Around the turn of the 18th century, Malta passed, not quite seamlessly, through four changes of sovereignty from a purely administrative point of view. The Ord
Today is a Day of Thanksgiving in Gozo – it marks the day when on September 16, 1864, Blessed Pope Pius IX dismembered the islands from Malta and establis
L-ImnaraVol. 12, No. 1 (2021), Issue No. 42, published by BDL and Għaqda tal-Folklore
One of Annibale Preca’s aims behind his publication of Malta Canane
February reminds us of the inauguration (and a subsequent reopening) of the Malta Railway, then popularly known locally as il-vapur tal-art, which was the first mechanised overland public transport service to be introduced in the Maltese islands.
Primarily, it provided a useful commuting service for the working population but it also became popular for leisurely travel since it linked Valletta and Mdina via San Anton Gardens.
Surveys and plans for the railway were carried out in the 1870s with the original intention being to construct a network of lines covering almost all of Malta, together with plans for an internal underground service in Valletta. Plans were submitted by J. Scott Tucker in 1870, Major Hutchinson in 1873, Architect Edward Rosenbush in 1873 and George Fernandes in 1875.