Set the scene.
In 1752 Dun Franġisk Wizzino’s Tagħlim Nisrani appeared as the first printed book in Maltese. Its text ran in parallel with Italian.
Here’s the twist.
The catechism translated Cardinal Bellarmino’s Dottrina Cristiana and was commissioned by Bishop Paolo Alpheran de Bussan. Translation helped bring an established religious text to Maltese readers.
Why it still matters.
This is a printing milestone, not the beginning of written Maltese. Earlier manuscripts existed: handwritten and printed texts belong to different parts of a language’s history.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.