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Saint George Preca
The Maltese are among the oldest Christian population in
the World. One very important person, is our very own saint,
St Ġorġ Preca (1880-1972). Ġorġ Preca was a Maltese
Catholic Priest who founded the Society of Christian Doc-
trine (referred to by the acronym
M.U.S.E.U.M.), a society of lay
catechists. He is popularly known
as ‘the second apostle of Malta’
after St. Paul. St. Ġorġ Preca was
canonized on 03/06/07 in Rome by
Pope Benedict XVI. In his homily,
Pope Benedict XVI called Saint
Ġorġ Preca "a friend of Jesus" and
declared him as the second father in
faith of the Maltese and Gozitan
people.
Local Cuisine
Maltese cuisine is very Mediterranean in style , but it also
developed its own traditional dishes. Some of the most
popular are the Rabbit Stew, Braġioli (stuffed rolled beef),
Ġbejniet (goats’ milk cheeselets), Soppa tal-armla (widow’s
soup), ħobż biż-żejt (our very own delicious crusty bread
dipped in olive oil, rubbed with ripe tomatoes and finished
with different toppings), Pastizzi (pastry filled with a ricotta
cheese or pea filling) and last but not least the sweetened
ricotta-filled Kannoli (a dessert delicacy). Wines produced
from locally cultivated grapes are also gaining great popu-
larity both locally as well as internationally.
The Maltese The Maltese The Maltese IslandsIslandsIslands
An island that warms your heart with its
sunshine, culture and history.
The Maltese archipelago—a conglomeration of three is-lands: Malta Gozo and Comino, lies virtually in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea. The Maltese Islands have al-ways been highly sought after by powerful rulers due to their strategic geographical position. This fact has obvious-ly left an impact on the life style of the Maltese nation, even though today Malta is an independent, democratic country.
Malta is the largest island and is the cultural, commercial and administrative centre. Gozo, its sister island, is small-er and rurally characterised by fishing, tourism, crafts and agriculture. Comino, the smallest island of the three is very popular during the summer months, when many Maltese and tourists visit it to swim in the crystal clear waters of the Blue Lagoon. Only two families live on Comino.
Each successive civilisation that has painted Malta’s col-ourful past from around 7000 years ago has left many beautiful structures. Some of these are UNESCO World Heritage sites.
Comenius Project
2012 — 2014
Sliema
Sliema sprouted out as a small fishing village with a small
chape dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation at the top
of a hill. Fisherman on their way out to sea prayed to the
Virgin for protection, hence the name Sliema, which means
“Hail Mary” (Hello Mary) or “peace”. Sliema has devel-
oped and flourished into a bustling commercial, residential
and entertainment area. It is situated across the Grand
Harbour from Valletta, offering majestic views of the fortifi-
cations surrounding it.
Fort Tigne was eventually developed by the Knights of St.
John in the late 18th century and further developed by the
British in later years. Tas-Sliema lies on a peninsula. The
town began to develop rapidly in the second half of the
19th century becoming popular as a summer resort for
wealthier Val-
letta residents.
Our St Joseph
School is found
in this locality .
Archeological Sites Malta was home to a unique temple building civilisation for
three millennia, from around 5200 BC. The Hypogeum of
Paola for one, is a subterranean structure of underground
halls, chambers and passages on three levels which co-
vers a large area and which dates back to the Saflieni
phase (3000-2500 BC) in Maltese prehistory The word
‘hypogeum’ means "underground" in Greek. It is thought
to have been originally a sanctuary. It became a necropo-
lis in prehistoric times
and the remains of
more than 7,000 indi-
viduals have been
found. It is the only
known prehistoric un-
derground temple in the
world. Other temples
are Ħaġar Qim, Mnajdra and Ġgantija.
The Three Cities
The fortified cities of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa
are known as ‘The Three Cities’. They are situated in
the south of Malta. They have provided a home and
acted as a fortress to almost all nations who have ruled
the Islands along the years. They played a very im-
portant role during the Great Siege of Malta around
1565. It was mainly from these locations that the
Knights of St. John together with the Maltese defended
Malta from the Turks and were victorious. In the after-
math of the siege, the city of Valletta was built. During
World War II, the Three Cities were heavily bombed by
the Italians and Germans, and they were rebuilt in the
1950s and 1960s.
Mdina Mdina, or Citta Notabile is a medieval walled town situ-
ated on a hill in the centre of the island. It was once the
capital city of Malta, and its history dates back more
than 4000 years. Legend has it that it was here, in
around 60 A.D., that the Apostle St. Paul lived after his
(historical) shipwreck on the islands. In 1963, a strong
earthquake destroyed a large number of buildings in
Mdina. The Cathedral was rebuilt on the designs of the
Maltese architect Lorenzo Gara and Baroque elements
were introduced. Once a home to Malta’s nobility, it is
now called “The Silent City” as no cars are allowed in
this city. It
boasts spectacu-
lar views of
many parts of
Malta, which can
be viewed from
the bastions sur-
rounding it.
Valletta
Our present capital city was born after the Great Siege
of 1565. The first stone was laid in 1566 by the then
Grand Master Jean de la Vallette who gave the city its
name but who unfortunately died before its completion 5
years later. This ambitious project was the envy of many
nations. Francesco Laparelli was entrusted to plan and
design it following a grid system. Valletta is dotted with
many historical buildings including St. John’s Co-
Cathedral, which was designed by Maltese architect
Ġlormu Cassar. There one can find priceless works of
art by Mattia Preti and Caravaggio. Valletta was named
European Capital of Culture for 2018.
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