The Maltese Islands & the Sea

The

Maltese Islands the Sea

EDITED BY

TIMMY GAMBIN

TIMMY GAMBIN has been Senior Lecturer in Maritime Archaeology in the Department of Classics and Archaeology, University of Malta, since 2012. He graduated in History from this University and went on to attain his Masters in Maritime Archaeology and History from the University of Bristol where he also got his doctorate in Maritime Archaeology. Dr Gambin has been involved in numerous collaborative research projects. These include the PaleoMed Project with the CNRS (Aix en Provence) which is aimed at the reconstruction of ancient coastal landscapes and environments of the Maltese Islands.

The Ancient Cisterns Project with CalPoly and Harvey Mudd Colleges (USA) explores underground water management systems through the use of small remote operated vehicles armed with a variety of sensors. He has also co-directed numerous offshore underwater surveys in various parts of the Mediterranean including Spain, Italy and Croatia.

Currently, he is working on the exploration and study of the Phoenician shipwreck discovered off Gozo.

6 Strait Street, Valletta, Malta Tel: +356 2149 7046 Fax: +356 2149 6904 www.midseabooks.com

The

Maltese Islands the Sea EDITED BY

TIMMY GAMBIN ASSISTED BY

ANTHONY BURGESS

Published by Midsea Books Ltd. 6 Strait Street, Valletta, Malta Tel: +356 2149 7046 Fax: +356 2149 6904 www.midseabooks.com

Copyright Š Literary, Timmy Gambin, the authors 2015 Copyright Š Editorial, Midsea Books Ltd 2015 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous written permission of the author.

First published in 2015

Produced by Mizzi Design and Graphic Services Ltd Printed in Malta

ISBN: 978-99932-7-551-0

Contents

The Maltese Islands and the Sea in Antiquity Timmy Gambin 1 Maritime activity between Malta, Sicily and North Africa in the Late Middle Ages Mark Aloisio 21 Motley lots on liminal islands of an Order Frank Theuma 31 Riding the crest of the wave An overview of the maritime history of Malta in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Carmel Vassallo

67

The charting of Maltese waters Albert Ganado 115 Ship graffiti on Maltese churches: A photographic essay of sacred maritime iconography Timmy Gambin

129

Maltese traditional wooden boats Charles Pulè 159

A history of the fishing industry in Malta Stanley Farrugia Randon 173 Evolution of fishing methods Stanley Farrugia Randon 187 Some folkloristic aspects of the sea Guido Lanfranco 197 Bibliography 221 Index 227

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA IN ANTIQUITY

Introduction

TIMMY GAMBIN

THE ONE INESCAPABLE FACT OF LIVING ON AN ISLAND is that islanders are surrounded by sea. Whether one has direct interaction with the sea or not there is no escaping its presence in everyday island life. Over ninety percent of all goods that we consume on a daily basis have, at some point or other, travelled across some stretch of sea or other.

In Malta and Gozo, people use the sea mostly for travel, various forms of recreation, fish farming, salt production and of course shipping. The vast majority of the islands’ potable water comes from the sea and is produced by reverse osmosis.

Nonetheless, given the synergy that exists between the Maltese islands, their people and the sea there has been little in the study of Maltese history and archaeology that is specifically dedicated to the sea. It is only relatively recently that some scholars have produced and published important works that help shed light on such an important facet of Malta’s past. In its own little way, this volume may be considered as another contribution that seeks to redress this imbalance.

The production of this book has been a long time coming. Conceptualised approximately ten years ago it has taken much patience, perseverance and belief to keep this project and see it through. Those involved are fully aware of the various difficulties encountered along the way. However, despite some very real adversities here it is – a comprehensive volume covering numerous aspects of Malta’s maritime past.

If it was pertinent to publish such a book ten years ago it is, I believe, just as important today. In fact, one may argue even more so. This v

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA

because elements of Malta’s maritime traditions are fast-disappearing.

Boatbuilding techniques, traditional fishing methods and other strands of intangible maritime heritage are being washed away before our very own eyes by the technological tsunami that is the digital age.

This volume is divided in two sections. Four historical essays in Part I cover the maritime history of the Maltese Islands from the ancient period to the British era. Rather than penning typical historical narratives, authors chose less traditional, but no less informative, styles. Interactions, between humans and maritime landscapes, social interactions and perceptions are but some of the themes tackled in the text. Although set in chronological order, these essays may be read individually or in sequence – depending on how the reader chooses to utilise this publication.

Part II of the volume is dedicated to maritime heritage. Essays contained in this section cover different aspects of Malta’s maritime tradition – some hardly-known as well others which are presently considered as popular tradition. This distinction however does not impinge on their validity in any form or manner. All chapters in this section provide extremely valuable contributions to the maritime cultural heritage of Malta and Gozo – both that which is tangible and that which is not.

This section of the book is, out of necessity, very well illustrated. One will also note that Part II does not have in text references of footnotes.

This editorial choice was made to facilitate interaction between text and images. However, a ‘further-reading’ section at the end of every chapter points the reader to literature and sources used by the author as well as other publications that may be of interest to the reader.

vi

Acknowledgements

FIRST AND FOREMOST I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL contributors to this volume. The collective effort of these individuals has not only made this whole enterprise a reality but they have also shown infinite patience during the overly long gestation period. Thank you and apologies to you all. I would also like to thank Tony Burgess, who assisted me beyond the call of duty with the editing of this book. Of equal importance to this undertaking has been the publisher Joseph Mizzi, of Midsea Books. His enthusiasm and support were crucial elements to getting all of us over the line. His team also deserve a special mention – John, Edwin and Joseph’s sister Annamaria all showed equal amounts of patience and support. The book’s main photographer, Joe Borg, as usual surpassed himself in the quality of imagery produced. Last but not least, I would like to thank my wife Belinda and my sons Jamie and Taran, who continue having to put up with me – you mean the world to me.

vii

An early twentieth century photo of the Bu치ibba temple with the decorated block showing the fish relief still in situ

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA IN ANTIQUITY

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A mid-nineteenth century lithograph of a shell-fish vendor

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA IN ANTIQUITY

Index

Aboukir Bay, 94, 124 Abu Omar Othman, 28 Agnese, Battista, 116-117 Agrigento…see Girgenti Alboran, 33 Alexandria, 11, 15, 76 Alfonso V, 27-28 Algeria, 21, 25, 78 al-Idrisi, Muhammad, 22 Allezard, Jean Joseph, 123-124 Amateur Swimming Association…see Aquatic Sports Association Ambrosius, 129 amphorae, 9, 12 Aquatic Sports Association, 100 Aragon, 22, 23, 27-28, 174 Arcano del Mare, 44, 46-47, 118 Assumption of the Virgin chapel (Birkirkara), 136-137 Assumption of the Virgin chapel (Żebbuġ, Malta), 144-145 Astarte, temple of, 4, 11 Attard, 130 Australia, 73, 81, 98 bagħal ta’ Gig, 161, 171 bagħal ta’ frejgatina, 161, 170-171 Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq church, 215 Baħrija, 174 Bajada, Tony, 98 Ball, Sir Alexander, 176 Balzan chapel, 133 bandi, 174-175 Barcelona Convention, 185 barklori, 84, 202 Barttelot, Rear Admiral, 92 Basque Country, 100

Bellin, Jacques Nicolas, 120-122 Bidnija, 8, 16 Birgu (Vittoriosa), 28, 51, 130, 197, 202, 204, 209, 211 churches, 51 Birkirkara, 213, churches, 55-56, 133, 136-137, 209 Birżebbuġa, 8, 99, 216 Bizerte, 78 Black Sea, 73 boating, 100-102 Bohemond IV, 27 Bonham-Carter, Charles (Governor of Malta), 92 Borg, Antonio, 45, 122 Borg, John Martin, 106 Borg in-Nadur, 174 Bormla (Cospicua) 99, 130, 133, 197, 202, 209 BP Tanker Company Ltd, 78 Briarly, Alexander, 124 brigantine, 23, 35, 40-41, 55, 131 Bugeja, Anna, 210 Bugibba, 174 Buondelmonti, Cristoforo, 116 Burdon, T.W., 180-181 Burmarrad, 8, 16, 217 Byblos, 4 Byzantine, 15, 21 Cadiz, 98 Cagliari, 22-23 Cali, Giuseppe, 105, 201, 214 Camilleri, Nicola, 105-106 Cantelmi (Cardinal), 43 capitana, 131 carpenters, 16, 94 carracks (caraccas/Karrakka), 35, 104, 131 caraffa, 161

227

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA Carnival, 200-202, 205 Carthage, 2, 7, 8-10, 11, 17, 53 Punic Wars, 9-10 Caruana, Anton Emanuel, 104 Caruana, Jackinus, 25-26 catacombs, 130 Catalans, 23-25, 27-28 Cato, 16 caulkers, 41, 94, 209 Cavaliers’ Tour, 43, 211 Cavallini, Giovanni Battista, 118 Centre of the Society of Christian Doctrine (M.U.S.E.U.M.), 130 Chalkia, 41 Chamber of Commerce, 75, 78, 82, 84 changeling, 206 Chapel of the Immaculate Conception (Qala), 154155 Charles V, 34-35 Charybdis, 5, 51 chebec, 55 cheese, 23, 40 China, 76-77, 93 Chompasso de tutta la starea della marina, 46 Cicero, 11-12 Ċirkewwa, 84 coal bunkering, 78-80, 204, heavers/porters, 72-73, 75, 80, 182, 187, 204 cocoa, 48 Comino, 46, 118, 128, 219 church, 53 Compaso de Navegare, 46, 115 copper, 40, 165, 175 Consolato del Mare, 38 Constantinople, 15, 34 corsairing, 22, 25, 26-28, 31, 33, 37-39, 51, 57, 85, 87, 130, 197, 209, 211, 214, 215, 217 corso, 37-39 cotton, 22, 25, 26, 33, 38, 40-43, 70-71, 174 Crafts Centre (Gozo), 130 cruising, 85, 102-103 Customs House (ceremony), 210-211 Dacoutros family, 71 Darius the Great, 115 D’Autun, Jean Quintin, 22 de Nava family, 27-28 de Palmeus, A.F.G., 121 Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, 181 Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, 184 Desguanez family, 27-28 Despuig, Grand Master Ramon, 42, 175-176 dgħajsa, 84-85, 131, 161, 164, 165-166, 202 dgħajsa ta’ Ghawdex, 97, 131, 161, 166-167 dgħajsa tal-latini…see dgħajsa ta’ Ghawdex dgħajsa tal-midalji, 161 Despott, Giuseppe, 178-179

dingy, 161, 171-172 Diodorus of Malta (Melitensis Diodorus), 12 Diodorus Siculus, 7 Djerba, 28, 33 Dragut (Turgut Reis), 213 Dragut Point, 212-213 chapel, 213 dockyard, 9, 71, 74, 75, 80, 90, 94-97 Dockyard School, 96 Dudley, Sir Robert (Earl of Warwick), 118 Dwejra, church, 208 Egypt, 13, 15, 88, 98, 131 emigration, 73, 81 England…see Great Britain entrepreneurs, 82-83, 108 Erardi, Stefano, 212 Etruscans, 8 eugenics, 91-92 European Union, 183-184 ex-voto (tabelle) offerings, 49, 54-56, 131-132, 209 Farrugia, Michel Angelo, 46, 48 Farrugia, Vincenzo, 55 Filfla, 216, 218 firilla, 161, 163, 168-169 First World War, 75, 80, 91, 93 Fish Aggregate Device (FAD), 192-193 Fisheries Department, 178-181 Fisheries Division, 182, 184 fishing, 9, 67, 74, 98, 102, 106, 159-162, 167-170, 174 boats, 97, 159-164, 166-171 industry, 173-185 fishermen, 72-75, 99, 100, 105, 132, 159-160, 174175, 180, 186, 188, 190-192, 194-195, 206-207, 218 markets, 174-177 nets, 187-189 pots, 192-193 techniques/methods, 170, 174, 187-195 Flanders, 46 flax, 8, 40 Florence, 116-117 Floriana, 16 folklore, 43, 197-211, 214-219 Fontana, 209 Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), 182-183 Fort Chambray, 121 France, 41-43, 48, 69-71, 78, 88, 124, 177, 213 Frederick IV, 26 frejgatina, 161, 163, 168, 170-171, 172 frejgatina misluta, 161 Freemantle, Admiral, 92 French Creek, 9, 96-97 Friggieri, Oliver, 104 galleon, 35, 131, 203 galleot, 131 galley, 28, 35-36, 37, 47-48, 55-56, 131, 203, 209-210, 215

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INDEX Ganado, Herbert, 90 garum, 16 Gatto family, 27 General Fisheries Council of the Mediterranean (GFCM), 182, 184 Genoa, 25-26, 28, 33, 117-118 George III, 91 ġerrejja, 202-203 Ġgantija, 173-174 Għajn Dwieli, 9 Għajn Tuffieħa Bay, 8 Għar Dalam, 173 Għar Hasan, 214 Għarb church, 52, 215, 219 Għargħur church, 215 Għaxaq chapel, 140-141 gig, 161, 169, 171 gig racing, 161 gig tat-tigrijja, 172 Girgenti, 23 Gleneagles (ferry), 83-84 Gnaeus Naevius, 9 Gollcher family, 71 Gonzaga, Buzzaccarini, 42 Goos, Pieter, 118 Gorgolione, Sebastiano, 46 Gozo Cathedral, 156-157 graffiti, 54, 105, 129-157 grain, 13, 21, 23-26, 33, 38, 40, 41, 71, 73 storage in Malta 15-16 trade with Sicily & North Africa 22-26 Grand Harbour, 9, 16, 70-71, 74-86, 95-98, 100, 102, 106, 120, 122-123, 126, 160-161, 164, 202, 207, 210-212 Grand Masters Palace, 118, 133 Grand Tour, 43 Great Britain, 43, 51, 70-81, 84-97, 99-102, 104-105, 116, 124-125, 161, 165, 172, 176-181, 197, 199 Great Siege, 98, 101, 106, 213 Grech, Salvatore, 55 Greece, 3, 4, 8, 40-41, 50, 98, 115 Guevera family, 27 Guidotti, Opizzio, 46-47 Ħaġar Qim, 173 Ħagrat, 173 Ħal Far, 8, 214 Hamrun, 8 Harrison, John, 51, 116 Heather, William, 123-124 hemp, 22, 40, 190 H.M.S. Dublin, 92 H.M.S. Ganges, 93 H.M.S. Melita, 95 H.M.S. Victory, 88 Hood, Admiral, 88 Hornell, James, 179 horses, 23

Hospitallers…see Order of St John Houel, Jean, 43 indigo, 40 Inglott, Ferdinand, 213 Inquisitor of Malta, 43, 208 palace, 130, 133 Inter-Governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), 183 International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna and Tuna-like Species, 195 International Maritime Law Institute, 85 International Maritime Organization, 85 Ionian Islands, 40 Ireland, 46 iron, 23, 40, 175 Italy, 17, 22, 41, 73, 75 Jacobsz, Anthoine, 119 Jews, 130, Jewish merchants 23-26 Juno, temple of, 11 Justinian, 15 kajjik, 161, 163, 168, 169, 170 kajjik tal-gangmu, 169 Katrina, legend of, 216 Kelly, Rear Admiral J.D., 92 Kerkenna, 33 knowledge space, 31, 44-48 Kordin, 173 Kyra Panagia, 41 lampara fishing, 189 Lampedusa, 33 Lascar, 76, 93 latitude, 44, 51, 115-116, 118, 122 leather, 23 legends, 214-219 Leghorn, 118 Levanto, Franceco Maria, 118 Libya, 21, 25 Licata, 23-24 Lilybaeum, 10, 12 linen, 7, 40 L’Isla (Senglea), 99, 197, 202, 205, 209, 211-212, 218219 churches, 55, 209, 211-212 Livy, 10 local transportation, 84-85, 97, 99 locusts, 217 longitude, 51, 115-116, 118, 122 long-line fishing bottom, 189-190 surface, 191 Lopez, Tomás Mauriçio, 124 Lucini, Anton Francesco, 118 luxuries, 12, 17 luzzu, 161, 163, 166-168, 169-170, 179 Maine (H.M. Hospital Ship/R.F.A.), 75-76 Malta Maritime Authority, 85

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THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA Malta Maritime Museum, 104, 106-107 Malta Port Division, 93 Malta Territorial Force, 80 Maltese boats, 159-172 Maltese language, 93, 98, 104-105 Maltese literature, 104 Maltese painting, 49-50, 54-56, 105-106 Maqluba, legend of, 216, 218 Marfa, 84, 105, 163 Marian cult, 53-54 Marija Annunzjata church, 138-139 maritime landscapes 53, 67 networks, 2, 22-26, 28, 40-41, 71 ritual, 32, 48-50, 53-56, 130, 206-207 sanctuaries 4-6, 12 Marsa, 8, 9, 12-16 Marsala, 22 Marsalforn, 84 church, 53, 218 Marsamxett (Marsamuscetto), 84-85, 99, 101, 124, 164, 202, 207 Marsaskala, 206 churches, 202, 206, 208 Marsaxlokk (Marzasiroccho), 3-4, 16, 49, 98, 124, 127, 181, 184, 197, 199, 206-207, 216 Marseilles, 42, 88 Martin II, 27 Mdina/Rabat, 3, 8, 27, 43, 50, 55, 99, 130, 174, 216 churches, 131 Mediterranean Association for Marine Biology (MAMBO), 182 Megara, 40 Mellieħa, 69, 84, 177 churches, 54-55 merchant seamen, 71-78, 87-89 merchant shipping, 15, 22, 40, 67, 71, 75, 78-79, 8587, 89, 211 merchants, 7, 13, 16, 23-26, 39, 42-43, 71, 104, 132, 176 Mermaid Cave/Street, legend of, 218-219 Mġarr, (Gozo), 83-84, 105, 121, 181-182 Mifsud, Lorenzo, 45 Millo (da Millo), Antonio, 117 Modon in the Morea, 35 Mosta, 215-217 Bride of Mosta legend, 216-217 churches, 133, 146-147, 215 Msida, 206 nails, 40 Napoleon, 88 Nelson, Admiral Lord Horatio, 124 Netherlands, 40, 88, 119 Norman House, 130-131 Normans, 21, 25, 69 North Africa, 9, 13, 17, 21-22, 25-26, 27-28, 32, 35, 73, 78, 81

Old Prisons (Gozo), 130, 133 Oliva, Joan, 3 olive oil, 16, 40-41, 78 Order of St John, 22, 33-65, 69, 87, 94, 97, 99, 105, 116, 122, 174-177, 203-204, 208-209, 211, 215 arrival in Malta, 33, 34-35, 51 consular network, 40, 57 corsairing, 37-39 Ottomans, 24, 34-35, 52 Our Lady of Hope church, 215 Our Lady of Liesse church, 211 Our Lady of Qortin church, 212 Our Lady of Port Salvo church, 211-213 Pace, Giovanni Maria, 47 Pace, Giuseppe, 48, 121 Pace family, 71 Pagnini, Giovanni, 46, 119, 121 Pantelleria, 8, 27, 33 Paola, 9 paper, 40 Pazan tal-Bxajjar, 199-200 Pellegrino, Giacomo de, 26 pepper, 40 Perellos, Grand Master Ramon, 36, 38 periploi, 45, 115 Pescatore, Enrico (Henry), 26-27, 33 Peter III, 23 Phoenicians, 2-8, 17, 53, 199 temples, 3-6 tombs 8-9 Pimentel, Manoel, 119 Pinto, Grand Master Manuel, 48, 176-177 piracy, 11, 22, 26-28, 33, 36, 37, 129, 215-217 Pîrî Re’îs, 116 Pisa, 25-26, 33, 46, 115 Plato, 51 polacca, 55 Pompey the Great, 11 portable altars, 54 portolans, 33, 44-48, 53, 57, 115-116 Porto Salvo, 211, 213-214 churches, 211, 213-214 Portugal, 41, 71, 119 Poseidon, 5, 50-51 prayer, 4-5, 49-50, 53-54, 56, 211, 217 Preti, Mattia, 50 private sector, 78, 86, 96-97, 183 privateering…see corsairing Punic…see Carthage Qala churches, 53-54, 133, 154-155, 206, 219 Qarraba, 8 Qolla, 8 Qormi, 8, 131 churches, 55, 131, 148-149 Qortin, 212 Qortin l-Mdawwar, 174 Qrendi church, 218

INDEX Quintinus, Johannes, 116-117 Rabat (Gozo), 8 churches, 156-157, 206, 209 Ragusa, 41 Ramla il-Hamra, 16 Ras il-Wardija, 5-6, 53 Ras ir-Raħeb, 5-6 Rhodes, 34-35, 41 rice, 39-40 Rispolo, Zaccaria, 46-47 Rizo, Bernardino, 46, 48 Rohan, Grand Master Emmanuel de, 42 Rome, 9, 67, 69, 98, 167 presence in Malta, 10-16 ropemakers, 13 Roux, Joseph, 124 rowing regattas, 100-101, 161, 212 Royal Air Force, 80 Royal Fleet Auxiliary, 75-78 Royal Naval Division, 91 Royal Navy, 45, 71, 74-78, 80, 86-97, 166 attitudes towards Maltese 91-93 Maltese seamen employed by, 86, 88-91, 93 pensions, 90, 92 sailmakers, 16, 94 Salina, 16, 69, 125 salt, 16, 40, 68-70 saltpetre, 40 San Anton Palace, 130 San Baskel church, 206 San Blas chapel (Gozo), 133 San Cir church, 131, 206 San Franġisk chapel, 148-149 San Gejtan chapel, 150-151 San Liju, church, 206 San Luċjan tower, 185 San Pawl Milqi, 8, 11 chapel, 54 sardines, 40 Sardinia, 22, 25 Schranz dynasty, 105 Scylax of Caryanda, 115 Scylla, 5, 51 Sea Malta, 78, 85 sea shells, 105, 173-174, 201 sea urchins, 173, 201 Second World War, 76-77, 80, 90-91, 93, 103, 106, 179-180, 207 Selmun, 130 Sempronius, 10 shipwrights, 13, 94 Sicily, 7, 8-10, 12, 17, 26-27, 32, 33, 42, 69, 71, 117, 159, 169, 173, 209, 213 trade with Malta, 9, 21-25 silk, 40 skins, 40 Skorba, 173

slavery, 22, 25-26, 36-38, 53, 209, 215, 217 Sliema, 70, 84, 99-100, 102 churches, 208, 212-214 smiths, 12, 94 Smyrna, 40 Smyth, William Henry, 45, 47, 124-127 soap, 40 Spain, 22, 32, 41, 48, 71, 88, 98, 116 Speranza church, 215 speronara, 49, 55, 131, 209, 218 Spinola Bay, 198 chapel, 133, 142-143 sponges, 40 Spratt, Thomas Abel Brimage, 124-125, 128 St Andrew, 207 churches, 209 St Anne feast, 200-201 churches, 208 St Anthony of Padua, 202 church, 202 St Blaise chapel (Malta), 152-153 St Christopher, 209 St Demetrius (San Dimitri), 209 churches, 52, 208-209, 215, 219 legend of, 52, 215 St Elmo (St Erasmus), 212 fort, 98, 212 St Francis of Paola, 208-209 church, 209 St George (San Ziorzi) churches, 53, 209 St James Gate, 133 St John the Baptist, 204-206, 213 St John the Evangelist, 210-211, 215 church, 215 St Julian’s Bay, 198, 206 chapel, 133, 142-143 St Kerrew (Kurrew) legend of 52, 219 church, 206, 219 St Lawrence (San Lorenzo) church, 51, 53 St Maria churches, 53 St Matthew church, 218 St Paul, 11, 15, 50, 52, 54, 102, 106 churches, 53, 146-147, 218 Pauline cult, 52, 57 St Paul’s Bay, 124-125, 197, 210 church, 210 St Paul’s grotto, 43, 52 St Paul the first hermit…see St Kerrew St Philip Neri chapel, 140-141 St Thomas Bay chapel, 150-151 St Ursula legend of, 217 nuns of, 39 steel, 40 Stella Maris church, 212-214

231

THE MALTESE ISLANDS AND THE SEA stevedores, 13, 16, 73 stewards, 72, 90, 93 Strabo, 6, 51 Suleiman the Magnificent, 34 superstition, 49-50, 159, 197, 204-207 swimming, 67, 98-100 synchronized swimming, 100 Syracuse 7, 12, 15, 23, 24, 26, 28 tabelle…see ex-voto Ta’ Cenc (Gozo), 130 Ta’ Wied Qirda chapel, 134-135 Tagliaferro family, 71 Tal-Ħerba church, 55-56, 209 Tal-Ħlas chapel, 144-145 Tal-Kuncizzjoni chapel, 142-143 Tal-Qlejja chapel, 133 tallow, 40 tar, 40 tarkijja, 167 tartana, 40, 55, 131 Tarxien, 130 church, 138-139, 174 Tas-Silġ, 3-4, 6, 11, 53 technology, 51, 80, 94-97, 116, 124, 187 Tenedos, 15 Terranova, 23 textiles, 6, 8, 41 Thackeray, William Makepeace, 102-103 Tigni, 99 tin, 40 tobacco, 40 tonnara, 176-177 Torlonia relief, 130 tourism, 82-83, 102-103, 194-195 Trafalgar, 88 Trapani, 22, 26 tratte, 42 trawling, 181, 183, 185, 189, 194-195 Tribunale degli Armamenti, 38-39 Tripoli, 21, 25-26, 35, 217 tuna (tunny), 23, 40, 177, 181, 184, 191, 194-195, 202 Tunisia, 21, 25, 28, 32, 73, 78

universitas, 24 University of Malta, 85, 161 Valenzia, Ercole, 76-77 Valletta, 39, 46, 54, 82, 84, 99, 102-103, 106, 117-118, 120-124, 126, 130, 175-178, 184, 208, 211 churches, 209, 211, 213 van Keulen family, 117-119 Venice, 24, 26-28, 33, 42, 46, 88, 166 Verres, 11-12 Vindicari, 23 vinegar, 40 Visitation Chapel (Ta’ Wied Qirda), 134-135 von der Groben, Otto Friedrich, 211 von Zach, Baron F, 122, 124 votive offerings, 48, 53, 54-55, 105 water polo, 100 weaving, 7 wheat…see grain Wied il-Għajn, 55 Wied il-Għasel, church, 217, 219 Wied iż-Żurrieq, 8 Wied Qirda, 131, 133 Wignacourt, Grand Master Alof de, 38, 52 wine, 21, 23, 24, 40, 174 wool stuffing, 200-201 Xatt il-Molliiet, 13 Xemxija, 174 Xewkija, 206 xini, 202-203 Xlendi, 5, 8-9, 84, 179, 209 xprunara...see speronara Xwejni, 68-69 yachting (yachts), 74, 82, 85, 101, 103 clubs, 101 Żabbar churches, 55, 130 Zante, 41 Żebbuġ (Malta), 131, 174 churches, 133, 134-135, 144-145, 152-153 Żetjun, 130 Żgugina, legend of, 52, 215 Żurrieq, 8, 130, 216

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CONTENTS & CONTRIBUTORS The Maltese Islands and the Sea in Antiquity Timmy Gambin Maritime activity between Malta, Sicily and North Africa in the Late Middle Ages Mark Aloisio Motley lots on liminal islands of an Order Frank Theuma Riding the crest of the wave: An overview of the maritime history of Malta in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries Carmel Vassallo The charting of Maltese waters Albert Ganado Ship graffiti on Maltese churches: A photographic essay of sacred maritime iconography Timmy Gambin Maltese traditional wooden boats Charles Pulè A history of the fishing industry in Malta Stanley Farrugia Randon Evolution of fishing methods Stanley Farrugia Randon Some folkloristic aspects of the sea Guido Lanfranco

As an archipelago in the center of the Mediterranean the sea has shaped many aspects of Malta’s culture, traditions, economy and demography.

The collection of essays contained in this volume reflect the diverse histories and threads that have come together through time to make Malta the island nation that it is today. Divided into two main sections – the first deals with historic narratives ranging from antiquity to modern period whereas the second part covers various facets of Malta’s maritime heritage.

With revealing text and numerous illustrations this edited volume can certainly be considered as the standard work on Malta’s maritime history and heritage. It is as valuable for students as it is for those who have a passion for the sea and all things maritime.

Timmy Gambin is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta

ISBN 978-99932-7-551-0

9 789993 275510