Spanish Rule (1282 – 1530)

Under Spanish rule, Malta became part of a loose confederation of states known as the Crown of Aragon. The head of the confederation, the king of Aragon, tried to exploit the islands' resources while also defending it against invasion. The Spanish rulers of Malta awarded the islands to noble followers as a fief. But in the late 14th century the islands served as a base for disaffected Sicilian nobles, and this practice stopped. Twice, the Aragonese crown pawned the islands. The second pawning, to Gonsalvo de Monroy in 1426, provoked a rebellion on the islands. In response Alfonso V (The Magnanimous) promised that Malta would remain under the direct rule of the monarch.

During this time, both the Muslims and the plague threatened life on Malta. Muslim pirates and raids remained a constant danger. In the 1420's, the Hafsids of North Africa raided the islands, stealing property and enslaving the inhabitants. The plague barred population growth on Malta. The island's Università, a municipal government based in Mdina, administered local resources.

During the fifteenth century it became clear to the Aragonese crown that the defense of Malta was both essential and expensive. The islanders were unable to assume full responsibility for their own defense. As early as 1450, the Università discussed rumors that the king intended to give the islands to the military religious order of  Montessa. The growing threat of the Ottoman Turks to western Europe caused Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, to give Malta to the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in 1530, for a yearly rent of a Maltese falcon.

Find detailed chronology here: History 05