- Malta
Simon Mercieca
University of Malta, Faculty of Arts, Faculty Member
- Knights of Malta, Historical Demography, Family name research and genealogy, migration history, History of the Family, Spatial demography, Demography, and 6 moreMalta, Knights Hospitaller, the Sovereign Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, Demography of the Ottoman Empire, Maritime History, and Family historyedit
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In our two previous contributions, we discussed both Ibn Al Athir’s story about the reconquest of the fortress of Malta by the Byzantines in 982 and the attack on Drejba in 1039, and explained why these two stories are strongly... more
In our two previous contributions, we discussed both Ibn Al Athir’s story about the reconquest of the fortress of Malta by the Byzantines in 982 and the attack on Drejba in 1039, and explained why these two stories are strongly inter-related. In this contribution, we wish to return to Al Athir’s work to discuss another reference to Malta, which complements these two events. Al Athir’s world history, the alKāmil fi t-tarīkh, was edited by Carl Tornberg and published in 14 volumes in Leiden (Holland) under the title of Ibn al-Athīr Chronicon quod perfectissinum inscribitur between 1851 and 1876. Al Athir covered what he considered to be the history of the world up to the year 1231, and his chronicle became a historical canon for anyone wishing to write about the Arabs. The first part of this work covers up to AH 310 (AD 923) and is an abbreviation of the work of Tabarī with minor additions. Ibn Athir also wrote a history of the Atabegs of Mosul at-Tarīkh al-atabakīya, which was publis...
Research Interests: History, Ancient History, Arabic Language and Linguistics, Byzantine Studies, History of Islam, and 15 moreByzantine History, History of the Islamic World, Muslims in Europe, Medieval Sicily, Medieval Malta, Norman Sicily, Norman Italy, History of Islamic Civilization, Islamic History and Muslim Civilization, Islamic and Norman Sicily, Sicily, History of Malta, Ecclesiastical History of Malta, Conquest, and Muslim Christian Relation
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Reply to a letter written by Areno Deguara regarding the article 'The Birgu Painting of St. Alphonse Maria De Liguori: A Journey in the History of Popular Religion in Malta' in Treasures of Malta, no. 43, Christmas 2008, vol. xv,... more
Reply to a letter written by Areno Deguara regarding the article 'The Birgu Painting of St. Alphonse Maria De Liguori: A Journey in the History of Popular Religion in Malta' in Treasures of Malta, no. 43, Christmas 2008, vol. xv, no. 1, pp. 63-68.peer-reviewe
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In his pioneering work on the history of the Manoel Theatre, Paul Xuereb brings out the difficulties that any researcher who intends to study the early history of secular music in Malta, in particular opera, will have to face.... more
In his pioneering work on the history of the Manoel Theatre, Paul Xuereb brings out the difficulties that any researcher who intends to study the early history of secular music in Malta, in particular opera, will have to face. “Unfortunately, little information is extant about the Italian players or their production, for apart from the absence of the theatre archives, reviews or notices of plays very rarely appeared in contemporary newspapers, unless they were productions for charity”. Research difficulties increase for the period under study since no newspaper existed. This essay should be considered as a work-in-progress paper aimed at shedding new light on some of the opera singers at the Manoel Theatre in the 1760s. In fact, the scope is to share, with the reader, the preliminary results of an extensive research that is being carried out in Malta and Italy on the presence of Italian singers in Malta.peer-reviewe
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The mission statement of the Mediterranean Institute, as drawn up by its current Chairman and ex-Rector of the University of Malta, Peter Serracino-Inglott, states that the Institute’s main objective “is to promote Mediterranean Studies... more
The mission statement of the Mediterranean Institute, as drawn up by its current Chairman and ex-Rector of the University of Malta, Peter Serracino-Inglott, states that the Institute’s main objective “is to promote Mediterranean Studies in both the arts and social sciences, through a holistic understanding of this historic region, its culture and its people”. It was for the achievement of this purpose that the University of Malta entrusted to the Mediterranean Institute the teaching of a number of topics which promote the culture of dialogue, in particular Anthropology, Geography, Hispanic Studies, History of Mediterranean Civilisation, Music and Theatre Studies. A factor of unity in these courses is interdisciplinarity, a feature which is making them very attractive to students. A projected outcome of this interdisciplinary philosophy is the participation of the Mediterranean Institute in European projects. For this reason, the Mediterranean Institute accepted to participate in a n...
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Fāris Al-Shidyāq is not a greatly known figure in Malta, yet, he is well known in the Arabic world and is considered one of the giants of nineteenth-century Arabic literature. This man spent a long period of life in Malta although until... more
Fāris Al-Shidyāq is not a greatly known figure in Malta, yet, he is well known in the Arabic world and is considered one of the giants of nineteenth-century Arabic literature. This man spent a long period of life in Malta although until now, it was largely thought that his sojourn in Malta had only been from 1835 up to 1848. Recent research has shown that this great man of Arab literature had visited Malta before. In fact, the first time that Fāris Al-Shidyāq came to Malta was in January 1827 after having left Beirut, his home city, for Alexandria whence he continued his voyage on the English ship Mary, arriving in Malta on 21st March 1827. He came here seeking refuge after having changed his religion and from being a Maronite Christian had become a Protestant Christian.1 On his arrival, he identified himself as ‘maestro di lingua araba, that is, a language teacher. On arriving in Malta, he had to undergo quarantine at the Lazzaretto in Gzira.2 Simon Mercieca is a French-trained his...
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Le present memoire propose une etude des principaux facteurs explicatifs de la croissance d'une communaute urbaine situee au centre de la Mediterranee. L'enregistrement paroissial, en particulier des baptemes mariages et... more
Le present memoire propose une etude des principaux facteurs explicatifs de la croissance d'une communaute urbaine situee au centre de la Mediterranee. L'enregistrement paroissial, en particulier des baptemes mariages et sepultures, a fourni la matiere premiere pour la reconstitution des familles de la ville portuaire de Bormla a Malte. D'autres sources religieuses ont ete utilises : les etats des âmes et les registres de translation (Stati Liberi). Sur le plan technique, ces deux dernieres sources ont apporte des complements tres importants pour la reconstitution des familles imaginee jadis par Louis Henry. Le fichier de population, une fois continue, a permis une mesure fine des comportements demographiques. Le systeme de reproduction maltais semble domine par une fecondite moyenne. Les intervalles entre les naissances sont particulierement long alors que l'âge au mariage s'inscrit dans un modele mediterraneen classique. 25% des femmes ont moins de 15 ans lors de leur mariage au XVIe siecle. Et c'est seulement au XVIIIe siecle que cette population entrera dans le modele, decrit par Hajnal, d'elevation de l'âge au mariage. La methode de reconstitution des familles a egalement fourni une description complete du tissu urbain des villes portuaires maltaises permettant ainsi d'envisager d'autres etudes a caractere sociologique (comportements sexuels et avortement). Cette etude se termine par une explication du declin observe dans la zone portuaire a la fin du siecle dernier.
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Forsi llum ftit jafu, li Raħal Ġdid kien minn ta’ quddiem li nvolva ruħu fil-politika sa mill-bidu tagħha. Il-politika kif nafuha llum taf l-oriġini tagħha għas-snin tletin tas-seklu dsatax. Kien eżattament meta l-Maltin bdew jitolbu... more
Forsi llum ftit jafu, li Raħal Ġdid kien minn ta’ quddiem li nvolva ruħu fil-politika sa mill-bidu tagħha. Il-politika kif nafuha llum taf l-oriġini tagħha għas-snin tletin tas-seklu dsatax. Kien eżattament meta l-Maltin bdew jitolbu għall-aktar drittijiet mingħand il-mexxejja politiċi tagħhom, li naraw l-bidu ta’ dik li llum hija s-sistema politika magħmula minn żewġ partiti politiċi ewlenin.peer-reviewe
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In this study, the authors discuss another Arabic account with references to the history of the island of Malta. The account is by Abu al-Fida. The latter discusses the help that Ibn Al Thamna received from Christians from the city of... more
In this study, the authors discuss another Arabic account with references to the history of the island of Malta. The account is by Abu al-Fida. The latter discusses the help that Ibn Al Thamna received from Christians from the city of Malta in 1052 AD.
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The study of the history of the Catholic Church is often thought of in terms of the history of the development of the faith—the Christian faith, within the specific framework of Catholic theological doctrine. However, the richness of... more
The study of the history of the Catholic Church is often thought of in terms of the history of the development of the faith—the Christian faith, within the specific framework of Catholic theological doctrine. However, the richness of Catholic history goes beyond issues of faith. It also is composed of the history of its own institutions. This is what Victor Mallia-Milanes has attempted successfully with his book Al Servizio della Repubblica di Venezia.
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This is a review of an article that I have written together with Marilyn Mangion about the recipes of Michele Marceca. This article was published in the book La Via del Dolce fra Malta e Sicilia.
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This is a study about the origins and development of the Knights Hospitaller’s caravans. These caravans were cruises which each knight had to undertake against the Ottomans and Muslim corsairs before joining the Order of St John.
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This review was published in the prestigious journal entitled "Crossings: Journal of Migration and Culture". It covers the book by Christa Wirth published as part of the Studies in Global Social History, Volume 17, Studies in Global... more
This review was published in the prestigious journal entitled "Crossings: Journal of Migration and Culture". It covers the book by Christa Wirth published as part of the Studies in Global Social History, Volume 17, Studies in Global Migration History, Volume 5. In this book Wirth goes into the life of her ancestors, Italian migrants from Italy and their lives and endeavours in the USA.