Office of the Chief Herald of Arms of Malta: The Way Forward

This book is a two-part analytic commentary by Dr. Charles A. Gauci, Chief Herald of Arms of Malta and Malta's only official authority on heraldic matters.

Part 1

THE QUIRKS AND NUANCES OF HEREDITARY HONOURS IN MALTA-

A CONSOLIDATION OF CERTAIN ASPECTS OF MALTA’S INTANGIBLE

CULTURAL HERITAGE.

In the first part of this book, which includes over 260 footnotes, the author tackles the arduous but necessary task of debunking several generationally-accumulated erroneous conclusions      concerning Malta’s nobility. He does this because these misconceptions have very much influenced both the composition and the inheritance of local coats of arms, so they needed to be rectified.

Part 2

A SYSTEM OF MALTESE HERALDRY

The second part gives a short history of heraldry in Malta, explains the basic concepts of this science, outlines the principal features of a coat of arms and proceeds to the application of general heraldic norms to a correct Maltese context. This is done with due regard and sensitivity to the laws of the land and to the major historical shifts which have seen the Maltese islands’ transition from fief to colony to independent monarchy and finally to sovereign republic.  It  paves the way for  an orderly system intended to address an erstwhile-unregulated tradition.

GENERAL APPENDIX

This appendix cites the legal basis for the Office of the Chief Herald of Arms of Malta. It deals with the 2021 amendment to the Culture Heritage Act (Cap 445) as well as the Heraldry and Genealogy Regulations, 2021 which passed into law in January 2022.

The Way Forward is a must-have for anyone interested in Maltese history, the former nobility and heraldry in general.