Podcasts · The Story of Malta: The Fortress Island of the Mediterranean — Fexingo History
Malta’s Secret Slave Quays and the Knights’ Harbours
· 12 min · S6 E268
Episode Malta’s Secret Slave Quays and the Knights’ Harbours
While Valletta is known for its grand bastions, its history is deeply intertwined with the Mediterranean slave trade. This episode explores the complex reality of Malta as a hub for galley slaves under the Knights Hospitaller. We examine the 'buonavoglia' and 'forzati', men chained to oars in the Grand Harbour, and how their labor built the island's fortifications. Lucas and Luna discuss the grim conditions aboard galleys, the role of Christian captives alongside Muslim prisoners, and the economic engine that powered the Knights' military might against the Barbary Corsairs. From the docks of Birgu to the secret engineering of the periti, we uncover the human cost behind the fortress city’s survival and the moral ambiguities of an order that claimed to fight for Christ while relying on enslaved labour.
#MaltaHistory #KnightsHospitaller #GalleySlaves #GrandHarbour #Buonavoglia #Forzati #BarbaryCorsairs #JeandeValette #Birgu #Mdina #MediterraneanSlaveTrade #OttomanEmpire #TurgutReis #SuleimantheMagnificent #LascarisWarRooms #AqqaImramma #Periti #HistoryPodcast #FexingoHistory
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Transcript
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