Knights' 'knowhow' spanned the Med.

I was very interested in The Times of Malta article How Do You Build A Fortress? (January 22) in regard to a new book by Stephen C. Spiteri entitled The Art of Fortress Building in Hospitaller Malta.

The article correctly noted that the Knights of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta required three things to turn Malta into an island fortress: "Money, materials, and knowhow". It was highly interesting to read that a good deal of labour was imported from Sicily with appropriate pecuniary enticements. I think it is also readily apparent that no small measure of the "knowhow" obviously came by past experiences in Rhodes. This is readily evident by comparing photographs of the old walled city of Rhodes with the walls around Valletta and the Three Cities. It is apparent that stonemasons and other workers carried and perfected their craftsmanship skills all along the Mediterranean routes travelled by the Knights - from Jerusalem on westward.

It is intriguing to read about the private contractors from Sicily, the capomastri, who had their own select groups of skilled labourers. The construction of King Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem was no small feat in which stones were cut and shaped many centuries earlier. The fortresses, ramparts and other architectural marvels later built in both Rhodes and Malta had to be designed to endure both warfare and inclement weather. With links of ecclesiastical communication between various Popes and Bishops being regularly mandated in the 15th Century, this aided immensely in communicating the latest engineering technology to fully maximize what materials were then available in Malta - and utilising the knowledge of labour reserves in Sicily and elsewhere.

I would say that the historic landmarks have lasted quite well over the centuries but that it will be up to future generations to protect them from neglect and deterioration. Today, the question we need to ask ourselves is: "How do you save a fortress?"