The Maltese seventeenth-century urban fabric : a social outlook

Abstract

In the seventeenth century the urbanisation process of Malta stands out because of its extraordinary growth and demographic development. This was due to various factors, the importance of which lies in the fact that Malta was transformed for ever after that. In contrast with late Medieval Malta, which essentially was an agrarian-based society, the advent of the Order led to the development of a new urban centre around the Grand Harbour. With the Order's naval activities and strong ties with other parts of Catholic Europe, it became possible to develop a distinctive urban mentality and social outlook in the harbour littoral. It appears that the heterogeneous character of the harbour people became increasingly emphasised during the seventeenth century. This dissertation is mainly about the urban dwellers of the harbour towns and their interactions with each other, the surrounding environment, and the higher institutions. It is a study into the 'way of of living' of these people rather than 'a way of life'. The latter is something which individuals or families self-consciously shape for themselves in response to some ideal of how they wish to live. Only few people in seventeenth-century Malta had the means to do so. Most people could only respond to circumstances, making the best of limited opportunities.