With Sunday marking the 220th anniversary since Gozo seized independence from the French, the island is set to relive that momentous occasion in a climax to what has been the largest series of battle recreations in Maltese history.

Armed insurgents are expected to take over Gozo’s it-Tokk on Sunday, with a fiery rebellion against the French oppressor, culminating with a face-off at Victoria’s Citadel.

But there’s no cause for alarm, as this is but an exercise in make-believe, the conclusion to a series of re-enactment events organised by the Historical Re-Enactment Group of Malta (HRGM) to mark the second centenary and 20 years since the French were ousted from Malta and Gozo.

It was 220 years to the day, on October 28, 1798, that the French garrison surrendered Gozo to Captain Alexander Ball. The island was handed over to the Gozitans and was governed independently until Malta became a British Protectorate two years later.

And today, re-enactors will once again commemorate one of most significant eras in Maltese history with the battle which ended the seven-week long Citadel siege, bringing to an end what is probably the most large-scale series of re-enactments that has ever taken place in Malta and Gozo.

The re-enactments, which were all organised by the HRGM, took place in a number of key locations across the islands and faithfully brought to life the battles that led to the start of English rule in Malta.

“This is the era universally accepted as the birth of Malta’s long struggle to nationhood as, for the first time in history, the Maltese united in a common fight against the foreign oppressor and triumphed,” said Louise-Anne Caruana, secretary to the HRGM and part of its organising committee.

“As the biggest re-enactment organisation in Malta, we felt that it was important to mark the events that led to the two-year French blockade and the notorious final battle in Gozo, so decided to organise Malta’s largest re-enactment.”

Ms Caruana was recruited as part of the organising team in June 2017, with Natal Falzon joining in to take care of logistics later. The team was overseen by HRGM president Martin Degiorgio, who originally conceived the project.  

The Maltese Army firing a feu de joie. Photo: Timothy Nelms

The result brought together some 500 Maltese and foreign re-enactors, who recreated historically-accurate key battles and other, non-military activities, across the past few months.

The re-enactments, which coincided with the society’s 20th anniversary, were intended to offer both an educational and a cultural angle, providing insight into Malta’s history and customs.

The first battle took place at the wooded hill at Sa Maison, next to the Floriana fortifications, as the terrain is very close to where the actual fighting occurred. 

A second battle was recreated in Mistra Bay, where the French had first advanced on a redoubt and following its capture, fought their way up a rugged rocky hill towards Selmun.

The third re-enactment took the form of engagements and skirmishes which started at Chadwick Lakes and continued all the way up to Mtarfa, across a valley and up to Rabat.

The two battles that took place in Gozo started in Ramla Bay, followed by a gruelling march up to the nearby village of Xagħra, which was raided by the French, and on to Victoria.

The final battle recreated the Maltese rebellion and the French defence of the Gozo Citadel, which after fierce fighting capitulated to an Anglo-Maltese force. 

And now, the history enthusiasts are set to descend on Gozo once again for a fiery finale.

The re-enactments were not without challenges, especially considering that participants hailed from various countries including Malta, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, UK, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, Norway and Australia.

Travel, which included the transportation of an array of weapons and four canons – one of which was a four-pounder – required specific police and airline permits, as well as police escort within the islands.

And the almost daily change of battle locations meant that the organisation needed to provide local transport logistics for participants, artillery and food across both islands.

The re-enactments in fact required extensive networking with 13 councils in order to make sure that all necessary permits were granted.

Historical re-enactment enthusiasts are known to be sticklers for detail, reproducing uniform and props following in-depth research. The Maltese events were no different, with foreign participants modifying their individual existing European army uniform to that of a Maltese militiaman in order to keep the experience as authentic as possible.

The HRGM was set up in 1998 to mark the official commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the end of the Knights’ rule of Malta, which took place as part of Bonaparte’s French Egyptian campaign. 

The Society, which counts 75 members, organises regular cultural activities and re-enactments across the Maltese Islands, also taking part in events organised by historical organisations and NGOs, while collaborating with major re-enactment associations across Europe.