The Making of Christian Malta From the Early Middle Ages to 1530

This title was first published in 2002: Dr Luttrell's work has helped change our understanding of the history of the small islands of Malta and Gozo, providing a more coherent story of the ways in which, during the Middle Ages, a small isolated Muslim community was converted into a more prosperous outpost of Roman Christianity with a unique cultural mixture of Arabic speech and European institutions. This selection of studies places the process within the context of developments in the medieval Mediterranean world and combines archaeological and architectural investigations with work in Maltese, Sicilian and other archives, with a particular focus on ecclesiastical matters; a new introduction brings the subject up to date. This work is of relevance to scholars of Islam and Christianity, while providing insights into the nature of an unusual island community whose significance far exceeds its size.

Contents: Preface; Medieval Malta: approaches and reproaches; Approaches to medieval Malta; Malta before 870: some Libyan connections; The Christianization of Malta; Slaves and captives on Malta: 1053/4 and 1091; Mdina hoard of Muslim coins: 1698; L’effritement de l’Islam: 1091-1282; Frederick II and Paolino de Malta: 1235; Giliberto Abbate’s report on Malta: ca. 1241; Malta e Gozo: 1222-1268; Christian slaves at Malta: 1271; The earliest documents transcribed in the Cathedral Archives, Mdina: 1316-1372; The sale of Gumerin on Malta: 1318; The administration of Gozo: 1335; The Benedictines and Malta: 1363-1371; The Augustinians at Malta: 1413; The Cappella of Birkirkara: 1402; Le origini della parrocchia a Malta; The roots of medieval Gozo; An introduction to Hal Millieri; Hal Millieri: historical and architectural postscript; Index.