The Island Order State on Malta: The Early Modern Maltese Archipelago and the Order of St John

Early modern Malta presents a particular scenario: a set of very small islands, at times described as ‘European’, at times described as ‘African’, which in 1530, through what Fernand Braudel called ‘an accidental change of ruler’, found themselves under the administration of the military-religious Order of St John of Jerusalem. Two very contrasting realities came together: a territory which seemed to embody the meaning of the term insularity, and an organisation which was international in scope, nature and personnel. Over the period 1530-1798, the Island Order State of Malta developed in a manner that was at once particular and reflective of wider patterns. This presentation will seek to tease out these elements, paying particular attention to the main harbour where a ‘land-sea-man-scape’ developed as these elements fused to create an indivisible whole.