Presents us with a comprehensive point of departure for the study of artistic developments in the Late Middle Ages, from the Norman Conquest at the turn of the twelfth century to the coming of the Knights in 1530. This book shows us that Late Medieval Malta was not an artistic desert, that patronage in Mdina was surprisingly well-informed, and that the Renaissance reached Malta before the coming of the Knights. Architecture, however, lagged behind, and the stylistic and technical innovations reflected the conservatism of an insular society. Through the art and architecture of that period, Professor Buhagiar outlines the Christianization and Latinization process that moved the islands away from a Muslim and North African bias, to a South European sphere of influence. The author's many years of meticulous research and academic activity have resulted in an excellently presented book that can be enjoyed by both the academic and the general reader. Mario Buhagiar is Professor of History of Art and Head of the History of Art Programme at the University of Malta, which he was responsible for establishing in 1988. The author is also responsible for the Late Roman and Byzantine Catacombs and Related Burial Places in the Maltese Islands, and The Iconography of the Maltese Islands 1400-1900: Painting, as well as numerous articles in various journals, both local and foreign.

This book studies the Mediterranean context of art and architecture in the Maltese Islands between 1091 and 1530. This study also shows that influences came not only from Sicily, South Italy and North Africa, but also from more distant Mediterranean regions and sometimes from quite unexpected sources.

This study traces and analyses the evolution of domestic space in Maltese vernacular and ‘polite’ houses from medieval to contemporary times.

This edited volume brings together a collection of works that comprehensively address both the myriad geomorphological landscapes of the Maltese Islands and how their evolution has been shaped over various time-scales by different sets of processes. Additionally, the work highlights how the small geographical setting of the Maltese Islands helped to closely connect these landscapes with Maltese society and as a result, they have evolved from stand-alone examples of geomorphology to important backdrops of Maltese cultural identity. Most of the contributing authors are academics – both local and foreign – with a research focus on the geomorphology of the Maltese Islands. However, the editors have also (and purposefully) chosen other contributors from governmental institutions and research agencies, who complement the geomorphological research with their proactive work in selected case studies on Maltese landscapes.

This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Malta compiles the unusually rich and long history of the islands comprising the country of Malta. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and hundreds of cross-reference dictionary entries describing all of the major places, persons, institutions, and events that have shaped the history of the archipelago.

Trotz der zahlreichen Publikationen, die in den letzten Jahren der Erforschung der mittelalterlichen Seewege im Mittelmeer, des ökonomischen und kulturellen Austausches und des Phänomen der Pilgerfahrt gewidmet waren, bleibt das Thema der spezifischen Andachtsformen, die mit der Seefahrt verbunden waren und zur Herstellung von privilegierten Heiligtümern für die Seefahrer führten, noch ein Desideratum. Wie viele bis jetzt zu wenig beachtete Urkunden bestätigen, bildete sich im Spätmittelalter ein transmediterranes Netzwerk von Heiligen Orten, die insbesondere von Seefahrern besucht wurden und deren Verehrungswürdigkeit mit ihrer Lage am symbolischen Treffpunkt zwischen den Dimensionen Wasser, Erde und Himmel direkt zusammenhing. Die in diesem Band versammelten und von Spezialisten verschiedener Disziplinen aus zahlreichen Ländern (Frankreich, Italien, Griechenland, Israel, Libanon, Polen, Spanien, Malta) verfassten Aufsätze zielen darauf, die Hauptorte dieser neuen Sakralgeographie zu beschreiben und die Geschichte ihres Kultes aus historischer, religions- und kunstgeschichtlicher Sicht zu rekonstruieren.

This title was first published in 2002: Dr Luttrell's work has helped change our understanding of the history of the small islands of Malta and Gozo, providing a more coherent story of the ways in which, during the Middle Ages, a small isolated Muslim community was converted into a more prosperous outpost of Roman Christianity with a unique cultural mixture of Arabic speech and European institutions. This selection of studies places the process within the context of developments in the medieval Mediterranean world and combines archaeological and architectural investigations with work in Maltese, Sicilian and other archives, with a particular focus on ecclesiastical matters; a new introduction brings the subject up to date. This work is of relevance to scholars of Islam and Christianity, while providing insights into the nature of an unusual island community whose significance far exceeds its size.