Insara bit-Twelid, Misilmin bi Professjoni: Tahdita minn Dr Mario Xuereb

A common Maltese saying suggests that someone born in a corner will never die in a square. Yet historical reality tells a different story. During the early modern period, the Mediterranean was divided between Christian and Muslim communities who regarded one another as adversaries. It was widely assumed that individuals born in Italy or Malta would remain Christian throughout their lives. However, this assumption proved incorrect, as will be explored during a lecture held at the Inquisitor's Palace in Birgu on October 15, 2026, at 7:00pm. Dr Mario Xuereb will present his research on apostasy, drawing upon archival materials from Malta's Inquisition records. His presentation examines how, across the sixteenth to eighteenth centuries, thousands of European Christians—including Maltese—embraced Islam. Who were these so-called "renegades"? What motivated them to abandon their faith? The lecture addresses the identities of these individuals, the factors driving their conversion, avenues for social advancement, and their beliefs.