History Summarized: Malta - An Empire In Miniature

Every so often I talk about Architecture in my history videos, and I always make a point to keep the tangents in check, lest they take over the whole video. But commenters say "Blue, don't hold back, make a video full of the architecture tangents!"
Well, when looking at Malta, it's hard to do anything BUT go on tangents about architecture, so here we are. "Oops, All Architecture Tangents"
Enjoy
SOURCES & Further Reading: Carmel Cassar's "Concise History of Malta" - Lonely Planet "Malta & Gozo" - And an absolute buttload of first-hand observation taken while I was there on vacation in April, plus architectural discussions with eager tour guides and very patient locals.
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[@bunnywaffles1190]

Every time Blue mentions having actually visited the places he does videos on, I once more realize that OSP is clearly just a racket to get him the funds/support to go visit more places with gorgeous architecture, which he then makes videos on to get MORE support, to go on MORE trips. Clearly the perfect cyclical scheme!

[@justtakeitac2028]

Well, it is a business expense. XD

[@RichardFay]

Maybe, but he also makes some informative videos with lots of pretty scenery. So... Yeah.

[@chartypeplays2396]

I believe that scheme is called "running a business", lol.

[@janmelantu7490]

@@RichardFayLike, is it a racket if we all support it

[@pieterfaes6263]

An architectural Ponzi scheme?

[@beaversforlife1298]

Since I'm Maltese, I'll share this history fact. During the French occupation of Malta, the French attempted to remove the Knight's influence on the Islands by defacing many of the Coat of arms in outside buildings formerly occupied by the Knights. They also looted many churches and treasures of the Knights such as the Sword of La Valette. The looting of churches prompted many locals to hide any gold or silver and even painted the gates of one church black to fool the french into not taking it apart. Loved the Video OSP and I am glad that you enjoyed your visit to our humble islands!

[@lukegauci1159]

According to Profs Victor Mallia Milanese, the black gate event during the French occupation is a myth. I asked him myself during my 1st year of my history degree at the University of Malta. I also though it was true but it apprently isn't

[@beaversforlife1298]

@@lukegauci1159 Interesting, thanks for letting me know! If this is the case I still think the myth has some truth to it as most myths generally originate from a true event but get twisted by time and distance. It wouldn't be hard to believe that some gold or silver or bronze items were painted black and eventually it got exaggerated to a whole gate.

[@lukegauci1159]

@@beaversforlife1298 Yes fro sure! While the gate myth might not have happened, the French pillaged the Maltese churches relentesly! So as you say there maybe some truth to the myth even if not directly linked to a specific event

[@alexanderpontier540]

I love my French heritage but yeah, no matter who, Imperialism and cultural erasure is always bad. Do better France!

[@MetalMockingjay]

How fascinating! I've never met a malteaser before.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

I love how blue often chooses some of the most interesting yet overlooked parts of history to focus on.

[@silverjohn6037]

So long as there's cool architecture involved;). Those thatched hut livers can be lost to history.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

@@silverjohn6037 To be fair most "thatched hut hunters" don't have a writing system so there is often little history that can be gleaned from them.

[@silverjohn6037]

@@thedukeofchutney468 My intended reference wasn't to hunter gatherers but more the common folk during historical periods. The "Philosopher King" mind set in approaching historical periods focusses on the kings, saints and scholars and misses out on the impact of the lesser merchants and yeomanry (a term specific to England I know but I couldn't think of a better word to apply world wide). I've always felt that kings and generals are bit like horse jockeys. They do have an impact but they don't win many races without a good horse;). Likewise history should include the study of both the great and the common. In the case of Blue he does an excellent job of grand but he often glosses past the common. Well, except were he can use the treatment of common people as a stick to beat the reputation of those he disapproves of.

[@tayanasummers]

European history, specifically, but yeah. Interesting.

[@cea6770]

Not really, he just ran out of the most discussed parts (and doesn't like/know much about history post-Renaissance and outside of Europe).

[@craxnor]

I feel like we need more context on the phrase “The Popes personal military architect.”

[@LieutenantAmerica]

Those walls around the Vatican weren't built for show. Back in ye olden days the Vatican wanted to make damn sure nobody sacked them like how Rome got sacked.

[@magnusengeseth5060]

The Papal State was a country that covered much of central Italy for centuries. Countries fight wars, so you got things like warrior popes here.

[@silverjohn6037]

Let's just say if Stalin had been around though most of the Renaissance and asked how many troops the Pope commanded... ? He would have let the pope sit in on any diplomatic meetings.

[@FoggyMcFogFace]

You should watch the videos on pope fights

[@alexandergangaware429]

Back then, the Pope had military architecture needs, so he had a guy for that. That's the context

[@dimensionaldining]

It’s so beautiful how the different eras of occupation impact the architectural styles. You can really see history in Malta.

[@lukegauci1159]

As a Maltese person who has lived his entire life on Malta and historian trained at the University of Malta, I can honestly say that this video is amazing and its so nice to see Blue go all history nerd on my home island!

[@HaniiPuppy]

Fun aside: That specific knightly order was the Knights Hospitaller, founded in 1099. They've been known by multiple names over the years, (Knights of Rhodes, Knights of Malta, Knights of St. John, Order of St. John) and they're *still around.* They're the ones that run the St. John's Ambulance Service, and briefly had an airforce in the 1940s.

[@durhamdavesbg4948]

Sort of, the direct descendants are probably the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, still a Catholic order. The ones who have the St John Ambulance are the Order of St John, who originate in a Victorian British re-founding and are not limited by religion these days. The latter one is a part of another Alliance of Orders, mostly Protestant, which grew out of the splits of the Reformation.

[@lk4871]

My cousins son is a Knight of Malta.

[@nutterbotter8308]

@@lk4871what that’s so cool, what does the order have him do?

[@lk4871]

@@nutterbotter8308 He’s a successful businessman, he contributes to charities in Malta. He’s hired many refugees while helping many Maltese people. The Knights of Malta come from many countries around the world. Sammy Davis Jnr was also a Knight of Malta. The Legacy lives on. I’m very proud

[@dawnbreaker1104]

This has single-handedly convinced me that visiting Malta needs to be on my bucket list

[@georgebronte840]

Avoid the summer hordes and sleazebags at all costs!

[@jenniferhampton5171]

I was just there. Really enjoyed it. They also have a lot of cultural activities today: music, theatre, dance, art. There is also University of Malta.

[@hughmungus99]

oh yeah same, and that's not even mentioning the super unique language. I mean it's a latinized semitic language written in a unique version of the latin alphabet. That's cool in and of itself

[@c.asicetea3119]

Yes please do visit!! It’s not just Valetta and Mdina but there is so much more beauty in the country!

[@zsoltpeterdaniel8413]

Visited it this summer for an internship and it was stunning!! The magic of the sea, the beauty of it's architecture and the kindness of the locals. Definitely visit it as soon as you can.

[@matthew.b.thomas]

Architecture student here, Mannerist architecture was described by my professor as basically Classical but they play fast and loose with the rules. Column grouping, proportion, and the like are slightly different, and they don’t always strictly follow the rules of strictly classical architecture. TLDR: yeah it looks the same unless you REALLY care about that sort of thing

[@MohammedAlQemzi]

I had the pleasure of visiting Malta in 2021 right after lockdown. Photos don’t do the place any justice. It was like being in a postcard or a holiday Pinterest board. And from a historic perspective, for a tiny rock off the coast of Italy, it was like visiting a TARDIS. So much history packed into a small space. Everything from the Neolithic period to WW2 is meticulously preserved and just plain fantastic to see! Basically all the greatest hits of the Mediterranean from the Carthaginian empire to the Ottomans have passed through at one point or another and have left their mark on the island. Cannot recommend visiting this beautiful country enough!

[@e.s.viviano7835]

It's funny that you mention the TARDIS, because Dr. Who's blue box usually features a sign for St. John's Ambulance on the outside of the police box. St. John's Ambulance is an international aid organization, but it's overseen by the Order of St. John, which in turn traces its origins back to the Knights Hospitaller, who much later became the Order of Malta. So there you go - full circle. Which is really fitting for a Dr. Who reference.

[@jenniferhampton5171]

I was there in October 2022. Really enjoyed it. Flew over from Amsterdam. These two visits were my first to Europe. I stayed in Valleta.

[@Obi-Wan_Kenobi]

Ah, the Empire of Malta! I expected someone of your reputation to be a little -older- bigger.

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

So civilized

[@doodlebug4360]

Blue didn't mention that the Knights held some of the Caribbean islands. In particular; Saint Christopher, Saint Martin, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Croix

[@InExcelsisDeo]

This to me reads like Halo 4, a 5'11" gen IV spartan to 7' Master Chief: "You're shorter than I expected." 😂

[@dliessmgg]

Not mentioned in the video but just as interesting: the Maltese language is descended from a variety of classical Arabic, but due to the political & religious divide got cut off from the rest of the Arabic world. As a result it developed into its own direction, and over time had influence from Sicilian, Italian, and later English.

[@kingeddiam2543]

Important to mention it is the only semitic language that uses the Latin alphabet

[@stitchesbunny8496]

That's really cool!

[@thanakonpraepanich4284]

Now you make me think Maltese Arabic might be the closet thing we got to the Crusaders Era Arabic. The same way Elizabethan English survive in the form of American Appalachian Hillbilly English for it too is cut off from the outside English speaking world for nearly a century.

[@georgebronte840]

So basically we are the "hillbillies" of the Arab world. LOL

[@thanakonpraepanich4284]

@@georgebronte840 As the speakers of the old, less altered dialect of Arabic yes. The same with Quebec and Cajun French. I imagine some medieval poems and tales that sound dull when you recite them in Modern Arabic will shine if you recite them in Maltese Arabic, which is a lot closer than how the language sound when those poems and tales were written.

[@quinnbilson365]

I’m actually a Maltese person living in the US! My Nanna (grandma) came from Malta and settled in the Detroit area with lots of other Maltese immigrants. So there’s a decent Maltese community around Detroit but nowhere else in the US that I know of! Thank you for covering our little island; it’s surprising the amount of people I’ve met who’ve never heard of Malta!

[@ianfarrugia4495]

I believe New York and Canada have small Maltese bubbles! Pete Buttigieg was born in Indiana so I'm guessing there's some diaspora there!

[@c.asicetea3119]

Oh wow, my dad who’s Maltese, moved to New York at 18 and moved back with my family for two year before returning and now lives in Detroit !

[@c.asicetea3119]

As one of the (Half-)Maltese viewers this video brings me a lot of joy. Our capital is truly stunning, and I’m also thrilled at the mention of the Citadel (As a Gozotian). I showed this to my very Maltese dad and he loved it! Thank you!!

[@antonsamuelsson1317]

As someone 1/4 Maltese i enjoyd this video and this comment. Should try to remember this to show grandma.

[@GorbonM]

Always love when you cover our little rock. We may be small but we have several thousand years of rich and well documented history, archeological sites and cultural significance in the mediterranean.

[@scripsiabiete]

Ah, blue talking about architecture and history. Always such a wonderful video.

[@theanimeunderworld8338]

Didn't we do Malta already?

[@marcello7781]

I've always been fascinated by the unusual history and culture of this gem of the Mediterranean.

[@ArtWithSR]

As someone who was at an art event twice in Valletta (2018 and 2019), hosted in the FRIGGIN St Elmo fortress, it is some of my favorite places to be. The Lower Barrakka Gardens is an absolute joy to just sit in and draw the grandeur of it all. It's definitely a place I am keen on visiting again in the future ^^

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

I was there for an internship earlier this year and it's so insane how these beautiful things just became everyday sights to me because of my commute/workplace😂 But the Lower Gardens were awesome and there is an amazing Art Café close to the center of Valletta where you can have awesome drinks, gaze at local art work and do some drawing yourself with the tools provided there

[@jeremy1860]

Your original video on this island is one of my all-time favourite history vids of yours, so I'm glad to see you revisiting this remarkable place 😊

[@Bluubuns]

Long time Maltese fan here. Its really nice and refreshing hearing such lovely words about our history. its also worth noting that our culture is just as Pan-Mediterranean as our architecture. I wish we can keep our visual identity just as intact as Valletta but other parts of our county isn't so fortunate. Fantastic video, had me smiling from ear to ear and I'm very glad to know you had a nice time here!

[@lokollidoesart]

My great grandmother grew up in Malta before moving to Australia, she was just a girl when Malta was bombed during the war. She recently passed away so seeing a new video of the country my family came from right now was a great comfort. Thank you for showing the beauty of Malta Blue

[@hansoskar1911]

The history of the maltese knights after they got evicted from Malta is also interesting, they are recognised kinda like a country without geographic area.

[@ClericOfPholtus]

One might say.... Soldiers without borders?

[@bakomusha]

@@ClericOfPholtus For a bit, but nowadays they are just a fraternity of Catholic Doctors, and Military Chaplin's.

[@durhamdavesbg4948]

@@ClericOfPholtus The Sovereign military order of Malta does a lot of humanitarian work and has UN observer status.

[@kurt4320]

@@bakomusha The Order still issues passports and is recognized as a Sovereignty though without any territory.

[@edgarsnake2857]

The Maltese Knights were pretty epic. Ancient ruins, bizarrely English speaking, great restaurants...a crossroads of the world for millennia. Ullyses may have been ship-wrecked on Gozo, Malta's sister island. Paul the Apostle may have ship-wrecked on Malta.

[@sarahgalea4010]

As a Maltese person, "this tiny rock" is an accurate description of the island and often how I describe it to people.

[@BackgroundHistory]

I remember sitting in an architecture lecture (archilecture if you will) and being confused about the distinction between Renaissance and Mannerism, so don't be sorry for Mannerism erasure. Characterizing it as basically late Renaissance is close enough in my opinion!

[@asherthedisaster4724]

as a french, your attempts to pronounce "langue" were appreciated and hilarious

[@H8Monster666]

Hello from Malta! Thanks for the video.

[@condie97]

I’ve been visiting Malta since I was 8 weeks old, I’m 26 year old now, and I’ve been in love with the island since I can remember. Valetta is one of the most beautiful places on earth, but the rest of the island is just as magnificent eg St. Julian’s or Mellieha are places I basically grew up! Thank you for bringing back great memories, it’s been a few years since I’ve been back but I can’t wait to go again now! Also the famous Mosta Rotunda is based directly on the Pantheon in Rome, if you haven’t been you’d love it!

[@MishaNem]

The more Blue talks about Malta, the stronger the urge to visit it grows

[@scottsteer7889]

Being half Maltese but living in the UK can make it hard to visit the place where my family lived, these videos help with the memories I have there so thank you!!

[@nicolebee3283]

I went to Malta over a decade ago and it’s still the holiday that I will never forget, it was so beautiful

[@the_jamesciarlo]

Your first video on Malta is what got me into your channel, which I have more mostly binged. As a Maltese citizen, I have often described the fortifications to my foreign friends pretty much as you did at the beginning of the video!

[@miriamzschocke2593]

This is super cool! I mean the still existing order of Malta is in itself a very fascinating organisation/state.

[@frauleinzuckerguss1906]

If you ever get the chance to visit Malta and are interested in the military history, I can really recommend visiting the National War Museum in Fort St. Elmo. It's only 10€ for entey and has a really big exhibition guiding you through the years inside the very fort that was so decisive for many battles

[@Midorikonokami]

I can't agree with you about the Renzo Piano cheese grater, but I love that you managed to go! I remember how much you wanted to visit in the last one!

[@mjr_schneider]

Coincidentally, I'm planning on visiting Malta this September. Without a doubt the greatest Catholic Arab/Italian/British country on Earth.

[@nightengalenorth6881]

As awesome as the pictures you showed were, it still doesn't even come close to how beautiful Malta is. Malta's history is incredibly rich and this barely scratches the surface of it. I was in Malta in 2015 for 5 weeks as part of a program I was in for college and it immediately went on the list of places I must get to in my lifetime. I may have been there for a good chunk of time, but it did not feel like it was even remotely enough time to truly appreciate the country.

[@LarsisLP]

One thing this video didn't touch on (understandably, as it was about the island, not the knights that once lived there) is how the story of the Knight orders of Malta continues after their defeat by Napoleon, and how they exist in some form to this day, as a weird mix of religious order, humanitarian aid organization and territory less state. Would love to a video on that topic one day!

[@hamburgerlord7849]

Your Malta video was already my favorite so this is a great suprise!

[@clarenceweaver1820]

Between this and the previous video on Malta, it’s shot up on my list of places I NEED to travel to

[@BlazeTheDemidragon]

as a person who was forced to study architecture in his art history course, alongside the paintings and sculptures i was actually interested in, im so glad someone else is looking at the style of baroque buildings and calling it neoclassical. like yes, i know the differences and i even used to be able to explain why there were differences, but if there's something that looks like neoclassical architecture, im going to call it that lmao

[@cxfxcdude]

Thank you Papa Blue, i hope you and your son had many wonderful memories and adventures on your trip to that beautiful land

[@petersutcliffe4927]

I have been binging old OSP videos all morning, great timing with the new one!

[@realeggboi]

Love the video! As a Maltese myself, I love it when channels such as yours cover our tiny rock! Something I think you should've mentioned was that when the British introduced the Neo-Classical style to the islands, the largely Christian population was LIVID, as the style was inspired by the Greeks and Romans, pagan societies. As such, the British decided to build with a Gothic style instead, which you can still find in some cemeteries and churches.

[@Saltyorange11]

I love Malta as of writing this comment I actually got back from visiting my Nannu and Nanna (Maltese for Grandpa and Grandma respectively) 4 days ago and it’s awesome that you can walk down the street and the entire style of the buildings changes

[@eveakane6563]

I saw the comment that said you already this topic before and are revisiting it. Gonna say that it's so cool that you can go over this again with more knowledge and experience!

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

Thanks for teaching me about the existence of Saint-Elmo

[@kahorere]

Wait til you hear about the existence of st. Elmo's fire!

[@lettuceman9439]

St.Elmo last stand is just pure metal.

[@AskMia411]

I’d love to see a video on Petra! The way it and the surrounding kingdom was built is fascinating and impressive and of love to see blue’s take on it!!!!

[@AegixDrakan]

Man, an island that is both beautiful and also an impregnable fortress is an incredible combo. :D

[@avakining]

Oooh a second Malta video!

[@BoliVic96]

this is way too good for youtube, you have no reason to put in so much effort yet you do and I have no way to actually show appreciation

[@georgesciriha7497]

A brilliant historical overview of the rich history of Malta. Your presentation was very pleasant to hear and follow. Congratulations!

[@apersonofearth7368]

The Casa Rocca Piccola in Valletta is the residence of the 9th Marquis of Malta. Him and his family still reside there yet the home is still open to public tours on certain hours. I went on a tour to the underground tunnels and cistern beneath the house. In the olden days there was a law that every new house had to be built with a cistern underneath it to conserve water. Roll around to WWII, the Maltese drained their cisterns and built connecting tunnels between their empty cisterns and their neighbors empty cisterns so if 1 family’s bomb bunker collapsed the family could use the tunnels and shelter in a neighboring family’s underground network. The Piccola’s chambers are still fully intact running deep beneath the house as the Marquis’ cistern is 100 ft deep!

[@jean-paulaudette9246]

Gorgeous and fascinating! I've wanted to learn more about Malta, ever since I found out that it is the home of THE most ancient man-made dwelling still in existence.

[@luckykat8888]

As an Aussie/Maltese this brings my heart joy. Thank you Blue. :)

[@wolfofthewest670]

It's been a great place to live for the past year

[@andrewchapman2039]

Welcome to Blue's brain, come for the history, stay for the architecture rants!

[@UnholyerTenThou]

Stay for both dude

[@satansamael666]

Now Blue needs to do one about Gibraltar.

[@selkiedraws3156]

Maltese person here! Loved watching this video I dont really see many videos on maltese history that isn't made by a maltese person I'm glad people find our little island so interesting because believe me we have some awesome history. :) ps. Hearing blue try to pronounce maltese words cracked me up sm.

[@bakomusha]

As a Maltese-American it's always amazing seeing SOMEONE talk about the land of my forefathers, that isn't just WW2.

[@NaraNieves95]

Malta is fantastic! When we went we visited Mdina and Valleta and what I found so fascinating about Mdina was how the roads and pathways got narrower as you climbed higher, a purposeful built bottleneck for foot soldiers and eventually a way to prevent horses and chariots from getting to the end goal. Beautiful architecture and even greater battlements.

[@perceptoshmegington3371]

Malta is a wonderful place and occupies a unique position in history. Big respect to the Knights Hospitaller and all their descendents.

[@yayamene386]

Love how this drops right after I came back from vacay on Malta

[@Dresnat]

The “no tickle zone” when talking about Fort Saint Elmo is such a great joke.

[@Nasser851000]

I've been to Malta once and it was a great time :)

[@Tgm_464]

Crusaders: *slaps the top of malta* Everyone including the crusaders: This baby can fit some much fucking limestone it

[@inconvenientcricket7017]

Last Time I was thus early dabbing was still a fad😅

[@benoitlefevre8064]

And now I want to visit it... well done.

[@atomicchicken4453]

This man's passion is contagious

[@GrangerBillyMaysKinne]

Absolutley love the videos on smaller and more unknown parts of the world/history, It's always so interesting to see how much our history classes really miss important/just straight up cool history. In terms of the Knights of Malta, they also owned the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands in the Carribbean, and was a literal colonial power of two-three islands, while still just being an order of knights!

[@ritaknight4215]

I enjoy it as I am Maltese. And very proud of Maltese island❤

[@maguilar5943]

Hi hello, architecture student here! Though I usually also equate mannierism to “Renaissance before baroque”, the best way to explain it is that it is called that because it is architecture “in the manner of”, namely Michelangelo. Mannierist architects were trying to imitate the masters’ work, and in doing so, began shifting from the ideal of harmony Brunelleschi had established in the Renaissance, towards a more ornamented and “plastic” architecture without going to the extremes of the baroque. It is during mannierism that we begin to see architectural elements used not for structural purposes, but merely decorative ones (like the fake windows in Michelangelo’s New Sacristy in Florence)

[@isapu1948]

Mdina sounds like an abraviation/localisation of the word Madina Which is just Arabic for City In fact, if you go to modern day Morocco, you'll hear people refer to as the oldest parts of their cities as Mdina lkadima

[@OverlySarcasticProductions]

It is exactly. Mdina was simply The City. Adjacent to it is Rabat, the suburbs. Fascinating linguistic artifacts. -B

[@ianfarrugia4495]

long time fan of this show! really happy about this video!

[@Geoduck.]

We may visit Malta next year. So much history.

[@KenderFox-MothVA]

Always wanted to learn more about smaller nations of the world like Malta! Good video as always Malta is truly unstoppable.

[@Arelenedhel]

Such an interesting video! Can’t say I knew anything about Malta and now I’d love to visit! Thanks, Blue!

[@montithered4741]

I would not have expected monochromatic architecture to be sooo GORGEOUS!

[@Ryan-ij3ge]

“Today we know it as St. John’s Co-Cathedral but that wasn’t until the 1820’s so shhh, forget about it. It’s fine” 😂 I love the humor you all put into your videos. It’s why you’re my favorite history channel on KZbin.

[@deangajraj]

Deciphering the architectural history of Malta is akin to peeking into a visual diary of human-development. Every structure serves as a footnote in its grand narrative, detailing how Mannerism gave way to Baroque, neoclassicism was applied with creativity, and past empires left their mark. What these islands offer more than anything is an appreciation for architecture that extends beyond its tangible components; it's about the stories waiting to be uncovered, the ideas that lie within, and the memories they form. The Maltese landscape is a microcosm of bygone eras - seemingly small yet infinitely powerful in its grandeur.

[@fighting.words.ma.library]

I'm glad you decided to "do some history" on this topic. That was really fascinating.

[@rhodridavies9426]

I've wanted to visit Malta for a while, now I really want to go! 😛

[@AegeusI7]

Going to Malta soon, watched your older video yesterday because i hype myselfe up and now u guys upload a new one

[@xtap2072]

I've been there three times and it's still i my favorite place to go for vacation❤

[@purplehaze2358]

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: Half the time, this series feels less like "History Summarized" and more like "Architecture Summarized".

[@sinanyucel3373]

Idk about mannerist architecture, but mannerist paintings are quite different than renaissance. So maybe they’re just named the same because it’s roughly the same time before baroque and after high renaissance.

[@shadowinthedark0893]

Always excited to watch new uploads!

[@sandradermark8463]

A lovely Island where everyone (Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, St Paul, Knights, Turks, Napoleón, Lord Nelson, Victorians, Mussolini's Fascists...) has been, including yours truly, and where you can feel the flutter of wings of history!

[@Dave_Sisson]

Mussolini never got there, thanks to the incredible defence of the island by the British military and the Maltese civilians.

[@jezlawrence720]

The view from the mdina walls is just incredible.

[@erminpajazetovic9506]

I was waiting for this a long time

[@erinyes3943]

This man made me teary eyed over *buildings* dear god

[@antoniomoreira5921]

Not sure it's the right niche but if you're very very much into the History of the knights of Saint John/Hospitallers/Malta + hard core Medieval and Modern Era warfare (Ottomans too) I hotly recommend Schwerpunkt's videos series

[@Thunderdumpe]

Yeah he has a super different flavour, but his coverage & detail are insane

[@jaxsonhedberg7515]

I would totally buy a sticker that says: "Crusaders man, I tell ya."

[@Anotwix]

I have some ancestors from Malta that expatriated themselves and fuck, this video makes me want to visit Malta so bad even though I know I will get whiplash like "wait why am I calling this the land of my ancestors I recognize nothing I belong nowhere", the tourism office should have payed for this video on your channel, hahaha

[@stephenalworth2103]

One of the few places I’ve actually been able to visit. Beautiful location with a lot of history.

[@lk4871]

That was awesome. I’m Maltese living in Australia. Thank you for showing off my island home

[@christinaellinas9459]

Amazing video! I hope you guys do one on Cyprus one of these days; it has such a long and complex ancient history that has been influenced by almost all of the other great empires you’ve explored on this channel, it would be really interesting to see all that influence on another tiny Mediterranean rock 😊

[@planplo]

Learning about this history makes me more intrigued about how Malta came to have the only official semitic language in Europe.

[@emermage]

Funny how this channel have gradually transformed from historical one to acitectural

[@andersonic]

As an 80's latchkey HBO kid I only knew Malta as the site of Sweet Haven in Robin Williams' "Popeye", which really deserves to be a less forgotten part of the culture. What am I, some kind of barnacles on the dinghy of life? I ain't no doctors but I knows when I'm losing me patiensk!

[@lawman592]

What about the Malta Summit in 1989? George HW Bush and Gorbachev got together to declare the end of the Cold War.