The Monastery of St. Mary Magdalene Valletta, 1595-1798

Abstract

The Monastery of Santa Maria Maddalena was unique in many ways. It was the only female Hospitaller monastery for penitent prostitutes in the Order's history. They were the first and only sisters in Malta who belonged to the Regular Third Order of Saint Francis and followed the rule of Saint Clare and it was the only monastery in Malta to be suppressed and never re-established. The life of the monastery was eventful and turbulent and it can be described as u pioneer of the welfare infrastructure of the Maltese islands, as well as a business centre.

This dissertation presents a history of the Monastery of penitent prostitutes known as Santa Maria Maddalena, 1595 1798. The main aim of this study is to provide a better understanding us well as raise awareness regarding a community of female religious that have been largely neglected both by writers on Hospitaller women and local historians. This dissertation also serves the purpose of giving the Magdalene nuns a story, that may serve to encourage the authorities to embark on a project aimed at restoring the surviving Church and retrieving the crypt of the former monastery. Access to these last remaining physical remains of the monastery will enrich our history and our appreciation of female religious contributions to the fabric of Maltese society.