Tag: Valletta

A photo of the facade of the church of St James - Valletta, Malta

St James’ Church, Valletta

St James' Church on Valletta's bustling Merchants' street never attracted my eye the same way the other churches in the city do. When I found out my ancestors married there so I thought I'd take a closer look at this historical building.
A photo of the Macchi C.200

The bombing of RAF Kalafrana

On 9 May 1942, at the tail end of the Siege of Malta, an unexpected switch in Axis tactics led to loss of life at one of Malta's airfields. This article describes the situation at that point, and the details of the men who lost their lives that day.
A photo of Maltese balconies - Valletta, Malta

The story behind a Maltese galleria

Maltese has adopted lots of Italian words over the years, much to the amusement of Italophones. It is rather curious then that some Italian words have a different meaning when used in Maltese. One of them is our word for balcony which is gallerija. Why don't we use the Italian word for balcony? How does a borrowed word's definition change so much?

HMS Orwell

In 1903, a British navy drill off Corfu ended disastrously when HMS Orwell collided with HMS Pioneer during a night exercise.
A photo of one of the cippi of Melqart - Louvre, Paris, France

The Maltese Rosetta Stone

The Cippi of Melqart, discovered in Malta, are priceless because they were the key to deciphering Phoenician script. This article explains who Melqart was, what cippi are and what this Maltese Rosetta Stone is all about.
A photo of HMS Marlborough, location unknown

Russian exiles in Malta

Mentioning exiled Russians these days suggests pro-Ukrainian protesters or anti-Putin demonstrators. Malta's reputation as a haven for Russians goes back more than 100 years before Putin's antics.
A photo of the Nibbia Chapel of Bones - Valletta, Malta

The Maltese chapel of bones

I’ve written about Czech ossuaries before, and I’ve visited the one in Paris, but few know there is a Maltese chapel of bones. Well, there used to be one anyway.
A photo of the plaque commemorating Portuguese help in the liberation of Malta - Valletta, Malta

Learn how Portugal helped Malta in its time of need

If you ask people how Malta fought against French occupation, most will talk about how the British helped the Maltese out. Few know that the Portuguese navy played the decisive part in this battle. This article sets the record straight.
A photo of the Central Bank - Valletta, Malta

The powerful Anglo-Egyptian Bank in Malta

In the 19th century an offshore British bank in Malta issued its own banknotes. It's unusual to think of a private company issuing banknotes, more so in a small country like Malta. This article explains why this bank did so and why it was in Malta.
A map of the Battle of Ferozeshah

The Battle of Ferozeshah

British forces fought wars all over India in the 18th and 19th century. Between tribal feuds, and the British, there were many sources of conflict. This article describes the Battle of Ferozeshah, and its small connection to Malta.