The Mediterranean Artistic Context Of Late Medieval Malta 1091 1530

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.

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

Malta, has been visited and influenced over the centuries by many different peoples and cultures. The site of the oldest free-standing, man-made structures known to exist, Malta has been occupied by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Arabs, Normans, the Knights of St. John, Swabians, Angevins, French, and British. Most recently, Malta has elected a new government replacing one that had been in office for many years, major improvements in infrastructure, a significant growth in population, the liberalization of laws permitting divorce and same-sex marriage. This third edition of Historical Dictionary of Malta contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 300 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Malta.

Every year, the Bibliography catalogues the most important new publications, historiographical monographs, and journal articles throughout the world, extending from prehistory and ancient history to the most recent contemporary historical studies. Within the systematic classification according to epoch, region, and historical discipline, works are also listed according to author’s name and characteristic keywords in their title.

This book reassesses the evidence of a secluded Punic-Roman sanctuary on the coastal promontory of Ras il-Wardija on the central Mediterranean island of Gozo (near Malta).

This book analyses the artistic and cultural legacy of Western Islamic societies and their interactions with Islamic, Christian and Jewish societies in the framework of the late medieval Mediterranean, from a range of multi-disciplinary perspectives. The book, organised in four parts, addresses the Andalusi legacy from its presence in the East and the West; analyses the relations and transfers between Al-Andalus and the artistic productions of the Christian kingdoms of the Iberian Peninsula; explores other manifestations of the Andalusi legacy in the fields of knowledge, construction, identity and religious studies; and reconsiders ornamental transfers and exchanges in artistic manifestations between East and West across the Mediterranean basin. Chapter 2 is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license.

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.