Cyprus was the embryo, Rhodes the foundation and Malta the full development of the navy of the Order of the Knights of St John. It may well be argued that the ‘Island of Roses’ was the procreator, but without doubt the maritime prowess of the Knights came close to perfection in Malta.

Malta’s most prominent maritime historian, Joseph Muscat, will deliver a lecture on The Maritime Legacy of the Knights in the series organised by the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The Knights navigational skill and organisation were second to none and, added to the inborn sea-faring capabilities of the local inhabitants, it may indeed be safely regarded that the maritime legacy the Knights left here was also due to the ‘Maltese’ maritime legacy.

It goes without saying that the Knights have left us with a heritage that encompasses all the spheres of activities in which a nation is invariably involved. But with Malta’s geographical location – surrounded by and within easy reach of the sea – there is no doubt that the Maltese people were imbued with an almost vocational attachment to the sea, which was indeed was a godsend to the Knights and had a significant bearing on the subsequent development of their navy.

On the other hand, however, it has to be said that the maritime legacy the Knights left to our Islands was of primary importance in their resultant acquisition by the British in the hey-day of their naval hegemony.

How important the navy was to the Order, how did it work and how did it manage not only to survive but also, more often than not, to inflict severe punishment on its almost eternal and unconquerable antagonists, the Turks, whose sway over eastern Europe was undisputed?

This and much more will be discussed by Mr Muscat at his lecture on Monday, 31 January at the Embassy of the Order itself, ie St John’s Cavalier in Valletta, at 6pm. Admission is free and the general public is invited to attend.