Women in Hospitaller Malta : 1565-1610

Abstract

This dissertation focuses on the role of women in the later half of the sixteenth century following the Siege of 1565 and the Council of Trent. The choice of period needs some explanation. These years form a distinct period: that of 'early modem Europe', characterized by the spread of Renaissance culture, voyages of discovery as well as religious conflicts with the Reformation and Counter-Reformation taking place. This was a period during which Malta was undergoing cultural, social and economic changes, with the definitive settling down of the Order of St John on the island. Yet, for women - especially for Maltese women - the process moved at a different pace and differed from that of the mainstream population. So, how did women, particularly Maltese women, live this phase in history? The role of Maltese women will be examined vis-a-vis that of their European counterparts. Different kinds of women's lives are examined, including the lives and experiences of women whose social status diverged from the norm. This dissertation focuses mainly on the social aspect of women living in this period because as McGrath points out: The human body is constructed, not born. The concepts and in part the material facts of our bodies are socially/linguistically produced and can be socially/linguistically changed. The body always functions by reference to historically situated and politically motivated texts .