From Mr M. Farrugia

Reference is made to the piece titled “Impressions of Malta – A quiet, historic beauty” by Mariane St-Maurice (TMIS, 22 June).

Without in anyway diminishing the positive nature of this article, I wish to point out some historic inaccuracies that the writer mentions, which are none of her doing since they are but popular myths.

She narrates that when she was being shown around St James Cavalier, the person escorting her drew her attention to a hole in the ceiling saying that this was used by the knights to pour boiling water or oil onto intruders. She also mentions that at the same place she had “finally” learnt the use of what she calls “half steps”, saying that these were necessary for knights to mount in their heavy armour. Both notions are wrong.

As it happens, I am quite familiar with St James Cavalier having had the opportunity to document it prior to its conversion to its present use and I can attest that no such holes exist in the building. Murder holes, as they are called, were a defensive feature integrated into ancient and medieval fortified gateways positioned in such a way that allowed the defenders to shower an enemy trying to force his way through with stones and at times projectiles.

Boiling tar (not oil) or water were used at times, but very rarely as the former could very well set the very fortress gate or bridge on fire; in the case of hot water one would need too vast a quantity to stop a determined enemy! This feature was also used in the case of machicolations – protruding structures from a rampart wall (in Malta mainly found in towers as a latent feature). In more modern times they were also used in ferro-concrete fortifications to drop hand grenades or to fire small arms from above an enemy trying to assail the fort.

When “half steps” were designed they certainly were not done with knights in armour in mind. These were done this way simply to facilitate the movement of artillery and other heavy loads, such as ammunition and other war material, using skids. Of course, the steps being low makes them easier to climb, but in fortifications these only had a practical use as indicated. It must be said that there are instances where such steps are not only low but also inclined towards the base of the steps thus causing a ramp effect. Ms St-Maurice can be rest assured that contrary to popular belief knights’ armour allowed a great degree of agility and movement despite being heavy. This was due to the many articulated joints that were incorporated in its construction, and without which such suits would only hamper the wearer in a fight.

Ms St-Maurice also mentions attending the Noonday gun firing at the Saluting Battery in Valletta, which she has assumed is done for tourists. As a matter of fact, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna (FWA) restarted the old Saluting Battery, with the help of the Malta Tourism Authority and Bank of Valletta, for the enjoyment of locals and tourists alike. Furthermore, the daily firing of cannon at this site precisely at mid-day is not a ceremonial salute as Ms St-Maurice may have thought, but a precise evocation of a centuries-old tradition where the passage of mid-day was marked by gunfire.

This tradition stems from a time when the public had no direct access to personal timepieces, thus the State had to provide a means by which the daily pace of life could be regulated. This was not singular to Malta but to most countries in the western world. It should be added that gunfire was also used to mark the time of sunrise and sunset, which in many walled towns also indicated the time at which the town gates were opened and closed. Similarly, when a curfew was imposed the same gunfire would indicate the beginning and the end of the curfew.

Following the great success of the noonday gun firings, FWA is now in the process of extending the opening times of the Saluting Battery till sunset, at which time it will fire yet another gun to end the day, as was done at that historic site till the early 1920s.

Mario Farrugia

Chairman & CEO

Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna