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MALTA |
Victorisso Birgu
Birgu and the Three Cities offer an intriguing insight into Malta and its
history. Left largely unvisited, the Three Cities are a slice of
authentic life, and a glimpse into Malta’s maritime fortunes.
The Three Cities can rightly claim to be the cradle of Maltese
history. Vittoriosa and Senglea on rocky promontories jutting into Grand
Harbour, and Cospicua at the end of the creek between, have provided a home
and fortress to almost every people who settled here.
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Their harbour inlets have been
in use since Phoenician times: the docks always providing a living for
local people, but also leaving them vulnerable when Malta’s rulers were
at war. As the first home to the Knights
of St John, the Cities’ palaces, churches, forts and bastions are
far older than Valletta’s.
The local communities here celebrate holy days and festas as nowhere else
on the Islands. The most spectacular events are the Easter
processions when statues of the "Risen Christ" are carried at a
run through crowded streets. Another attraction is the Birgu Festival in
October which re-enacts the arrival of the Knights on Malta in 1530.
Although renamed by the Knights to reflect their victory over the Ottoman
Turks, the Cities are still called by their older names of Birgu, L’Isla
and Bormla. They are known as the ‘Cottonera’ after the Grand
Master Cottonerwho built their inland defences. Understanding this name
game is all part of discovering a fascinating area of the Islands.
This text courtesy of http://www.visitmalta.com/
Birgu
I Mdina I
Valletta
I
Victoria
Gozo
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