Convictions and Conjectures

Once again packed with historical delights, Giovanni Bonello takes us back into a past world of intrigue, murder, prisons and pompous ceremonies. As with the past three volumes, this one is a wealth of information and curiosities, splendidly written by one of Malta’s favourite storytellers. In this volume, two unknown Mattia Preti drawings are discovered at the National Library of Malta, we are taken in and out of the Knights’ prisons, and learn all about the murder of Bontadino de Bontadini – the first Baroque architect in Malta. These are just three of the fifteen articles that are guaranteed to entertain the reader, as Bonello delves into the lesser known aspects of the history of Malta.

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CONTENTS

In and Out of the Knights' Prisons - Detentions and Escapes

Bontadino de Bontadini - The Murder of the First Baroque Architect in Malta

Two Unknown Mattia Preti Drawings Discovered at the National Library

Sheremetev's Visit to Malta in 1698

Table Ceremonial in the Grand Master’s Court

Madame de Pompadour Scorned by a Knight of Malta

The Pigot Brothers - Arrogance, Treachery, Sadism, Murder

Mementoes of the 1813 Plague

Malta and the French Navy

The Telegraphs in Malta During the Victorian Era

A Hungarian Ship in Malta - The Carola

The Lure and Lore of Malta's Old Shopfronts

Malta and Japan - Assassins, Mistrust, Exploits, Pageantry

Geo Fürst, An Artist to Remember

The Other Side of the Coin

Provenance