The Development of Domestic Space in the Maltese Islands from the Late Middle Ages to the Second Half of the Twentieth Century

Abstract

This thesis traces and analyses the evolution of domestic space in Maltese vernacular and ‘polite’ houses from the medieval to contemporary times. The houses under study range from humble buildings of modest size, materials and design, like farmhouses or those for the less affluent town-dwellers, to buildings of grand design, like townhouses and palazzi. Owing to the complex nature of the Maltese houses a combination of enquires and a variety of sources was necessary to achieve a holistic picture. This included fieldwork in different parts of the islands, extensive research work in local archives, libraries and museums, an analysis of a sample of literary sources, national censuses and works-of-art, as well as methods of spatial analysis (Space Syntax).