Senglea returned to its former days of glory, as various re-enactments depicting its heroic past formed part of the maritime weekend. This very much underrated city built by Grand Master Claude de la Sengle stands proudly within one of the most beautiful natural harbours in the world.

This year’s event took a new twist, apart from the extra day: to complement events by the quay, the city centre was also used for new activities. This further showed new visitors what a jewel Senglea is.

The variety was plentiful to an extent that it would be impossible to mention; all those who attended and mingled with us Sengleani certainly left feeling the warmth of ordinary Maltese people who through no fault of their own have been abandoned for many years. There is a big misconception about what Senglea is really like and it is quite amazing when one talks about our city to outsiders, how many normally let slip that they have relations that originate here.

Pre World War II Senglea was one of the most respected areas of Malta, and a great number of top, professional people were either born here or lived here. Unfortunately the war caused the destruction not just of the buildings but also of the community. Sadly many of those who were forced to leave and spread across the four corners of Malta never returned for a number of reasons, one of which was definitely political.

Like me, there are many foreigners who have adopted Senglea as their home. The old city is steadily rising to its former glory and it’s only a matter of time before the transition is complete with Senglea once again becoming an elite place in Malta.

Staging such events which help to educate the public about the history of a place is no mean feat so a heartfelt well done goes to all those who worked extremely hard to ensure the enjoyment and safety of all those who attended.