26 quotes found
"There is not in Italy what there is in Sardinia, nor in Sardinia what there is in Italy."
"This land resembles no other place. Sardinia is something else. Enchanting spaces and distances to travel-nothing finished, nothing definitive. It is like freedom itself."
"Sardinia is out of time and history."
"In the late 1800s, Europe had a peaceable bull’s-eye in the northern industrialized countries (Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, and the Low Countries), bordered by slightly stroppier Ireland, Austria-Hungary, and Finland, surrounded in turn by still more violent Spain, Italy, Greece, and the Slavic countries. Today the peaceable center has swelled to encompass all of Western and Central Europe, but a gradient of lawlessness extending to Eastern Europe and the mountainous Balkans is still visible. There are gradients within each of these countries as well: the hinterlands and mountains remained violent long after the urbanized and densely farmed centers had calmed down. Clan warfare was endemic to the Scottish highlands until the 18th century, and to Sardinia, Sicily, Montenegro, and other parts of the Balkans until the 20th. It’s no coincidence that the two blood-soaked classics with which I began this book—the Hebrew Bible and the Homeric poems—came from peoples that lived in rugged hills and valleys."
"People inevitably think of themselves as Sardinian first and Italian second (or sometimes even third, after European). A book written once about Sardinia was entitled The Unconquered Island, and it's true. Invaded and exploited it has been, yes, but not conquered."
"Sardinians as a race are prone to a very non latin, almost celtic wistfulness and melancholy."
"In part, the Sardinian outlook on political matters is a feature of their heritage of medieval independence. Even to peasants and herdsmen, the close, convivial world of the giudicati had great advantages over the more exploitative rule of Pisans, Genoese, Aragonese and Spaniards, and the Sardinians never forgot that they had once been in charge of their own destinies. The long wars for independence of Mariano IV and Eleonora of Arborea against Aragon created a sense of nationhood that never entirely disappeared, even though the Sardinians lost."
"The Sards themselves are not a talkative race (unless you get them going on politics or some other subject dear to their hearts). Nor are they theatrical or gregarious like other Italians, but they look frankly in the eye and treat you as a human being first before they judge you as anything else. D.H. Lawrence wondered at the boldness of women. You will probably never meet an obsequious Sard."
"The Sardinians are a sturdy race, but at the same time alert, lively, and brave, even to rashness; firm friends but implacable enemies; quick of understanding, of vivacious imagination and passionately fond of poetry, zealous in maintaining their rights and liberty, but loyal and fond of their King and Country."
"As Fraunce passeth Bretayne, so Bretayne passeth Irlond in faire weder and nobilte, but nought in helthe. For this llond is best and bringeth forth trees and fruyt and retheren and other bestes, and wyn groweth there in som place. The lond hath plente of foules and of bestes of dyvers manere kynde; the lond is plenteous and the see also. The lond is noble, copious, and riche of nobil welles and of nobil ryveres with plente of fische; there is grete plente of small fische, of samon, and of elys. So that cherles in som place fedith sowes with fische. . ."
"There beeth schepe that bereth good wolle; there beeth meny hertes and wylde bestes and fewe wolves; therfore the schepe beeth the more sikerliche without kepynge i-lefte in the folde. In this ilond also beeth many cities and townes, faire and noble and riche; many grete ryveres and stremes with grete plente of fische; many faire wodes and grete with wel many bestes, tame and wylde. The erthe of that lond is copious of metal ore and of salt welles; of quarers of marbel; of dyuers manere stones, of reed, of whyte; of nesche, of hard; of chalk and of whyte lyme. There is also white cley and reed forto make of crokkes and stenes and other vessel, and brent tyle to hele with hous and cherches, as hit were in the other Samia, that hatte Samos also. Flaundres loveth the wolle of this lond, and Normandie the skynnes and the velles; Gasquyn the iren and the leed; Irlond the ore and the salt; Europa loveth and desireth the white metal of this lond."
"... Our fresh water waxing scant, and the winds falling out contrary to our expectation, we sought into Valdogosto in the Isle of Osero, which is a safe haven for ships and Gallies. This Osero was first named Asphorus, and then Absirtides, of a Captaine Absertus, who came from Colchis, accompanied with many people, to bring backe Medea to her carefull father. Whose purpose being frustrated, stayed still, and inhabited this land. ..."
"In Malta, the Wars of Religion reached their climax. If both sides believed that they saw Paradise in the bright sky above them, they had a close and very intimate knowledge of Hell."
"To honour her brave people I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history."
"I poke my braised welly with a fork ... the food is indescribably dire. Malta is the only place in the world where the local delicacy is the bread."
"The establishment of Malta as an independent state is a tribute to you, the British Government, and the people of Malta. The United States has been deeply impressed by the leadership and courage you have provided in your country's efforts to achieve its independence and secure its freedom. Malta is well known to us. We have welcomed thousands of Maltese to our shores. Our mariners have been warmly received by your islands since the days of our own independence. In the field of science, the discovery of the undulant fever germ by Sir Themistocles Zammit epitomizes the development of Malta's many skills. Malta's unflinching steadfastness during World War II symbolized the strength of the Maltese throughout an epic history."
"No one could have described Coulson as a warm and friendly man but he was better at first sight than the two highly coloured gentlemen on the bum-warmer. He was thin, sandy and weedy. He exuded an aura of defeat.‘Malta is a sod of a place,’ he said, ‘you'll hate it. Nobody knows how long we’ll be here. The second battalion is in India and we were supposed to be on home service for the next ten years but they suddenly winkled us out of Aldershot and shipped us out here a couple of years ago. It’s a bloody mess being a home battalion on service abroad, they don’t even give us tropical kit. Just wait till you have to wear full mess kit with a stiff shirt and waistcoat in August when the sirocco is blowing ... Christ, you’ll melt!’"
"The finest heap of rock in the world."
"This City is divided in two, the old and new Malta, from which the Ile taketh the name; it is a large and populous place, and strongly fortified with invincible walles, and two impregnable Castles St. Hermes, and St. Angelo; St. Michael being distant from both: Here the great Master or Prince for that yeare being a Spaniard made much of me for Jerusalems sake; so did also a number of these gallant Knights, to whom I was greatly obliged. And withall to my great contentment, I rancountred here with a countrey Gentleman of mine, being a souldier there, named William Douglas, who afterward for his long and good service at sea was solemnely Knighted, and made one of their order. Whose fidele and manly services have beene since as plausibly regarded by the Maltezes, as Monsieur Creichton his worth, in learning and excellent memory, rests admired in Italy, but especially by the noble Gonzagaes, and dependant friends of the house of Mantua; for whose losse, and accidentall death, they still heavily bemone: acknowledging that the race of that Princely stock, by Gods judgements was cut off, because of his untimely death."
"Malta was called Melita, mentioned . 1. 2. where the Viper leaped on Paules hand; I saw also the Creeke wherein he was shipwracked: This Iland may properly be termed the Fort of Christendome, yet a barren place, and of no great bounds, for their Cornes, and Wines come daily by Barkes from Sycilia: but it yeeldeth good store of Pomegranates, Cittrons, Cottons, Orenges, Lemmons, Figges, Mellons, and other excellent fruits. The Knights of Malta had their beginning at Acre in Palestina; from thence to the Rhodes, & now exposed to this rocky Ile. They are pertinacious foes to Infidels, for such is the oath of their order, continually making war and incursions against them, to their power: being strengthned also with many souldiers, and their Captaines are surnamed Knights of Malta, and so through a great part of Christendome; it is a most honourable Order: They are not permitted to marry, the most part of whom being younger brothers: the reason was, because not being intangled to wife and children, they might be the more resolute to adventure their lives in the Christian service; but therein they are mightily decayed, and their valour no way answerable to that it hath been when their auncestors lived in the Rhodes and holy Land; having had these eighteene yeares past little or no good fortune at all."
"This Ile was given in possession to these Knights of St. John, by the Emperour Charles the fifth, and King of Spaine; being newly expelled from the Rhodes by Solyman the magnificent, Anno 1522. And afterward the Turke not contented therewith, and mindfull all-utterly to extermine their power, came with a huge Armado, and assayled Malta, Anno 1565. when Valetta was great maister, who so couragiously withstood their fury, that the Turkes were defeated, and forced to returne.This Iland is ten leagues in length, and three broad: the earth whereof being three foote deepe, is the cause, why it is not so fertile, as the clymat might afford: It containeth besides the City, forty seven Villages and nine Cassales; the peasants or naturall Inhabitants whereof, are of the Affrican complexion, tanny, and Sun-burnt; and their language semblable to the Barbarian speech, without any great difference, both tongues being a corrupt Arabick: And not unlike therein to the Italians from the Latine, or the vulgar Greeke from the auncient; yet the moderne Greeke is nearer the auncient, then the Italian is the Latine: These rurall Maltezes are extreamely bent, in all their actions, either to good or evill wanting fortitude of minde, and civill discretion, they can not temper the violent humours of their passions, but as the headstrong-tide, so their dispositions runne, in the superfluous excesse of affections."
"They follow the Romane Church, though ignorant of the way, and their woemen be lovely faire, going head-covered with blacke vayles, and much inclined to licentiousnesse; their beauties being burrowed from helpe more then nature: for now it is a common practice amongst decayed beauties, banquerouted by time or accidents, to hide it from others eyes with Art, and from their owne with false glasses. But (alasse) the graces and beauties of the soule ought more to be cared for, and to have the first place and honour, above these counterfeit or outward showes of the body; and the beauty and lovely proportion of the body, should be preferred before the effeminate deckings, that the body doth rather carry then enjoy: since it often hapneth; that a foule and deformed carkasse hath a faire and rich wardrope. In this Towne of Malta, there are many Turkish and Moorish slaves, very rudely treat, yet not answerable to that cruelty the slavish Christianes indure upon their Gallies in Barbary or Turky: The discription of Malta, I postpone to the succeeding relations of my second Travells; and after twelve daies staying here, I imbarked in a Frigat with other passengers, and arrived at Cicly in the South-east corner of Sicilia, being three score miles distant."
"Malta is so low an Island that 'tis scarce discernible above twenty Miles off at Sea, even in the clearest Weather; so that many Ships pass by without perceiving it. There are no Woods in it by reason of the shallowness of the Ground; for the whole Island is only a dry Rock, which, with much ado, may be made to produce something. And the scarcity of Earth makes it so precious, that if a Man were found stealing it out of his Neighbours Grounds, he wou'd be punish'd with the utmost Severity."
"Malta is hotter than Rome, or any other place in Europe; and the stifling Heat of the Climate is so much the more insupportable, because there are no cool Breezes to temper it; and the Brow of the Hill is expos'd directly to the South. The Peasants are as black as Egyptians; for they take no care to preserve themselves from the Sun; and the most scorching Heat is not able to drive 'em into their Houses, or even make 'em leave off working."
"The Island of Malta is very populous, and reckon'd to contain 15000 Men, who are all divided into Companies. They are oblig'd to wear Swords, but forbidden to draw 'em under such rigorous Penalties, that the natural Malice of the Inhabitants is very effectually curb'd by their Fear of Punishment: Yet they sometimes venture to execute their Fury with a little Poniard or Stiletto, after the Italian fashion."
"The Number of the Curtesans is extremely great; their Trade is not at all reputed scandalous; and when they have earn'd a little Money, they may Marry, and are esteem'd as honest Women as if they had kept their Maidenhead for their Husbands. No Person whatsoever dares offer 'em the least indignity; for they are look'd upon as Publick Persons that ought to be Sacred; and there are even some Ladies of Honour who disdain not their Acquaintance and Society; so that 'tis not an easie Task to distinguish those Prostitutes from Vertueus Women."