Suchergebnisse

When Garibaldi landed in Marsala with his mille on 11 May 1860, fighting immediately started in the western part of Sicily. The unification process of Italy was well on its way. In the 19 century news did not travel very fast, but of course the population living in that part of Sicily soon got to know of Garibaldi's exploits. The same cannot be said for all parts of Sicily. How fast did news travel at that time to the more remote parts of the island? The scope of this work is to show that in fact, as regards the town of Modica, which is to be found in the South Eastern part of Sicily, and today falls under the province of Ragusa, a relevant amount of information regarding Garibaldi's progress on the island as well as other related activity actually arrived in Modica via telegrams which were sent from the island of Malta, which lies around 164 kms. to the south of this Sicilian town. The texts of some of these telegrams are to be found today in the section entitled Corrispondenza e scritture varie del periodo risorgimentale (1856-1861) of the Archivio De Leva, Archives of Ragusa, Sezione di Modica. Many of them have been collected and reproduced in the thesis entitled Con il vangelo e la croce in mano – Vita dell'Abate Giuseppe de Leva Gravina (1786 – 1860), which was presented at the University of Perugia in 2003 by Rosario Distefano. Another work on the Abate De Leva's political involvement is the thesis entitled Il Risorgimento in periferia. L'abate De Leva e le lotte politiche a Modica (1812-1861), presented at the University of Catania in 1986 by Teresa Maria Caruso. ; peer-reviewed

Maltese Literature written in the Maltese language is quite a young literature. Apart from the 15 Century Cantilena and the 17 century Sonetto by Giovan Francesco Buonamico, one has to wait until practically the 19 century for Maltese writers to start writing in Maltese. Basically, until this time, from 1530 onwards, Maltese writers had written the bulk of their work mainly in the Italian of Tuscany, even though Arabic (three Maltese poets writing in the 12 century at the Palermo court of Roger II), Latin (Giacomo Bondin, with his Latin epigrams and Luca D'Armenia's 1565, O Melita Infelix) and Sicilian (one poem in Marcello Attardo de Vagnoli's 17 century Canzoniere; two poems in the 19 century newspaper Nafras u Colombo) had also been sporadically made use of by established Maltese writers (Cassola, 2000: 2-4; Cassola, 2011: 58). ; peer-reviewed

Questo articolo è frutto della ricerca nell'archivio parrocchiale di Sousse e costituisce una piccola parte del mio lavoro in corso. Passa in rassegna le relazioni tra maltesi e italiani nelle città costiere della Tunisia nel periodo 1836-1844, vale a dire otto anni dopo che il Bey di Tunisi aveva concesso ai cristiani il permesso di fondare parrocchie cattoliche in Tunisia. A Sousse, maltesi e siciliani, tutti caratterizzati da un comune background agricolo e condizioni economiche precarie, hanno iniziato a condividere la vita quotidiana e gli interessi collettivi nel nuovo contesto maghrebino. Siciliani e Maltesi sono diventati in pochi anni protagonisti delle attività commerciali in città. L'archivio parrocchiale di Sousse registra matrimoni misti a Sousse e a Mahdia tra il 1836 e il 1844. Inoltre, è documentato che molti Siciliani assunsero la funzione di padrini dei figli delle famiglie maltesi a Sousse così come i Maltesi furono padrini dei bambini siciliani a Mahdia nello stesso periodo. Sembra, tuttavia, che i Siciliani non abbiano avuto alcun riconoscimento come rappresentanti di comunità religiose a Sousse. Infatti, dei sette frati cappuccini incaricati della parrocchia di Sousse nel periodo 1836-1844, cinque erano italiani, provenienti da diverse regioni ma non dalla Sicilia, mentre due erano maltesi. Questi numeri riflettono una rappresentanza proporzionale nei confronti dei maltesi, ma non rendono giustizia ai migranti siciliani che costituivano una larga maggioranza rispetto agli italiani insediati nella zona in quel momento. ; peer-reviewed

During the Middle Ages, politically Malta forms part of the administration in Sicily, with the effective capital of Malta being Palermo. Rebel communities of Italians are exiled to Malta, whilst rebel residents of Malta are exiled to Italy. With the arrival of the Knights of St. John and the adoption of the Tuscan variant of Italian as the language of the administration, the contacts with mainland Italy increase: in the course of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries we not only have the Maltese intelligentsia producing literary compositions in Italian but we also find an influx of Italian artists and architects flocking to Malta and influencing the tastes and the training of the Maltese. In the eighteenth century we encounter the first grammars and dictionaries of the Maltese language. The nineteenth century witnesses the presence in Malta of the Italian Risorgimento exiles who spread the ideals of nationalism and romanticism amongst Maltese writers, politicians and intellectuals. However, the ascent of fascism in Italy in 1922 leads to the elimination of Italian as an official language of Malta in 1936, whilst Italy's declaration of war on Malta in 1940 puts a definitive seal on ltalo-Maltese cultural relations, at least for the time being. ; peer-reviewed

The road to the next historic enlargement of European Union has been fraught with and obstacles. The enlargement is scheduled to take place in 2004 is unprecedented in the history of the European Union: never have there been so many countries (ten!) joining together this economic and political union; never have so many countries waited for so long together (twelve years till now, since the application . process started) in order to see their dream come ' true. I have used the word "dream" because in 1990, when the 10 acceding countries had handed in their application, the majority of the populations in the ten Baltic, Eastern and Southern states considered the Europe of the Twelve to be a haven of peace, democracy and economic prosperity, very much removed from the state controlled bureaucracy and economies of most of the applicant countries. So much so, that in 1990, the opinion polls in these countries registered an overwhelming majority of the populations in favour of swift EU accession. ; peer-reviewed

As Greens we have come quite a long way in our relatively short but eventful political history. Thirty years ago or so, when the first Greens started harping on the neglect of the environment and on the need to redress the balance of nature, the long-standing establishment looked down upon us and even snubbed us.When we Greens started highlighting energy issues and the problems of climate change, some established traditional politicians tried to belittle us. When we Greens insisted on improving the quality of life of all beings on Earth and stressed the necessity of Ieading a healthy lifestyle based on the consumption of safe and natural food products, we encountered resistance from a number of multinational companies and politicians. ; peer-reviewed

This article examines the English poems that the Maltese contemporary writer Victor Fenech (1935-) published during the 1970s. Fenech considers the Maltese language to be quite limited since it keeps the Maltese people "locked out of the mainstream of international literature". English thus becomes the international medium that has the power to liberate the author from the restrictions imposed upon him by the national Maltese language. This article highlights the fact that Fenech feels a deep sense of sorrow at the way human beings act. The writer therefore decides to distance himself in solitude from a valueless society. Solitude, however, does not necessarily coincide with contemplative life. So much so, that the poet even indulges in 'political'poetry. The key elements that surface in Fenech's poetry seem to be : lack of faith in human beings; lack of faith in politics; even of faith in God. However, the author does find some consolation in his ideal female figure and in the way of life in little centres : happiness, if this is ever found, lies far away from the hustle and bustle of the big metropolis. The author of this article reaches the conclusion that Fenech's poetry should not be seen exclusively as a transcription of the poet:S feelings: it is also, and more especially so, the faithful chronicle of the epic story of a people who are always "licking wounds sustained for others" and who continuously search for a proper fixed identity. ; peer-reviewed

This publication contains six papers on Malta's role and initiatives on the international scene. Having been written and presented a handful of years ago, i.e. between 1990 and 1995, the papers might seem quite outdated to a 1996 reader. Nevertheless, they do provide a clear testimony to the fact that during the five years in question the political structures in Europe underwent a complete overhaul: the Warsaw Pact was disbanded; the Partnership for Peace Programme came into being; the Rome Treaty was updated by means of the Maastricht Treaty; the European Community became the European Union; the Maastricht Treaty is, at the moment, going through a thorough revision process at the Intergovernmental Conference (IOC). The stress in this publication lies on an alternative approach to politics. The alternative approach to Maltese international politics I have in mind, is one that privileges the search for peaceful solutions to military intervention; one that gives resonance to the social and ecological dimension; one that insists on cooperation and solidarity amongst all peoples; one that gives great relevance to the respect of minorities and the tolerance of divergent views; one that attributes a leading role in politics to culture and language; one that promotes policies based on reciprocal understanding amongst different races, peoples and creeds. By harbouring this vision of politics I might be described as being more of an idealist dreamer than a pragmatic politician. My answer is simple: history has proven that the traditional way of handling political issues has not led to everlasting peace. Maybe, a fair dose of fantasy and visionary dreams might simply do the trick and thus translate the idea of unity in diversity into a reality. This is something which all true democrats should aspire to achieve. ; peer-reviewed

The linguistic history of a country usually reflects its political history. Therefore, in the Maltese archipelago, scenario of various foreign dominations, one finds at least five official languages in use over the past 900 years or so. These are Latin, Sicilian, Italian, English and Maltese. It follows quite naturally, then, that Maltese literature should also have been written in different languages (Arabic, Italian, English and Maltese). This article examines the poetic production of Gorg Pisani (1909-) and Roger Scicluna (1898-1942), two romantic poets from the small island of Gozo, who wrote respectively in Maltese and in English. Despite Pisani's use of a peripheral language (Maltese) and Scicluna's use of an international one (English), the essence of their Gozitan romantic poetry is virtually the same and fits in perfectly within the mainstream ofMaltese romantic poetry. However, the clearly localized features of the natural elements as portrayed by the two poets; the strong attachment of Pisani to all that recalls the innocence of early times and Scicluna' s deep-rooted respect for Catholicism and its rituals, all contribute to give these two authors' poetry a particular and distinctive imprint. The prevailing mythology in their poetry. whether Christian or pagan. is typically mediterranean, This mediterranean 'animus' is highlighted in the poets' deep-rooted attachment to their birthplace, an intense attachment verging on the morbid, which only islanders can understand. Pisani's yearning for primitive infancy and Scicluna's quest for a future without any existential doubts are the two contrasting facets inherent in the average Gozitan, auached as he is to his island culture by an unseverable umbilical cord which, at the same time, constitutes a severe limitation to his freedom of movement and thought. ; peer-reviewed

Nel campo linguistico, il fenomeno Malta costituisce un caso assai interessante. Le varie dominazioni politiche dell'isola hanno fatto si che nel giro dell'ultimo millennio circa, la lingua ufficiale del paese e stata cambiata almeno sei voltel. La situazione linguistica fluida e dinamica che si evenuta a ere are ha lasciato il suo segno anche in campo letterario. Infatti, quando si parla di letteratura maltese, bisogna tenere presente il fatto che, oltre ad una letteratura maltese in lingua maltese esiste o e esistita anche una letteratura maltese in lingua araba, italiana e inglese. In questa saggio, mi propongo di ripercorrere Ie tappe salienti della letteratura maltese in lingua italiana, quella letteratura che in effetti ha tanto contribuito a costruire una base solida per la letteratura d' arte in lingua maltese. ; peer-reviewed

La volanta ha per Onofri una granda importanza. Cio che distingue l'uomo d'eccezione dall'uomo comune e proprio la volonta: non tutti posseggono quello slancio vitale che permette di rendere atto cio che essi hanno in potenza. Ed e questa mancanza di volonta, questa apatia dell'uomo che Onofri considera responsabile della disgregazione della sacieta, disgregaziane che porta l'uomo alla mediocrira. Tuttavia, non possiamo fermarci qui. Infatti, a questo punto si viene a creare un circolo vizioso: se, da una parte, la mancanza di volanta causa la scadimenro dei valori della societa, dall'altra e proprio la societa, in quanto societa sbagliata e mal funzionante, a creare le condizioni ideali per Ii trionfo dell'apatia. L'eroe, pero, non accetta quest'apatia. Ecco allora che Onofri, uomo d'ecceziane, rifiuta questo tipa di societa e cerca a di dare la sua risposta. Ma, invece di reagire attivamente impegnandosi suI piano politico per 'correggere' la societa, egli si isola in nome del 'culto dell'individuale', del suo ritenersi superiore in quanta intellettuale: "La mortificazione della volonta nelle scuole, negli uffici civili, nell'esercita, nelle conversazioni e dapertutto. Morte ai mortificatori. Suscitiamo il culto dell'individuale, affinche l'individuo possa trovare in se la forza di assurgere all'universale." ; peer-reviewed