Fort St Angelo held out when St Elmo fell
The Order’s headquarters through the Great Siege, then a British naval base for over a century, and now open to walk round.
13 Jun 20262 minRead Fort St Angelo held out when St Elmo fell
Malta Central Magazine
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The Maltese balcony, and where it came from
The closed wooden balcony is on streets across both islands. Where it came from is still argued over.
12 Jun 20262 minRead The Maltese balcony, and where it came from -
What the colours of the parking bays mean
White is free, green is for residents with a permit, yellow means no and blue needs a badge.
11 Jun 20262 minRead What the colours of the parking bays mean -
Every office wants the same three documents
Who you are, where you live and what you live on. Gather them once, copy everything twice, and the paperwork stops being…
10 Jun 20262 minRead Every office wants the same three documents -
Malta has no rivers, so half its water is made from the sea
No rivers, no lakes. Half the supply is pumped from under the limestone and half is made from seawater.
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One Grand Master paid for thirteen towers in two years
Martin de Redin funded a chain of watchtowers close enough to signal each other. Eight of the thirteen are still standing.
8 Jun 20262 minRead One Grand Master paid for thirteen towers in two years -
The statues on street corners were the street lights
Niches cut into the corner of a building, with a lamp underneath. Before street lighting that lamp was the light on the…
7 Jun 20262 minRead The statues on street corners were the street lights -
Rent is taxed at fifteen per cent if you want it to be
A flat fifteen per cent of the gross rent, as a final tax, with nothing deductible. Or declare it with everything else…
6 Jun 20262 minRead Rent is taxed at fifteen per cent if you want it to be -
Imqaret are sold from a van and eaten hot
Diamonds of pastry filled with dates and deep fried. Good for about ten minutes, which is why the van matters more than…
5 Jun 20262 minRead Imqaret are sold from a van and eaten hot -
What a village core is, and why to stay in one
The old centre of an inland town costs less than the coast, is quieter, and shows you how the island runs day…
3 Jun 20262 minRead What a village core is, and why to stay in one -
How the buses in Malta work
No train, no tram, and nearly every route running through Valletta. What to know before you rely on the bus.
28 May 20262 minRead How the buses in Malta work -
The Three Cities are older than Valletta
Birgu, Senglea and Cospicua sit opposite Valletta and predate it. The ferry across takes about five minutes.
18 May 20262 minRead The Three Cities are older than Valletta