Gio Antonio Vassallo’s Storia di Malta ; questing after a national soul

Abstract

The writing of Maltese History has its modem origins in the nineteenth century. Until then a complete history of Malta had only been attempted once by a foreign historian D. Miege which was published between 1840-41. All previous works were a compilation of strewn fragments of historical writings collaged to make up an accrued layer which began to constitute the foundations for the writing of our local history. A tour of the local history market would find all these works illustrated with geographical, religious, descriptive portrays and images of Malta. In the wake of the romantic spirit the local scene was in search for a national soul. Within this context, history needed a new preamble. The new emerging history had to be unimpeachable but at the same time embedded with romantic ideas; it could not afford not to be imbued with patriotic spirit. At the same time the written work had to be based on historical facts that meant, leaving nothing which could be criticized except the interpretation of the historical ideas. The Italian historiographic tradition and its philosophy would leave an impact on the writing of local history. The Maltese literary tradition was more than receptive to the Italian school of thought which generated an intense debate both in terms of value and validity. At the same time nineteenth-century Malta could not remain distant and detached from the new colonial experience. Any individual who wanted to approach the history of Malta had to link the vibrant and romantic spirit with the empiricist school of the emerging British History writing.