Ghosts

Although Malta has a rich history and culture, it is also the place for many mysterious and unexplained events and has a long and intriguing history of the supernatural. There are far too many stories to tell you about ghosts, so here are a couple of the more popular ones. If you want to hear more in future newsletters, then let me know in the comments.

The Headless Bride

The most famous of Malta’s ghost stories is one regarding the Silent City of Mdina (pronounced Em Deena). This ancient city was once the capital of Malta and had a large population but was abandoned in the 17th century. It is said that the spirits of some of the inhabitants still linger in the old streets and alleyways, and some people have reported strange noises and seen ghostly figures.

One famous story relates to the Vilhena Palace which is next to the Mdina Dungeons. It is about a young woman named Katerina who was said to have killed a knight who had attacked her. She was immediately sentenced to death but was granted one wish before she was to be beheaded. As her last wish, she chose to marry her fiancee, and after her wish was granted, she was then beheaded. Many visitors to Mdina who have taken photos outside the palace have looked at them and reported seeing a headless figure in some of their photos, and wearing white because the Katerina was still wearing her wedding dress when she was executed.

Vilhena Palace, Mdina

The Blue Lady

The last Grand Master of Malta was a man called Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc, and he had a niece according to legend who is said to be ‘The Blue Lady of the Verdala Palace’. But as the legend goes, even though the order of the knights were eventually expelled by the French from Malta, she remains there as a ghost.

Walking around the halls of the palace, the Blue Lady is unable to find any rest in her castle prison, and according to the legend, she was supposed to marry a man she didn’t love, who was thought to have been one of the knights of Malta. She had no say in the matter and had been forced into it but kept refusing the man she would be forced to spend the rest of her life with. The man grew angry and impatient with her, so imprisoned her in her room in the palace to teach her a lesson and keep her in her place.

Imprisoned and forced to comply, she had no way of getting out, but the only way she could see to escape, was through the windows. The palace was very high and some might even say impossible to escape from. She slipped and fell to her death. In some versions of the story, it is said that she just gave up completely and threw herself from the window to take her own life instead of marrying, and since her death, The Blue Lady has been seen inside Verdala Palace, walking the halls in the blue dress which she had been wearing when she died.

Guests visiting the palace have said they have seen the Blue Lady’s reflection when looking in a mirror and a number of staff working in the building have experienced at least one vision or encounter. It is also said many people who have attended the annual August moon ball held at the palace confirm that she does indeed appear in the palace. 

Verdala Palace

The Palace was built in 1586 as a countryside retreat. The square shaped palace was originally a two storey building with the ground floor accessible from a dry ditch partly cut out of the rock surrounding the building. Four towers, one at each corner, give the Palace the looks of a fortress, and a third floor was added later, by the Grand Master António Manuel de Vilhena who also built the staff quarters, stables and coach houses forming the perimeter of the main grounds in front of the Palace.

Verdala Palace is the summer residence of the President of the Republic of Malta.

I’ve Seen It All Now

The other day I was people watching from my balcony and I saw a woman taking her dog for a walk, and as dogs do, he/she evacuated their bowels. I was amazed to see that after the poo had been picked up, (very commendable), she then produced a tissue and wiped the dogs a**e.