Malta and the Mediterranean context

The sixteenth century is a period of transition in European history, characterised by changes on the economic, social, religious and political level. In the long run, these changes disintegrated the old medieval order and challenged traditional and established ways of thought and action. Although Malta was slow to shed its medieval character, events in the wider European context did ultimately affect the island's society. Among other things, the century witnessed the further westward reach of the Ottoman empire and its establishment as a Mediterranean power. Another significant change was the Italian maritime republics’ loss of primacy and the demise of the Hanseatic League, creating a void that was filled by the Habsburg–Ottoman struggle for supremacy in the central Mediterranean and the rise of new economic powers like England. The sixteenth century was also marked by the Habsburg–Valois rivalry, which intensified as a consequence of close Franco-Ottoman relations.

The spread of the Reformation to western and eastern Europe saw religious orders such as the Knights Hospitaller lose substantial income from their estates. An event which greatly affected Malta in subsequent years was Süleyman the Magnificent's conquest of Rhodes from the Hospitaller Order of St John in 1522. For almost eight years after this loss the Knights wandered from port to port, at the mercy of their various hosts. They were in desperate need of a territory to rule and a base where they could consolidate and centralise not only their activities against the Muslim enemy but also communication between the conventual authority and the Order's priories. Resolving these issues was critical if they were to confirm their significance in the Christian world. The Knights were experiencing a ‘crisis of identity’ and thus, notwithstanding certain difficulties which will be examined in the next chapter, they viewed the possession of Malta as a positive step towards regaining their raison d'etre. Not only was the island viewed as a frontier base, due to its proximity to Muslim territory, but its superb harbours would make it an excellent base for the Knights’ naval activities. The continuation of Holy War from this base would do justice to the constant flow of revenues from the Knights’ commanderies across Europe.