The Knights of St John Hospitalliers, soldiers, benign conquerors Originally from Rhodes, the knights of St John were offered Malta by King Charles I of Spain in 1530 at a “rent” cost of one falcon a year. They improved every aspect of the Maltese life: health, education, welfare. They polished the land till it gleamed, building palazzos and forts in lavish Italian and French styles and drawing to its sandy shores artists who learnt from the greatest masters of the time. One only has to gaze upon the interior of the Co-Cathedral of St John in Valletta to be swept away to a time of chivalry and opulence.In 1565 the Knights under Grand Master De Valette faced the wrath of …

Take a stroll on a balmy evening anywhere in Malta and the island’s history will speak volumes, oozing out of every crevice in its yellow limestone walls. The colorfully painted boats swaying gently with the warm breeze have an eye painted on either side, a tradition passed down generations. The thick stone walls have seen Christian soldiers from the order of the Knights of St John engaged in one of the fiercest religious battles Europe has seen. The street you just crossed however bears a Semitic name, while the greeting exchanged by the two elderly men in front of you sounded very much like French to you. Yes Malta’s history has much to do with the texture of this beautiful …