| Fireworks, with Senglea in background |
An invincible determination
can accomplish almost anything
and in this lies the great distinction
between great men and little men.
Thomas Fuller
Senglea, one of the historic cities in Malta, is part of what is known as the Cottonera (along with Vittoriosa and Cospicua).
It is a city known by three names: colloquially as L-Isla, derived from 'peninsula', romantically as Citta' Invicta, it being never conquered (unlike the other cities) by any foreign power, including the Ottomans and the Axis powers, and historically as Senglea, owing to the fact that it was built by Grand Master of the Knights of the Order of Saint John, Claude La Sengle.
The city can speak volumes in terms of historical importance, starting off as a small forest used by the knights for hunting and similar pastimes. Following that it became a fortified stronghold, with Fort Saint Michael always at the battlefront. It was the only city not to be contaminated during a late 1600s plague. A few centuries later, it was completely razed to the ground (bar four - just four - structures) by Axis fire, but nevertheless not conquered. Today, the city is completely rebuilt, with a touch of the modern that makes it just that little bit more special.
But it seems not even modernity will be able to take over the charm of this Invincible City...
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