The National Archives of Malta

22/09/2026

60 sena ilu, fit-22 ta’ Settembru 1966, Mikiel Fsadni u Godfrey Wettinger skoprew teżor straordinarju, l-eqdem xogħol letterarju magħruf bil-Malti. Miktuba bil-Malti tard-medjevali u attribwita lil Petrus de Caxaro, din il-poeżija tirrakkonta dwar dar mibnija fuq art instabbli—xbieha qawwija li spiss titqies bħala allegorija ta’ telf, falliment, jew relazzjoni miksura. Illum, il-Kantilena tifforma parti mill-Arkivju tar-Reġistri Nutarili fi ħdan l-Arkivji Nazzjonali ta’ Malta, fejn għadha tkellimna bħala xhieda prezzjuża tal-lingwa, il-memorja u l-identità tagħna. Il-Kantilena hija wkoll parti mir-Reġistru tal-Memorja tad-Dinja tal-UNESCO.

60 years ago, on 22 September 1966, Mikiel Fsadni and Godfrey Wettinger discovered a remarkable treasure : the Kantilena, the earliest known surviving literary work in Maltese. Written in late medieval Maltese and attributed to Petrus de Caxaro, this poem tells of a house built on unstable ground—a striking image often seen as an allegory for loss, failure, or a broken relationship. Today, the Kantilena forms part of the Notarial Registers Archive within the National Archives of Malta, where it continues to speak to us across the centuries as a precious witness to our language, memory, and identity. The Kantilena is also inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register.

21/09/2026

Gvern wieħed. Żewġ armi. Erbgħa w’għoxrin siegħa fin-nofs. L-aħħar u l-ewwel stedina uffiċjali tal-Gvern Malti qabel u wara l-Indipendenza. Ta’ min jinnota li għalkemm kien hemm biss ftit sigħat bejn dawn l-attivitajiet, l-arma tal-Gvern ta’ Malta hija differenti. Bejniethom kien hemm l-Indipendenza f’nofs il-lejn bejn l-20 u l-21 ta’ Settembru 1964.

One Government. Two coats of arms. Twenty-four hours apart. The last and the first official invitation of the Maltese Government before and after Independence. It is worth noting that although there were only few hours between these events, the coat of arms of the Government of Malta is different. Between them stood Independence, at midnight between 20 and 21 September 1964.

19/09/2026

Għal darb’oħra nilqgħukom fostna fir-Rabat Sacrum (19 u 20 ta’ Settembru). Għalkemm din is-sena mhux ser ikollna tour tal-binja ta’ Santu Spirtu, fil-kappella ser ikollna l-wirja Chromatic Journeys through Humanity and Myth ta’ Ray Piscopo. Il-wirja se tkun miftuħa mis-6.00pm ‘il quddiem is-Sibt 19 ta’ Settembru l-l-għada l-Ħadd bejn id-9.00am u nofsinhar. Narawkom.

Join us once again for Rabat Sacrum on 19 and 20 September. While there will not be a tour of the Santo Spirito building this year, the chapel will come to life with Chromatic Journeys through Humanity and Myth, an exhibition by Ray Piscopo. Visit us on Saturday, 19 September, from 6.00pm onwards, or on Sunday between 9.00am and noon. We look forward to welcoming you.

18/09/2026

Il-workshop tagħna dwar il-paleografija u d-diplomatika wasal fi tmiemu! Matul din il-ġimgħa, il-parteċipanti esploraw dokumenti storiċi, tħarrġu fil-qari u l-interpretazzjoni ta’ sorsi arkivistiċi, u qasmu esperjenza ta’ tagħlim f’diversi arkivji. Nirringrazzjaw lid-Dipartiment tal-Klassiċi u l-Arkeoloġija u lid-Dipartiment tax-Xjenzi tal-Librerija, l-Informazzjoni u l-Arkivji tal-Università ta’ Malta għall-kollaborazzjoni tagħhom, kif ukoll lill-Arkivji Djoċesani ta’ Malta u lill-Arkivji tal-Katidral Metropolitan għall-appoġġ u l-ospitalità tagħhom. Dawn il-mumenti ta’ tagħlim, skoperta u kollaborazzjoni jfakkruna kemm l-arkivji huma spazji ħajjin ta’ riċerka u għarfien.

The workshop on palaeography and diplomatics has ended! Over the past week, participants engaged with original historical documents, practised reading and interpreted archival sources, and took part in a rich learning experience across different archives. We thank the Department of Classics and Archaeology and the Department of Library, Information and Archive Sciences of the University of Malta for their collaboration, as well as to the Diocesan Archives of Malta and the Archives of the Metropolitan Cathedral for their support and hospitality. These moments of learning, discovery and collaboration remind us that archives remain living spaces of research, knowledge and shared heritage.

17/09/2026

Bdejna l-vjaġġ! Il-kors Il-Memorja Pubblika, l-Istorja Orali u l-Awdjo-Viżiv: Teorija u Prattika, immexxi minn Prof. John Chircop, beda llum fl-Arkivji Nazzjonali ta’ Malta. Permezz ta’ lectures, workshops u fieldwork, il-parteċipanti qed jesploraw kif l-istorja orali u s-sorsi awdjo-viżivi jgħinuna nifhmu, ninterpretaw u nippreservaw il-memorja pubblika. Aħna ħerqana li naraw dan il-vjaġġ ta’ tagħlim u skoperta jiżviluppa fil-ġimgħat li ġejjin.

The journey has begun! The course Public Memory, Oral History and the Audio-Visual: Theory and Practice, led by Prof. John Chircop, has now started at the National Archives of Malta. Through lectures, workshops and fieldwork, participants are exploring how oral history and audio-visual sources help us understand, interpret and preserve public memory. We look forward to seeing this learning journey unfold over the coming weeks.

14/09/2026

Bdiet ġimgħa eċċitanti ta’ skoperta! Bdejna workshop ta’ ġimgħa dwar il-paleografija u d-diplomatika li għandu jwassal lill-parteċipanti biex jinvolvu ruħhom direttament ma’ dokumenti storiċi oriġinali u jiżviluppaw il-ħiliet meħtieġa biex jaqraw, jinterpretaw u jittraskrivu sorsi arkivistiċi. Permezz ta’ prattika gwidata bl-użu ta’ materjal minn diversi fonds arkivistiċi, il-parteċipanti se jiksbu għarfien siewi dwar il-metodi użati mill-arkivisti, ir-riċerkaturi u l-istoriċi. Qed norganizzaw dan il-workshop flimkien mad-Dipartiment tal-Klassiċi u l-Arkeoloġija u d-Dipartiment tax-Xjenzi tal-Librerija, l-Informazzjoni u l-Arkivji tal-Università ta’ Malta, bl-appoġġ tal-Arkivji Djoċesani ta’ Malta u l-Arkivji tal-Katidral Metropolitan.

An exciting week of discovery started today! Our week-long, hands-on workshop in palaeography and diplomatics will allow participants to engage directly with original historical documents and develop the skills needed to read, interpret, and transcribe archival sources. Through guided practice using material from various archival fonds, participants will gain valuable insight into the methods used by archivists, researchers and historians. We are organising this workshop together with the Department of Classics and Archaeology and the Department of Library, Information and Archive Sciences of the University of Malta, with the support of the Diocesan Archives of Malta and the Archives of the Metropolitan Cathedral.

11/09/2026

Ospitajna b’suċċess il-workshop Fragments Across Borders: Reconstructing the Histories of Military Orders through Dispersed Archives and Unexplored Collections. Akkademiċi, riċerkaturi u professjonisti fil-qasam tal-wirt kulturali ġew flimkien u ħadu sehem f’diskussjoni stimulanti dwar il-wirt dokumentarju frammentat tal-ordnijiet militari-reliġjużi.
Bit-tribunali tal-Kavallieri ta’ San Ġwann bħala punt ta’ tluq, esplorajna kif rekords imxerrda, kollezzjonijiet li ma ngħatawx biżżejjed attenzjoni, u traċċi arkivistiċi li għadhom ma ġewx studjati jistgħu jiftħu toroq ġodda għar-riċerka. Id-diskussjonijiet enfasizzaw l-importanza li jerġgħu jingħaqdu frammenti ppreservati f’repożitorji, istituzzjonijiet u komunitajiet differenti sabiex jiġu rkuprati stejjer aktar għanja u aktar sfumati.
Nirringrazzjaw lill-organizzaturi Emanuel Buttigieg u Valeria Vanesio, kif ukoll lill-parteċipanti kollha, talli għamlu dan il-workshop skambju hekk sinifikanti u impenjattiv. Avvenimenti bħal dawn jerġgħu jaffermaw ir-rwol vitali tal-arkivji bħala postijiet ta’ skoperta, kollaborazzjoni u memorja—fejn anke frammenti mxerrda jistgħu jgħinuna nibnu mill-ġdid l-istorji komuni tagħna.


We have hosted successfully workshop Fragments Across Borders: Reconstructing the Histories of Military Orders through Dispersed Archives and Unexplored Collections. Scholars, researchers, and heritage professionals came together and engaged in a stimulating discussion on the fragmented documentary legacy of military-religious orders.
Using the tribunals of the Knights of St John as a point of departure, the event explored how dispersed records, overlooked collections, and underexamined archival traces can open new pathways for research. Discussions highlighted the importance of reconnecting fragments preserved across different repositories, institutions, and communities to recover richer and more nuanced histories.
We thank the organisers Emanuel Buttigieg and Valeria Vanesio and all participants for making this workshop such a meaningful and engaging exchange. Events like this reaffirm the vital role of archives as places of discovery, collaboration, and memory—where even scattered fragments can help us reconstruct shared histories.

10/09/2026

10/09/2026

Kif nistgħu nerġgħu nibnu l-istejjer meta d-dokumenti li jirrakkontawhom ikunu mxerrda f’pajjiżi, istituzzjonijiet u żmien differenti?
Nhar il-Ġimgħa 11 ta’ Settembru ser nospitaw il-workshop “Fragments Across Borders: Reconstructing the Histories of Military Orders through Dispersed Archives and Unexplored Collections”. Ser niddiksutu kif arkivji frammentati, dokumentazzjoni minsija, u monumenti mwarrba jistgħu jiftħu toroq ġodda għar-riċerka dwar l-ordnijiet militari-reliġjużi.
Bl-użu tad-dokumenti tat-tribunali tal-Kavallieri ta’ San Ġwann bħala studju ta’ każ ewlieni, ser neżaminaw kif rekords mxerrda jistgħu jinġabru flimkien biex jikxfu stejjer istituzzjonali, komunitarji u transreġjonali moħbija s’issa.
Bħala parti mid-Disa’ Konferenza Internazzjonali dwar l-Ordnijiet Militari, organizzata minn Emanuel Buttigieg u Valeria Vanesio, dan il-workshop għandu jgħin lill-parteċipanti jikkonsidraw l-frammentazzjoni arkivistika mhux bħala ostaklu, iżda bħala opportunità biex jiġu rkuprati stejjer li qed jistennew li jiġu skoperti mill-ġdid.


How do we reconstruct histories when the records that tell them have been scattered across borders, institutions, and time?
On Friday 11 September we are hosting the workshop “Fragments Across Borders: Reconstructing the Histories of Military Orders through Dispersed Archives and Unexplored Collections”. We shall explore how fragmented archives, forgotten documentation, and overlooked monuments can open new paths for research into military-religious orders.
Using the records of tribunals of the Knights of St John as a key case study, we shall examine how dispersed records can be brought together to reveal hidden institutional, community, and transregional histories.
Part of the IX International Military Orders Conference organised by Emanuel Buttigieg and Valeria Vanesio, this workshop invites participants to rethink archival fragmentation not as an obstacle, but as an opportunity to recover stories waiting to be rediscovered.

09/09/2026