Podcasts · The Story of Malta: The Fortress Island of the Mediterranean — Fexingo History
Malta's Hidden Jewish Quarter and the Inquisition
· 9:26 · S6 E253
Episode Malta's Hidden Jewish Quarter and the Inquisition
Long before Valletta’s bastions rose from limestone, a quiet but vibrant community thrived in Malta’s medieval towns. This episode explores the Ghetto Vecchio in Birgu, where Maltese Jews lived under the shadow of the Spanish Inquisition and the Knights Hospitaller. We examine the lives of figures like Isaac ben Reuben and the complex legal status of Jews as 'foreigners' protected by the Grand Master yet vulnerable to local prejudice. The narrative traces their origins from the expulsion from Spain in 1492, their integration into the island’s textile and medical trades, and the eventual pressures that led to their expulsion or forced conversion in the late 16th century. Through archival records and the physical remnants of the synagogue site, we reconstruct a story of resilience, trade, and religious tension in the heart of the Mediterranean.
#GhettoVecchio #MalteseJews #SpanishInquisition #IsaacBenReuben #Birgu #KnightsHospitaller #MaltaHistory #MediterraneanTrade #JewishHistory #PeterIIIofAragon #ForcedConversion #MedievalMalta #ReligiousTolerance #InquisitionArchive #LimestoneArchitecture #FexingoHistory #EuropeanHistory #HistoryPodcast
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Transcript
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