Malta became a highly sought-after naval and trade hub. It was colonized by the Phoenicians around 800 BC, then fell under the control of Carthage. During the Second Punic War in 218 BC, Malta was absorbed into the Roman Republic. Under Rome, the island prospered and was granted autonomy. According to the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on the island in 60 AD, which led to the Christianization of the Maltese population.
In 1530, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V granted Malta to the Knights Hospitaller of St. John. The Knights transformed the island. Their greatest challenge came in 1565 during the Great Siege of Malta, where the outnumbered Knights and Maltese locals successfully repelled a massive invasion force from the Ottoman Empire. Following this victory, the Knights built the heavily fortified, Baroque capital city of Valletta.
The Knights' rule ended in 1798 when Napoleon Bonaparte conquered the islands on his way to Egypt. However, the French occupation was short-lived; after the French began looting churches, the Maltese rebelled and enlisted British help to expel them. In 1814, Malta officially became a British Crown Colony. Malta served as a crucial naval base for the British Empire, especially after the opening of the Suez Canal.
Malta’s strategic importance peaked during World War II. Situated directly on Axis supply routes to North Africa, the island was relentlessly bombed by German and Italian forces and was dubbed by Winston Churchill as an "unsinkable aircraft carrier". The bravery of the Maltese people in withstanding the siege led King George VI to collectively award the island the George Cross in 1942, which is still proudly displayed on the Maltese flag today.
Erected in 1934, La Madonnina is a 7-meter gilded bronze statue of the Virgin Mary located at the extreme tip of the sickle-shaped port of Messina, Sicily. It rests on a 35-meter votive column and serves as a spiritual beacon, welcoming sailors with the Latin inscription: "Vos et ipsam civitatem benedicimus" (We bless you and the city)
Messina Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in Messina, Sicily. Formerly the episcopal seat of the Diocese of Messina, it became in 1986 the archiepiscopal seat of the Archdiocese of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela. In June 1947 Pope Pius XII granted it the status of a minor basilica.
The Votive Temple of Christ The King (Tempio Votivo di Cristo Re) is a striking Baroque-style war memorial and shrine in Messina, Sicily. Built in 1937 on a prominent hilltop, it features a soaring green dome, a crypt containing the remains of over 1,200 fallen soldiers, and a massive bell made from melted enemy cannons
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