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.