These Maltese Islands are a group of small, barren

ROCKS, JUTTING OUT OF THE MIDDLE OF THE DARK BLUE MEDITERRANEAN SEA! In these conditions, they would have been relegated to the footnotes of history? Yet, ever since the archipelago was first colonized thousands of years ago, they have never been far from a center of events and have been very often plagued by them & usually even played a crucial role in the making of history! Their strategic situation in the Central Point of the Mediterranean Sea makes up for all the lack of resources that nature endowed the rest of the globe sothat Malta, the largest island, and her sister islands of GOZO, COMINO, FIFLA & other very small islands, are strategically placed in a narrow channel joining the eastern & the western basins of the Mediterranean!

Or, if you like, a bridge between southern Europe & the northern part of Africa, or between western Europe & the near middle East? THÌS had landed the Maltese Islands right ik the middle of the most important historic events: the wars between Rome & Carthage, a big rise of Islam, the crusades, all wars between Moslems & Christians, rise & fall ofthe British Empire, another fight for democracy against fascism & Nazism, the very cold war(s) & rise of a united Europe ànd the CHALLENGES of thé THIRD Millennium?! Anyway, in the 11th century Europeans went on journeys called pilgrimages to Jerusalem aka YERUSHALAYIM! In 1048 some Italian merchants founded an order of monks called the Holy Order of Saint John of Jeru-Salem: they cared for the sick pilgrims as best they could & in 1113 the order was even formally recognized by the POPE OF ROME ~~

However in 1291 the Muslims drove the Christians also out of Israel! The Knights of Saint John first went to Cyprus but in 1310 they moved & left to move to Rhodes?!

In 1523 the Turks captured Rhodes & the Knights we're left without a hod until the Spanish king gave them Malta in 1530!? It was not very much of a prize: Malta was arid ànd infertile & fresh water was very scarce & the people also very poor?

Nevertheless these Knights of Saint John máde MALTA THEIR HOME! In 1562 the INQUISITION was established @ Malta & THE MAIN JOB OF THIS EVIL ORGANISATION WAS TO HUNT DOWN AND SEVERELY PUNISH SOCALLED 'heretics' (anybody who did not agree with the funny teachings of the Catholic Church)! The Maltese inquisition was not abolished until 1798?

We'll see (or we won't)!