''Klozett'', Paceville), '''gay bars''' in Malta have a tendency to pop up, relocate, and disappear from one summer season to the next. However, the local gay population is usually very much in evidence - and welcome - at the mainstream clubs of Paceville and elsewhere.
==Folklore and traditions==
Maltese folklore, traditions and legends still live in the minds of the older-generations, and these are slowly being studied and categorized, like any other European tradition. A number of national and international folklore [[festivals]] are undertaken on an annual basis, some of which are under the patronage of the National Folklore Commission and the [[Ministry (government department)|Ministry]] for Culture and the Arts. Notably, every December the Malta International Folk Festival is staged in [[Valletta]], with delegates from countries around the world.
==== Festas ====
Local [[festival]]s, similar to those in southern [[Italy]], are commonplace in Malta and Gozo, celebrating [[wedding]]s, [[Baptism|christenings]] and, most prominently, [[saints]]' days, honouring the patron saint of the local parish. On saints' days, the ''festa'' reaches its apex with a [[Mass (liturgy)|High Mass]] featuring a sermon on the life and achievements of the patron saint, after which a [[statue]] of the religious patron is taken around the local streets in solemn procession, with the faithful following in respectful [[prayer]]. The religious atmosphere quickly gives way to several days of revelry, band processions, [[fireworks]], and late night parties.
In the weeks leading up to a local ''festa'', the main streets around the parish are richly decorated, with brocade banners, ornate religious sculptures mounted on pedestals and, all around the ''zuntier'' ([[parvis]]) of the parish church, hawkers set up stalls stocked with traditional Maltese food and the local variety of [[nougat]]. The parish church itself is typically illuminated at night, although the ''fjakkoli'' (flaming lanterns) of yesteryear have been supplanted by bright-coloured electric bulbs.
Several ''festi'' take place in different towns and villages across Malta every weekend in the summer. Some of the seaside towns feature a unique and popular medieval game known as the '''''ġostra'''''. Although the word itself is derived from the Italian ''giostra'', Maltese ''ġostra'' has little in common with medieval jousting, and is in fact derived from the Neapolitan game of the [[Cockaigne#Traditions|Cockaigne]] pole. It involves a 10-metre long greased pole, mounted on a barge out in the bay, perched on a precarious angle out over the sea. Competing youths scramble up the pole, in an attempt to snatch a pennant, flag or other trophy from the top of the pole.
The Catholic Church in Malta has frequently expressed its disapproval of the excessive (and often, underage) drinking, and parochial rivalry, that have come to be associated with ''festi''.
====Band clubs====
Virtually every parish in Malta has a band club (Maltese: ''il-każin tal-banda''), and in some cases, two. The musicians are generally a lively combination of dilettantes and volunteers, with a sprinkling of professional or semi-professional players. The bands typically consist of [[woodwind]] and [[brass instruments]], and [[percussion]]. They are feature performers in the village ''festa'', accompanying the statue of the parish's titular saint with celebratory music. Their music is very similar to their Sicilian and Southern Italian counterparts.
Although drums and flutes are known to have participated in religious processions in Malta as early as the 16th century, today's Maltese band clubs are in fact a more recent introduction to Maltese culture, c. 19th century, at the height of British rule over Malta. The village bands were in part assembled in response to, and heavily influenced by, the [[marching bands]] of the British military. However, throughout the 1800s, Malta experienced a steady influx of Sicilian and Italian refugees and immigrants, fleeing from civil war or under sentence of exile, who stimulated and popularized the concept of a village band.
==== Weddings ====
Traditional [[wedding|Maltese weddings]] featured the bridal party walking in procession beneath an ornate canopy, from the home of the bride's family to the parish church, with singers trailing behind serenading the bride and groom. The Maltese word for this custom, ''il-ġilwa'', corresponds with an identical Arabic word, which is used to refer to a gift presented by a husband to his spouse.
This custom along with many others has long since disappeared from the Islands, in the face of modern practices. Today's couples are married in churches or chapels in the village or town of their choice. The nuptials are usually followed by a lavish wedding reception, often including several hundred guests. Occasionally, couples will try to incorporate elements of the traditional Maltese wedding in their celebration. A resurgent interest in the traditional wedding was evident in May 2007, when thousands of Maltese and tourists attended a traditional Maltese wedding in the style of the 16th century, in the Village of [[Żurrieq]]. This included ''il-ġilwa'' , which led the bride and groom to a wedding ceremony that took place on the parvis of St. Andrew's Chapel. The reception that followed featured folklore music (''[[għana]]'') and dancing.
==== Birth and childhood ====
Traditional Maltese proverbs reveal a cultural preoccupation with childbearing and fertility: "''iż-żwieġ mingħajr tarbija ma fihx tgawdija"'' (a childless marriage cannot be a happy one). This is a belief that Malta shares with many other Mediterranean cultures, most notably, [[Israel]], [[Palestine]] and [[Morocco]]. In Maltese folktales, the local variant of the classic closing formula, "and they all lived happily ever after" is "''u għammru u tgħammru, u spiċċat''" (and they lived together, and they had children together, and the tale is finished).<ref>Pullicino, ''supra'', at 208-9.</ref>
Rural Malta shares in common with Sicily, Morocco and traditional Jewish society a number of superstitions regarding fertility, menstruation, and pregnancy, including the avoidance of cemeteries during the months leading up to childbirth, and avoiding the preparation of certain foods during menses. Pregnant women are encouraged to satisfy their cravings for specific foods, out of fear that their unborn child will bear a representational birth mark (Maltese: ''xewqa'', literally "desire" or "craving"). Maltese and Sicilian women also share certain traditions that are believed to predict the sex of an unborn child, such as the cycle of the moon on the anticipated date of birth, whether the baby is carried "high" or "low" during pregnancy, and the movement of a wedding ring, dangled on a string above the abdomen (sideways denoting a girl, back and forth denoting a boy).
Traditionally, Maltese newborns were baptised as promptly as possible, partly out of fear of [[limbo]] should the child die in infancy, and partly because according to Maltese (and Sicilian) folklore an unbaptised child is not yet a Christian, but "still a Turk". Traditional Maltese delicacies served at a baptismal feast include ''biskuttini tal-magħmudija'' (almond macaroons covered in white or pink icing), ''it-torta tal-marmorata'' (a spicy, heart-shaped tart of chocolate-flavoured almond paste), and a liqueur known as ''rożolin'', made with rose petals, violets and almonds.
On a child's first birthday, in a tradition that still survives today, Maltese parents would organize a game known as ''il-quċċija'', where a variety of symbolic objects would be randomly placed around the seated child. These may include a hard-boiled egg, a [[Bible]], [[crucifix]] or [[rosary beads]], a book, and so on. Whichever object the child shows most interest in is said to reveal the child's path and fortunes in adulthood.
The items generally mean:
Money - A rich future.
Book - Intelligence and a teacher.
Pencil/Pen - A writer.
Bible/Crucifix/Rosary beads - A priest/nun.
Hard-boiled egg - Long life and a lot of children.
Scissors/Needle/Thread - A knitter.
Calculator - An Accountant.
Wooden Spoon - A Cook.
==== The weather ====
In rural parts of Malta and Gozo, locals engage in a curious form of weather forecasting in the days leading up to [[Christmas]]: from St. Lucy's Day, December 13, to Christmas Eve, December 24, cloud formations and weather conditions on each successive day are said to presage or approximate the weather conditions of one specific month of the following year. The signs observed on these twelve days are referred to as "the rules" (Maltese: ''l-irwiegel''). In this instance we can drawn an immediate parallel with a local Sicilian tradition and proverb: ''"Di li carènnuli si canusci l'annata - Li dudici misi di l'anni novu si cumincianu di li dudici jorna prima di Natali"''. Variations of this customs also appear in Normandy and in other parts of Northern Europe.<ref>J. Cassar Pullicino, "A New Look at Old Customs", in Studies in Maltese Folklore, Malta University Press (1992), p. 44-5.</ref>
==== Mnarja ====<!-- This section is linked from [[June 29]] -->
'''Mnarja''', or l-Imnarja (pronounced ''lim-nar-ya'') is one of the most important dates on the Maltese cultural calendar. Officially, it is a national festival dedicated to the feast of [[Saint]]s [[St. Peter|Peter]] and [[Saul of Tarsus|St. Paul]]. In fact its roots can be traced back to the pagan [[Roman Republic|Roman]] feast of ''Luminaria'' (literally, "the illumination"), when the early summer night of [[June 29]] was illuminated by torches and bonfires. A national feast since the rule of the [[Knights of Malta|Knights]], Mnarja is a traditional Maltese festival of food, religion and music. The festivities still commence today with the reading of the ''"bandu"'', an official governmental announcement, which has been read on this day in Malta since the 16th century. Originally, Mnarja was celebrated outside [[St. Paul's Grotto]], in the north of Malta; however, by 1613 the focus of the festivities had shifted to the [[Cathedral]] of [[Paul of Tarsus|St. Paul]], in [[Mdina]], and featured torchlight processions, the firing of 100 petards, horseraces, and races for men, boys and slaves. Modern Mnarja festivals take place in and around the woodlands of [[Buskett]], just outside the town of [[Rabat]].
It is said that under the Knights, this was the one day in the year when the Maltese were allowed to hunt and eat [[hare|wild rabbit]], which was otherwise reserved for the hunting pleasures of the Knights. The close connection between Mnarja and rabbit stew (Maltese: ''"fenkata"'') remains strong today. In 1854 British governor [[William Reid]] launched an agricultural show at Buskett which is still being held today. The farmers' exhibition is still a seminal part of the Mnarja festivities today.
Mnarja today is one of the few occasions when participants may hear traditional Maltese "[[għana]]". Traditionally, grooms would promise to take their newly- or recently-wed brides to Mnarja during the first of year of marriage and, for luck, many of the brides would attend in their full wedding gown and veil, although this custom has long since disappeared from the Islands.
==== Carnival ====
{{main|Maltese Carnival}}
'''[[Carnival]]''' (Maltese: ''il-karnival ta' Malta'') has had an important place on the cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been introduced to the Islands by [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Master]] [[Piero de Ponte]] in 1535. It is held during the week leading up to [[Ash Wednesday]], and typically includes masked balls, fancy dress and grotesque mask competitions, lavish late-night parties, a colourful, ticker-tape parade of allegorical [[float (parade)|floats]] presided over by King Carnival (Maltese: ''ir-Re tal-Karnival''), marching bands and costumed revellers.
==== Holy Week ====
{{main|Holy Week in Malta}}
Holy Week (Maltese: ''il-Ġimgħa Mqaddsa'') starts on [[Palm Sunday]] (''Ħadd il-Palm'') and ends on [[Easter Sunday]] (''Ħadd il-Għid''). Numerous religious traditions, most of them inherited from one generation to the next, are part of the [[Easter|paschal]] celebrations in the Maltese Islands, honouring the death and resurrection of [[Jesus]].
==Arts and Crafts==
==== Lace making ====
Traditional Maltese [[lace]] (Maltese: ''bizilla'') is [[bobbin lace]] of the [[guipure|filet-guipure]] variety. It is formed on a lace pillow stuffed with straw, and frequently features the eight-pointed [[Maltese cross]], but not necessarily. Genoese-style leafwork is an essential component of the traditional designs. Nowadays, Malta lace is usually worked on ivory-coloured [[linen]], although historically it was also worked on black or white [[silk]]. It is typically used to make tablecloths, placemats and serviettes, and is periodically featured in couture, and in traditional Maltese costume.
Lace making has been prevalent in Malta since the 16th century, and was probably introduced to the Islands at roughly the same time as in [[Genoa]]. Lace was included with other articles in a bando or proclamation enacted by [[Grand Master (order)|Grand Master]] [[Ramon Perellos y Roccaful]] in 1697, aimed at repressing the wearing of gold, silver, jewellery, gold cloth, silks and other materials of value.<ref>Ġużé Cassar Pullicino, "''Bizzilla'': A Craft Handed over by the Knights", in ''MALTA - This Month'' (September 1997).</ref>
There was a resurgence of lace-making in Malta around 1833, which has been attributed to a certain Lady Hamilton-Chichester.<ref>Mincoff and Marriage, ''Pillow Lace'' (1907)</ref> [[Queen Victoria]] is said to be particularly fond of wearing Malta lace. In 1839, Thomas McGill noted in ''A Handbook, or Guide, for Strangers visiting Malta'', that:
<blockquote>
"the females of the island make also excellent lace; the lace mitts and gloves wrought by the Malta girls are bought by all ladies coming to the island; orders from England are often sent for them on account of their beauty and cheapness."
</blockquote>
Malta lace was featured in [[The Great Exhibition]] held in [[London]] in 1881. Lacemaking is currently taught in Government trade schools for girls, and in special classes organized by the Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. Lacemaking is essentially a cottage industry throughout Malta and Gozo.
==== Filigree ====
Filigree work (Maltese: ''filugranu'') in gold and silver flourished in Malta under the rule of the [[Knights of Malta|Knights]]. This included gold and silver ornamental flower garlands (Maltese: ''ganutilja'') and embroidery (Maltese: ''rakkmu''). Filigree items that are ubiquitous in Maltese jewellery stores and crafts centres include brooches, pendants, earrings, flowers, fans, butterflies, jewelboxes, miniature ''dgħajsas'' (fishing boats) and ''karrozzini'' (horse-drawn cabs), the [[Maltese Cross]] and dolphins.
==Sports==
Throughout the 1990s, organized sports in Malta experienced a renaissance through the creation of a number of athletic facilities, including [[Ta'Qali Stadium|National Stadium]] and a basketball pavilion in [[Ta' Qali]], an Athletic Stadium and Tartan Track for athletics, archery, rugby, baseball, softball and netball at [[Marsa]], the National Swimming Pool Complex on [[University of Malta]] grounds at [[Msida#University of Malta|Tal-Qroqq]], an enclosed swimming pool complex at [[Marsascala]], a mechanized [[shooting range]] at [[Bidnija]], and regional sports complexes on [[Gozo]], and in [[Cottonera]] and Karwija.
In 1993 and again in 2003, Malta hosted the [[Games of the Small States of Europe]]. Since 1968, Malta has also hosted the annual '''Rolex Middle Sea Race''', organized by the [[Royal Malta Yacht Club]]. The race consists of a 607 mile route that starts and finishes in Malta, via the [[Straits of Messina]] and the islands of [[Pantelleria]] and [[Lampedusa]].
==== Football ====
{{Main|Football in Malta}}
Malta's "national" sport is [[football (soccer)|football]]. Many Maltese avidly follow [[English football league system|English]] and [[Italian Football League|Italian]] matches. Malta also has its own [[Malta national football team|national team]]; however, every four years the World Cup typically sees Maltese loyalties divided between the teams of [[England national football team|England]] and [[Italy national football team|Italy]], and a victory by either of these two teams inevitably leads to spontaneous, and very boisterous street parties and carcades all over the Maltese Islands.
==== Boċċi ====
Another common sport in Malta is a local variety of the game of [[bocce]] or boules (Maltese: '''''boċċi'''''). In Malta, the game is played on a smooth surface covered with coarse-grained sand, with teams of three players. Boċċi clubs are common throughout Malta, but also among the Maltese emigrant communities in Australia, Canada and the United States.
==== Waterpolo ====
Passion for [[waterpolo]] runs high in Malta and Gozo throughout the summer months. Prowess in this particular sport was the impetus for the foundation, in 1925, of a local Amateur Swimming Association, and Malta's first participation in the [[Olympic Games]], at the [[1928 Summer Olympics|IXth Olympiad]] in Amsterdam, 1928.<ref>[http://www.education.gov.mt/sport/olympic_committee_04.htm L. Portelli, "The Foundation of the Malta Olympic Committee"], visited January 6, 2007.</ref>
==== Horse racing ====
[[Horse racing]] has a long tradition in Malta. The popular, bareback horse races that take place annually on Saqqajja Hill, in [[Rabat, Malta|Rabat]] on June 29 date back to the 15th century. These races form part of the traditional celebrations of the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul (''il-Festa tal-Imnarja''), and were greatly encouraged by the [[Knights of Malta]], especially during the reign of [[List of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller|Grand Masters]] [[Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle|de Verdalle]] and de Lascaris-Castellar. The Knights took these races very seriously: Bonelli records a proclamation issued by the Grand Masters of the era, which threatened anyone caught interfering with or obstructing a racing horse with forced labour on board the galleys of the Knights.<ref>L. Bonelli, "Il Dialetto Maltese," in ''Supplementi periodici all'Archivio Glottologico Italiano'', Dispensa VIII, 1907, p. 16. Cited by J. Cassar Pullicino, in "Animals in Maltese Folklore," in ''Studies in Maltese Folklore'', ''supra.'', at pp. 195-6.</ref>The tradition was revived and strengthened after the [[First World War]] under British Governor, Lord [[Herbert Plumer, 1st Viscount Plumer|Plumer]]. The racecourse at [[Marsa]], which was founded in 1868, boasted one of the longest tracks in Europe, at one and three quarter miles. The first Marsa races were held on April 12 and 13, 1869.<ref>[http://www.maltaracingclub.com/history.htm Malta Racing Club - A Brief History], visited January 6, 2007</ref>
==Transportation==
{{Main|Transport in Malta|Malta bus}}
Car ownership in Malta is the fourth highest in Europe, given the small size of the islands. Like in the [[United Kingdom|UK]], traffic [[Driving on the left or right|drives on the left]].
The old [[Malta bus|Maltese bus]]es, formerly ex-British Armed forces vehicles, are Malta's main domestic mode of transportation. There has also been a railway in the past between [[Valletta]] and the [[Mtarfa]] army barracks.
A regular ferry system connects the two main Maltese islands, via the harbours of [[Ċirkewwa]] and [[Marsamxett Harbour|Marsamxett]] in Malta, and Mġarr in Gozo. There are also regular ferry services between the [[Grand Harbour]] and neighbouring Sicily. A busy cruise liner terminal has been developed on the Valletta side of Grand Harbour; however, Malta's primary connection to the outside world is its [[Malta International Airport|airport]] at [[Luqa]].
==LGBT==
{{main|LGBT rights in Malta}}
Although there is no official recognition of to gay marriage or civil unions, Malta nevertheless has a ban on anti-gay discrimination in employment, and the age of consent is equal for all at 18. There are quite a few gay clubs on the island, including 'Tom's Bar' in Floriana, which is the oldest gay club in Malta, and 'Klozett' in Paceville. The Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM), founded in 2001, is a socio-political non-governmental organisation which has as its central focus the challenges and rights of the Maltese lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.
== See also ==
{{columns |width=200px
|col1 =
* [[Architecture of Malta]]
* [[Għana (folk music)]]
* [[History of Malta]]
* [[Freemasonry in Malta]]
|col2 =
* [[Holidays in Malta]]
* [[Maltese language]]
* [[Maltese mythology]]
|col3 =
* [[Maltese people]]
* [[Maltese Italians]]
* [[Music of Malta]]
* [[Politics of Malta]]
}}
==References==
<references/>
{{Culture of Europe}}
[[Category:Maltese culture]]
[[Category:Maltese society]]
[[Category:European culture|Maltese culture]]
[[es:Cultura de Malta]]
[[fr:Culture maltaise]]
[[it:Cultura di Malta]]
[[fi:Maltan muinaiskulttuuri]]