/library/oar/handle/123456789/86231 2025-10-28T06:38:09Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/95297 Title: The Order of St John and the Holy See : a study in diplomacy through the career of ambassador Fra Marcello Sacchetti, 1682-1720 Abstract: This dissertation examines the role of the ambassador of the Order of St John to the Holy See through the career of Ambassador Fra Marcello Sacchetti. Divided in ten chapters, it probes into the various aspects that this role demanded. The first chapter serves to present the methodology adopted and to put the rest of the dissertation in a historical and historiographic foundation. Chapter 2 analyses the evolution of diplomacy and examines the perspective of various theorists in their pursuit for the qualities that an ambassador should have. Chapter 3 then narrows the discourse down to the diplomacy of the Order of St John and explores the roles of receiver and procurator-general, two roles that directly or indirectly, were also a means for the Order of St John for maintaining a presence outside the convent in Malta. This is followed by an in-depth study of the nature of the issues that the ambassador faced daily, and how he used his wiles, contacts, friends and relations in trying to obtain a favourable outcome for the Order. Thus, areas covering financial issues, challenges of the Order’s jurisdiction by church authorities, wars, both against the Ottoman Empire and inter-Christian wars, corsairing and slavery are covered by appealing to case-studies and supported by secondary sources. On a different tack, Chapter 8 dealt more with the manner rather than the matter of early modern diplomacy, thus it examines patronage and the Order of St John, which was both a giver and receiver of patronage. Patronage was also linked with the arts, so Chapter 9 follows with the ambassador’s role as a procurer of art for the Order of St John. This phenomenon did neither start nor stop with Fra Marcello Sacchetti, showing that by his time it was integrated with his role. Coming from a family with notable patrons of the arts, Fra Marcello Sacchetti might have had some advantage in this area over his predecessors. This chapter deals also with religious issues, showing the ambassador as representing the Grand Master as head of a religious institution rather than a prince of a realm. The last chapter strives to paint a picture of the man behind the role. It therefore concentrates more on the material aspect by focusing on Fra Marcello Sacchetti’s possessions, using his personal inventory and that drawn up by his family. Conclusions are then drawn, showing how aspects of the history of the Order are revealed through the study of its diplomacy. Description: Ph.D.(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/86464 Title: A study in local history since 1800 : Qrendi Abstract: When I had to decide the topic of my dissertation, the decision was very straight forward since I have always been intrigued by the village’s history. Being my father’s and mother’s hometown, I was very keen to gather information on the history of Qrendi and combine it together in the form of a dissertation. This dissertation gives an overview of the history of Qrendi from the beginning of the nineteenth century up till the present day, a time span which stretches over 200 years. Due to the immense time span involved and the word limit, it’s impossible to give a detailed account of the village’s history. Therefore, my dissertation focuses on the nineteenth century and onwards, and also focuses on five main characteristics which altogether cover most of the period involved. These are: Population, Occupations, Education, Politics and Local Councils and Parochial Characteristics. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/86457 Title: A study in local history since 1800 : Mġarr Abstract: The research presented will mainly explore Primary Sources of historical data, including Government Censuses, Bluebooks, Government Gazettes, and scholastic records, the last of which provides a goldmine of information regarding the initial years of the Primary School in the village. These will then be supplemented with Secondary Sources, including books, newspapers, articles, and pamphlets. Other contributions include published material in village magazines issued by the Mġarr Parish, the Local Council, and other village entities, providing researched articles, interviews, and personal experiences. Given that no government or ecclesiastical records provide relevant information on the village before its establishment as a Parish in 1898, it proves to be challenging to assess societal change before 1900. While this lacuna has limited my research to a singular century, it was possible however, to explore the social transformations that transpired and characterized the village in the last century in more detail. Hence, after giving a brief historical overview of the village before the nineteenth century, this study intends to focus primarily on six characteristics, which when brought together and analysed in conjunction, have created a defined picture of the village and community throughout the 20th century. Accordingly, the second chapter will deal with the shifts in demographic patterns in the Maltese islands experienced throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Here we take a closer look at Mġarr to investigate how these shifts affected this small village and evaluate its gradual growth. The following three chapters will explore the evolution of Mġarr through a social lens. While appraising the change in occupational patterns and living standards, education comes to the foreground as a critical determiner in this development. The sixth chapter then evaluates the political inclinations of the villagers, mainly focusing on the general elections held after 1921 and local council elections, which give a more detailed representation of political loyalty. Finally, chapter seven seeks to present the centrality of the Catholic Church in the village, affecting every aspect of people’s lives. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z /library/oar/handle/123456789/86275 Title: From rural to urban : a study in the demographic shift ‘in terra’ Birkirkara, 1945-2000 Abstract: This dissertation attempts to give a picture of Birkirkara’s transition from an agrarian character to an urbanised and commercial town. The Censuses of the Maltese Islands are crucial to this dissertation, providing the main source of data. Secondary sources, such as books and journals were invaluable in building a picture of Birkirkara’s religious institutions as well as providing an overview of Birkirkara’s churches. The data extracted from primary sources is mainly presented in tables; with my aim being that of providing the reader with a clear overview of the results found, especially when comparing different periods. Description: B.A. (Hons)(Melit.) 2021-01-01T00:00:00Z