Wandering around Malta – Part 1

Basic information about the Republic of Malta

The Republic of Malta is an island state in the Mediterranean Sea that is comprised of three large and a few small islands, so it’s actually an archipelago, the main island of which is Malta, giving the name to islands as a whole. Despite the fact that the entire country’s area amounts to only 316km2, Malta is densely populated, which means almost half a million people are crowded in a small area, making it one of the world’s most densely populated countries. The majority of the inhabitants reside on the island of Malta, followed by the island of Gozo with a population of almost 40,000, while Comino – the smallest of the major islands – is home to only a handful of people. Malta has become a popular tourist destination in the last couple of years, and airlines, even the low-cost ones, have connected the country to many European cities, and even to Africa and the Middle East. The Maltese have their own language of the same name that is reminiscent of Arabic with added Italian and English, but the latter is also the official language, since Malta used to be a British colony until 1964. Plane tickets can be quite cheap, and add to that the pleasantly warm climate with snow-free mild winters and hot summers, as well as the fact that the country’s currency is the euro, then there’s no surprise that crowds of tourists flock to the islands. Unfortunately, though, Malta faced a huge decline of visitors last year.

Where the past meets the present

Despite its small size, Malta has a very rich history. That’s because it’s located in the Mediterranean Sea, approximately 80km south of Sicily and 290km north of Africa at the crossroads of important trade routes, so there’s no wonder this piece of land fell under the rule of so many different nations. Ancient peoples, the Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Carthaginians, the Romans, the Byzantines, the Arabs, as well as the Knights Hospitaller, the French, and the British – all of them left traces on the islands, which can still be seen to this day. It would truly be a shame to travel to Malta and spend the whole time lying on a beach without visiting the countless historical landmarks on the island of Malta, hopping to the more rural Gozo or swimming in Comino’s beautiful Blue Lagoon. If you want to explore the island it’s possible to rent a car, but it’s important to note that in Malta traffic drives on the left, which reflects its colonial history and can pose quite a few troubles to visitors, especially in the more densely populated areas with lots of narrow one-way streets. The high population density is the reason behind the lack of parking spots in urban areas, and parking prices are pretty high. Malta does, however, boast a very extensive public transport network. Buses drive to all corners of the country, even to Gozo, from the main bus station at the city gates in the capital of Valletta. The ticket will cost you 2 euros during high season and 1.5 euros during low season, which is very cheap. When I first visited Malta in 1999, old-fashioned buses were a great attraction, but now the bus fleet is very modernised, so you can only admire the old ones that we used for transportation in shops as souvenirs. Valletta is the first and last stop of all the bus lines, so in case you’re going to use the bus, it’s best to stay in the capital or somewhere nearby. Valletta, though, doesn’t have good beaches, so it’s best to spend the first couple of days in the capital and explore, and then find a hostel near a beach and simply enjoy. Well, let’s hit the road and explore the Maltese islands.

Valletta and the knights

Valletta is Malta’s capital city and, with a population of 7,000, also the European Union’s smallest capital, but it isn’t the country’s largest town. Valletta was strategically placed in the Sciberras Peninsula and built as a chessboard, which means the majority of the streets intersect at right angles. Valletta is also said to be the first planned city in Europe. It got its name from the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, de la Vallette, who, after the Turkish invasion in 1566, started constructing a new and greatly fortified capital, of course with substantial support from the then Pope Pius. At this point I must tell more about the Knights of Malta (known also as the Knights of Saint John, Knights of Rhodes, or Knights Hospitaller), who ruled the islands from 1530 to 1798 and made an indelible mark on Valletta and the entire archipelago. This Roman Catholic order of knights was founded in Jerusalem in the 11th century and its purpose was to protect the Holy Sepulchre as well as tend to the sick and the pilgrims. When the Muslims drove the knights out of the Holy Land, the latter first settled in Cyprus, then later on the Greek island of Rhodes, and when they were driven from there, they came into possession of the Maltese islands in 1530 where they stayed for more than 250 years. The Catholic military order was divided into eight “Tongues” or Langues based on regional and lingual belonging, and members lived in their own residences, known as “auberge”. Some of them have withstood the ravages of time and now serve as museums or seats of national authorities. Napoleon drove the Order from Malta, but it still exists to this day and its seat has been situated in Rome since 1834. Its official name is the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, but it’s commonly known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

A walk through the capital of Valletta

Apart from the Grandmaster’s Palace where Grand Masters – the leaders of the Order of Malta – used to reside, the capital’s other main attraction is the Co-Cathedral or St John's Co-Cathedral. It has quite an unusual name, but it’s the main Maltese cathedral and shares the seat of the Archdiocese of Malta with the building in Mdina. With the new title the cathedral in the capital attained the same rank as the one in Mdina. The Co-Cathedral, named after the patron saint of the knights, has a simple façade that gives no impression of its interior. It’s worth paying 15 euros for the admission fee to see the interior, richly decorated in the Baroque style, with its main attraction being Caravaggio’s the Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Valletta boasts many streets and squares that are surrounded by impressive architecture. The buildings are tall enough to give shade to the streets, and the straight streets enable the sea air to circulate. A tourist can get the most from Valletta simply by taking a walk down the city streets, observing the stone buildings with colourful wooden balconies. Some streets are very steep and others closed for traffic, but the city’s small size makes it impossible to get lost as you eventually always end up by the sea.

A stroll through Valletta is where I conclude my first article. In the next one, we’ll go and explore other parts of the island of Malta.