On the 26th October 2012 Prinsendam slowly entered the ancient harbour of Malta, threading her way into her dock situated between Valletta, the 'newer' city and Vittorioso, the older city bordering the port.
I took a Dghajsa, a gondola like row boat, to transit the harbour from Valletta , which is the main tourist hang out, to older Vittoriosa on the opposite side.
These dghajsas are flat bottomed, appear immensely 'tippable' and are powered by oarsmen, at least in the olden times. Now, the last 32 of them still plying the waters, down from about 1700 a few years ago, are powered by more or less modern outboards. The ancient outboard on my little conveyance only stalled twice at low revs, but we made it nevertheless without drifting into anything damaging.
The short journey illuminates the importance of this ancient maritime stronghold. Fortresses surround it, immense thick walls rise to dizzying heights, rocky caves and tunnels underneath the massive walls and through the lime stone rock served as escape routes for bishops and knights, shelter from World War bombs, and smugglers routes - depending on the era. Huge iron bollards still show remnants of enormous chains which were strung across the harbour as anti submarine curtains. They were adjusted within the harbour depths of 170 meters to allow passage of friendly marine traffic, and lowered to prevent enemy submarines from entering.
The tradition of the Knights of St John, established in 1530, of helping the sick and weak remains, as ancient hospitals still rise from fortress walls. However, outside of the walls and hospitals on the narrow rocky foreshore, are barrel like stone structures, which served as quarantine locations for patients with skin diseases (they were treated to salt water baths) and storage for perishable medicines. Pre-refrigeration days made these dank and shaded 'bunkers' a viable option for keeping things cool.
After an explosion of a large fuel tanker in the Nineties, any oil carriers entering Malta Harbour are washed before allowed to enter the inner harbour. There is a little trick to this, however. International tankers hover outside the harbour limits, and are refuelled by 'ferry tankers' shuttling the cargo to the waiting ships, thus avoiding the expensive cleaning process and harbour taxes and fees.
Out there, barely in view of St Elmo Castle and Fort Sant Angelo the tankers jockey for room amongst the many fish farms, a controversial novelty for Malta.
An old light house on a small island (now connected by a causeway to Vittoriosa proper) at the harbour entrance has replaced even older gallows. In the good old days, criminals were hanged out here for all to see and for weeks after - for all to smell until they disintegrated.
Malta, and especially Vittoriosa, dates back to the Stone Age, Phoenicians colonized it in 1000BC, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans all occupied it, and Napoleon had a kick at it in 1798, but Horatio Nelson of Britain put a stop to that in 1799. Finally in 1964 Malta achieved independence, but remains on friendly footing with Britain.
The Maltese language has retained its standing as an officially recognized European language, and it is a tightly knit blend of Semitic, Arabic and Greek origin. Luckily English is still the second official language, and communication is easy.
Most of us know about Malta in connection with the Knights of St. John, or the Knights of Malta.
Wealthy noblemen originating from various European regions, way before they Euro Zone ever came into being, formed a religious order around 1080 in Jerusalem, even before the Crusades. They gathered from Germany, Italy, France, the Provence, Anglo-Bavaria, Auvergne, Aragon, Castille, Leon and Portugal to aid pilgrims to the Holy Land. They were expelled from Jerusalem and moved via a short stay in Rhodes to Malta, which was given to the Order in 1530 by King Charles V of Spain.
Their Patron Saint is John the Baptist, more of him in a blog about Valletta...
However, their first 'auberges', hospices and residences were set up in Vittoriosa, where they have been preserved for posterity and maintain their appearance of military simplicity, as opposed to the more flamboyant Baroque edifices in Valletta.
The Knights had sworn to celibacy, however, being very rich, very powerful, probably healthy and good looking, well mounted and dressed discreetly chose mistresses, who lived charmed lives in the shadow of their devoted lovers. Many Maltese names, who contain a 'de' such as 'de Bono' trace their origins to these clandestine family situations. There are only 16 'noble blood' families in Malta, but all of them have numerous 'second cousins'.
Legitimate or not, male children were preferred offspring in the early years. The first male child inherited the family fortune, the second served as a 'spare' heir, and all after that entered the church or a holy order. Female children were a bother. Parents had to either marry them off to appropriately chosen husbands, or sent them off to a convent.
To this day, Maltese convents harbour many nuns, some of which are sworn to seclusion and silence and only leave their convent to vote in national elections. Otherwise they never emerge from the convent walls....talking about barbaric customs in the Middle East and women being kept locked up inside their homes. Western customs still seem to adhere to similar traditions....
The main cathedral in Vittoriosa is dedicated San Orlando, St. Lawrence. Another of the hundreds of Christian martyrs whose relics are revered in as many or more cathedrals, basilicas and churches around the world. In 258 AD, St. Lawrence was sentenced to being barbecued alive over a slow fire, and many gory and glorious paintings depict his fate in meticulous and artistic detail.
10 August each year, a local statue of the Saint, whose solid silver pedestal alone weights 60kgs, is carried through the winding alleys of Vittoriosa. A festival lasting several days keeps everybody barbecuing sardines. But, one lone Saint's festival does not sate the local appetite for partying, and 31 more fiestas are staged annualy in Vittoriosa alone, supported by about 1000 pyrotechnicians. Ancient 'Band Clubs' organise these revelries under the guise of religious obeisances, however, what's inside the church is religion, and what is outside is beer and noise. Residents are not amused...except for the participants and tourists, of course.
To show an example of medieval hygiene considerations...Vittoriosa's community owned large herds of goats. But, to keep things neat and clean, every household was allowed to chose one of them, and then was assigned the right to keep and feed it exclusively, thus keeping feeding and milking practices under their personal control. Although milk was unpasteurised, chance for pollution was minimized, so was the chance for dilution milk with water, a habit of unscrupulous vendors..
One of the remnants of these times are the boxed in balconies which adorn house frontages. They gave shade to the interior in summer, as well as a 180 degree view (a window is much more restricted) and a chance to chat with the neighbours across narrow streets and alleys without leaving the house. Voyerism was rampant of course, as God sees All, but the neighbours see MORE.
The house of the executioner is still recognizable, a relief of two fearful looking axes are carved into the dintels of the windows in the ancient stone walls of his home.
The Knights settled here in 1530, and by 1574 the Inquisition followed. There were three distinct segments of the Inquisition: Medieval, Spanish and Roman. Malta adhered to the 'Roman' version, which was concerned with opposing the spread of Protestant ideas, as well as blasphemy, converting or belonging to Islam, bigamy and magical beliefs. In Vittoriosa one may enter the preserved Inquisitor's palace, and inspect the elegant living quarters as well as the prison court yard complete with prisoner's graffiti, the communal and penitentiary cells, as well as the tribunal. The latter is a convincing example of early applied psychology. A small room, darkly furnished with an elaborate elevated throne for the Inquisitor, flanked by a desk and arm chair for the scribe and focused on a small four legged stool, which was were the prisoner sat gazing up to his judge. Prisoners on their way to the tribunal passed through a small stone passage beside the gallows (to show what may await them and thus mentally intimidating them) and then had to enter through a waist high stark opening in the chamber's stone wall, forcing them from their very entrance to assume a bowed and submissive posture. No witnesses attended the trials.
Malta is said to practice a rather 'benign' inquisition, torture was rarely used and consisted of tying the accused hands behind his or her back, then lifting them repeatedly off the ground - dislocated shoulders ensued. Hour clocks supposedly put a definite end to the duration of each treatment...
Apparently being a Malta Inquisitor was a promising career move, as out of 62 inquisitors, twenty seven became cardinals, and two became Popes (Alexander VII and Innocent VIII)
1798 the British took the palace over to use as a Mess Hall for officers, and they definitely left it in a mess by the time Malta public took it over in 1966. In 1955 it opened as a museum as we see it today.
Vittoriosa with it's fortified bastions, castles etc etc presents an excellent example of old war tactics, where soldiers still fought almost nose to nose and eyeball to eyeball. Fortifications can only be entered through massive and skillfully offset portals to never present a straight forward line of attack, all approaches are built on uphill slopes so the enemy had to fight 'an uphill battle', and the last line of defense, the Elite, was made up of left handers, as they carried the surprise factor by confronting the opponent from unusual angles.
Although Valetta is usually the destination of choice, Vittoriosa offers an eclectic mix of ancient history and modern life. A residential district like a 'suburb' to bustling Valletta, as well as a monument to old history, it has not yet been over run by masses of tourists and retains a quiet and serene character.
Well, next year regular Dghajsa ferry services from multiple pick up points on both sides will be initiated in Malta, probably increasing the present small fleet of 32 boats to possibly 1700 of them after the new 'licensing' of Dghajsas takes effect and forgotten vessels will be restored to their former duty.
I took a Dghajsa, a gondola like row boat, to transit the harbour from Valletta , which is the main tourist hang out, to older Vittoriosa on the opposite side.
These dghajsas are flat bottomed, appear immensely 'tippable' and are powered by oarsmen, at least in the olden times. Now, the last 32 of them still plying the waters, down from about 1700 a few years ago, are powered by more or less modern outboards. The ancient outboard on my little conveyance only stalled twice at low revs, but we made it nevertheless without drifting into anything damaging.
 |
| Bomb shelter and escape routes at bottom of cliffs and walls |
The short journey illuminates the importance of this ancient maritime stronghold. Fortresses surround it, immense thick walls rise to dizzying heights, rocky caves and tunnels underneath the massive walls and through the lime stone rock served as escape routes for bishops and knights, shelter from World War bombs, and smugglers routes - depending on the era. Huge iron bollards still show remnants of enormous chains which were strung across the harbour as anti submarine curtains. They were adjusted within the harbour depths of 170 meters to allow passage of friendly marine traffic, and lowered to prevent enemy submarines from entering.
Cold storage and quarantine rooms of hospital above the wall
The tradition of the Knights of St John, established in 1530, of helping the sick and weak remains, as ancient hospitals still rise from fortress walls. However, outside of the walls and hospitals on the narrow rocky foreshore, are barrel like stone structures, which served as quarantine locations for patients with skin diseases (they were treated to salt water baths) and storage for perishable medicines. Pre-refrigeration days made these dank and shaded 'bunkers' a viable option for keeping things cool.
 |
| Fuel tanker being washed |
After an explosion of a large fuel tanker in the Nineties, any oil carriers entering Malta Harbour are washed before allowed to enter the inner harbour. There is a little trick to this, however. International tankers hover outside the harbour limits, and are refuelled by 'ferry tankers' shuttling the cargo to the waiting ships, thus avoiding the expensive cleaning process and harbour taxes and fees.
Out there, barely in view of St Elmo Castle and Fort Sant Angelo the tankers jockey for room amongst the many fish farms, a controversial novelty for Malta.
An old light house on a small island (now connected by a causeway to Vittoriosa proper) at the harbour entrance has replaced even older gallows. In the good old days, criminals were hanged out here for all to see and for weeks after - for all to smell until they disintegrated.
Malta, and especially Vittoriosa, dates back to the Stone Age, Phoenicians colonized it in 1000BC, Greeks, Romans, Arabs and Normans all occupied it, and Napoleon had a kick at it in 1798, but Horatio Nelson of Britain put a stop to that in 1799. Finally in 1964 Malta achieved independence, but remains on friendly footing with Britain.
The Maltese language has retained its standing as an officially recognized European language, and it is a tightly knit blend of Semitic, Arabic and Greek origin. Luckily English is still the second official language, and communication is easy.
Most of us know about Malta in connection with the Knights of St. John, or the Knights of Malta.
Wealthy noblemen originating from various European regions, way before they Euro Zone ever came into being, formed a religious order around 1080 in Jerusalem, even before the Crusades. They gathered from Germany, Italy, France, the Provence, Anglo-Bavaria, Auvergne, Aragon, Castille, Leon and Portugal to aid pilgrims to the Holy Land. They were expelled from Jerusalem and moved via a short stay in Rhodes to Malta, which was given to the Order in 1530 by King Charles V of Spain.
Their Patron Saint is John the Baptist, more of him in a blog about Valletta...
However, their first 'auberges', hospices and residences were set up in Vittoriosa, where they have been preserved for posterity and maintain their appearance of military simplicity, as opposed to the more flamboyant Baroque edifices in Valletta.
The Knights had sworn to celibacy, however, being very rich, very powerful, probably healthy and good looking, well mounted and dressed discreetly chose mistresses, who lived charmed lives in the shadow of their devoted lovers. Many Maltese names, who contain a 'de' such as 'de Bono' trace their origins to these clandestine family situations. There are only 16 'noble blood' families in Malta, but all of them have numerous 'second cousins'.
Legitimate or not, male children were preferred offspring in the early years. The first male child inherited the family fortune, the second served as a 'spare' heir, and all after that entered the church or a holy order. Female children were a bother. Parents had to either marry them off to appropriately chosen husbands, or sent them off to a convent.
To this day, Maltese convents harbour many nuns, some of which are sworn to seclusion and silence and only leave their convent to vote in national elections. Otherwise they never emerge from the convent walls....talking about barbaric customs in the Middle East and women being kept locked up inside their homes. Western customs still seem to adhere to similar traditions....
The main cathedral in Vittoriosa is dedicated San Orlando, St. Lawrence. Another of the hundreds of Christian martyrs whose relics are revered in as many or more cathedrals, basilicas and churches around the world. In 258 AD, St. Lawrence was sentenced to being barbecued alive over a slow fire, and many gory and glorious paintings depict his fate in meticulous and artistic detail.
10 August each year, a local statue of the Saint, whose solid silver pedestal alone weights 60kgs, is carried through the winding alleys of Vittoriosa. A festival lasting several days keeps everybody barbecuing sardines. But, one lone Saint's festival does not sate the local appetite for partying, and 31 more fiestas are staged annualy in Vittoriosa alone, supported by about 1000 pyrotechnicians. Ancient 'Band Clubs' organise these revelries under the guise of religious obeisances, however, what's inside the church is religion, and what is outside is beer and noise. Residents are not amused...except for the participants and tourists, of course.
To show an example of medieval hygiene considerations...Vittoriosa's community owned large herds of goats. But, to keep things neat and clean, every household was allowed to chose one of them, and then was assigned the right to keep and feed it exclusively, thus keeping feeding and milking practices under their personal control. Although milk was unpasteurised, chance for pollution was minimized, so was the chance for dilution milk with water, a habit of unscrupulous vendors..
One of the remnants of these times are the boxed in balconies which adorn house frontages. They gave shade to the interior in summer, as well as a 180 degree view (a window is much more restricted) and a chance to chat with the neighbours across narrow streets and alleys without leaving the house. Voyerism was rampant of course, as God sees All, but the neighbours see MORE.
The house of the executioner is still recognizable, a relief of two fearful looking axes are carved into the dintels of the windows in the ancient stone walls of his home.
The Knights settled here in 1530, and by 1574 the Inquisition followed. There were three distinct segments of the Inquisition: Medieval, Spanish and Roman. Malta adhered to the 'Roman' version, which was concerned with opposing the spread of Protestant ideas, as well as blasphemy, converting or belonging to Islam, bigamy and magical beliefs. In Vittoriosa one may enter the preserved Inquisitor's palace, and inspect the elegant living quarters as well as the prison court yard complete with prisoner's graffiti, the communal and penitentiary cells, as well as the tribunal. The latter is a convincing example of early applied psychology. A small room, darkly furnished with an elaborate elevated throne for the Inquisitor, flanked by a desk and arm chair for the scribe and focused on a small four legged stool, which was were the prisoner sat gazing up to his judge. Prisoners on their way to the tribunal passed through a small stone passage beside the gallows (to show what may await them and thus mentally intimidating them) and then had to enter through a waist high stark opening in the chamber's stone wall, forcing them from their very entrance to assume a bowed and submissive posture. No witnesses attended the trials.
Malta is said to practice a rather 'benign' inquisition, torture was rarely used and consisted of tying the accused hands behind his or her back, then lifting them repeatedly off the ground - dislocated shoulders ensued. Hour clocks supposedly put a definite end to the duration of each treatment...
Apparently being a Malta Inquisitor was a promising career move, as out of 62 inquisitors, twenty seven became cardinals, and two became Popes (Alexander VII and Innocent VIII)
1798 the British took the palace over to use as a Mess Hall for officers, and they definitely left it in a mess by the time Malta public took it over in 1966. In 1955 it opened as a museum as we see it today.
Vittoriosa with it's fortified bastions, castles etc etc presents an excellent example of old war tactics, where soldiers still fought almost nose to nose and eyeball to eyeball. Fortifications can only be entered through massive and skillfully offset portals to never present a straight forward line of attack, all approaches are built on uphill slopes so the enemy had to fight 'an uphill battle', and the last line of defense, the Elite, was made up of left handers, as they carried the surprise factor by confronting the opponent from unusual angles.
Although Valetta is usually the destination of choice, Vittoriosa offers an eclectic mix of ancient history and modern life. A residential district like a 'suburb' to bustling Valletta, as well as a monument to old history, it has not yet been over run by masses of tourists and retains a quiet and serene character.
Well, next year regular Dghajsa ferry services from multiple pick up points on both sides will be initiated in Malta, probably increasing the present small fleet of 32 boats to possibly 1700 of them after the new 'licensing' of Dghajsas takes effect and forgotten vessels will be restored to their former duty.
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| Light House on Vittoriosa, Malta, where gallows aired the hanged for weeks on end |
