Today, Malta draws its wealth from its unique geographical location, with the heritage of the Knights of Malta, the still palpable influence of the British and its purely Mediterranean temperament. A highly coveted originality.<\/p>\n
Pleasantly located on the edge of Saint George's Bay, the Marina offers all the comforts of Corinthia hotels: spacious rooms, king-size beds, balconies overlooking the Mediterranean... A feeling of space is immediately apparent, thanks to its bright lobby. There's no doubt about it, the Anglo-Saxon influence is clear. Adjacent to the five-star Corinthia Saint George's Bay, the Marina benefits not only from the synergy of over 600 rooms, but also from a host of services designed for business travellers. An auditorium can accommodate up to 550 people for conferences. Guests can also take a cruise without having to travel far: a magnificent Turkish schooner, in the purest Maltese retro-chic style, regularly moors in front of the hotel pier.<\/p>\n
On 24 March 1530, Charles V awarded the island of Malta to the Knights of the Order of St John. They built three strongholds which they defended in a bloodbath against the Turkish invasion. The first of the three battered cities was named after their victory, Vittoriosa. The others were rebuilt and embellished with noble houses.<\/p>\n
Five hundred years on, little or nothing has changed. The middle classes have replaced the knights, the churches are only slightly less crowded and the gaunt cats are still seeking salvation in the shady alleyways. This maze of honey-coloured fa\u00e7ades gives free rein to all the fantasies associated with old port towns, where a thousand peculiar anecdotes abound. As for history, it is told behind its mansions, its menacing Inquisitor's Palace and its inns, from Provence, Auvergne, Castile or England. And in this once-natural setting, the work of man inevitably ends in the blue of the sea.<\/p>\n
Gozo is to the Maltese what Normandy is to Parisians, or Kent to Londoners. A breath of fresh air. Ideal countryside just a hop, skip and a jump away. More hilly than its big sister, the \"island of three hills\" pampers its terraced fields, a few vineyards and generous orange groves. Less populated, it cares for its golden sandy beaches and rugged coastline with crystal-clear waters. There's something almost Cycladic about it.<\/p>\n
No wonder Homer cast Ulysses into the arms of Calypso, who tried for seven years to make him forget his native Ithaca. Separated from the island of Malta by an arm of the sea and the small island of Comino, Gozo is a journey within a journey. An introspection into the Malta of yesteryear, the Malta of mysteries and legends. From curious centuries-old salt pans carved into the rock to prehistoric temples and the splendid cliffs of Dwejra Bay...<\/p>\n
Malta is not Corsica. Nor the Balearics. No fine sandy beaches, no coves with cool waters at every bend of its coastline. Rocky Malta has never given sailors much respite... But it can be magnanimous when you least expect it. Such is the case for this arid piece of land called Comino (Cumin), trapped between the main island and Gozo. A piece of Malta that shelters a turquoise blue lagoon. A natural swimming pool, miraculously sheltered in a small bay, which owes its salvation to a salt-bleached rock. A wisely preserved nugget. Out of season, only four die-hard locals persist in living on this rock.<\/p>\n
It's hard not to feel the power of centuries of self-sacrifice, courage and piety as you approach this impassable bastion of Christianity. A huge ship set in stone, the Maltese capital has lost none of its magnificence. And all the more so today, one might be tempted to say, when beyond the hubbub of its disorganised suburbs lies an orderly city, with straight streets lined with sumptuous palaces.<\/p>\n
Built by the Knights of the Order of St John, Valletta's layout is as perfect as a church. As a choir, the Palace of the Grand Masters and its sumptuous ceremonial rooms. Or the co-cathedral, with its unbelievably rich Baroque gold, like the whole city, which was built by an order made up of French, Spanish, English, German, Portuguese and Italians. Was Valletta an aggregate of European unity in the 16th century? It must be, so familiar does it seem to the thousands of visitors who pass through every day.<\/p>\n
It's hard not to stop in front of the application of an old sea dog tracing the coloured lines of the hull of his boat. A palette of yellow, blue, red and green that looks like something out of a child's bath. To ward off bad luck, every fisherman is wont to draw the eyes of the god Osiris on his bow. The luzzus, as they are known in Malta, are thought to have originated in Phoenician times. Many still float between two yachts in Valletta's main port. But the greatest concentration is in the bay of Marsaxlokk, a charming little port in the south of the island, far from the hustle and bustle of the seaside resorts on the east coast.<\/p>\n
What a curiosity in the history of art! What a treasure this little piece of land lost between Italy and Libya conceals! There, in the imposing darkness of the oratory of the co-cathedral of Saint John of Valletta, Caravaggio painted. The Decollation of Saint John the Baptist, his immense canvas measuring four by five metres, radiates beauty, as if it has risen from limbo. And it triggers the same emotion in pilgrims and agnostic tourists alike. It's an effect that has lasted for 400 years, when the pious knights spent their last lay night here before joining the Order of Malta ad vitam \u00e6ternam.<\/p>\n
Wealthy and powerful, the Knights of the Order subsequently employed the services of numerous painters until their departure from Malta in 1798. From Mattia Preti, known as the Calabrese, who created the incredible baroque decoration of the co-cathedral, to Antoine Favray, whose portraits are scattered all over the island. An artistic heritage that alone justifies the trip.<\/p>\n
This is undoubtedly one of Malta's best-kept secrets. And yet, it's hard not to stumble across these happy vines at the turn of a bumpy path or on the smallest cultivated plot of land. Happy, yes, because the nectar that emerges from the Maltese limestone soil deserves more than a tasting between two sunbaths. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot imported from France have taken on a delicious island accent over time. Like the dry, full-bodied whites that go by the sweet names of Isis or C\u00e9leste.<\/p>\n
Cultivated since Roman times, the Maltese vine was reborn at the dawn of the 20th century. And it was a knight who was responsible for this rediscovery when, in 1919, he launched his own appellation, marsovin. This was followed by delicata and meridiana in the 1990s. The latter had to take over the former Royal Air Force airfield in order to exist. More than 100,000 bottles are now produced every year from this former battlefield. But consumption remains local.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A maritime crossroads between East and West, wedged between Sicily and Tunisia, Malta has never been spared the upheavals of history.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14841,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97],"tags":[1169],"type-darticle":[],"n_magazine":[],"class_list":["post-14839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-destinations-incentive","tag-malte","vapo-free"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n