Luglienga

Luglienga (also known as Lignan blanc and Seidentraube) is a white Italian wine and table grape variety that is grown across Europe. The grape has a long history of use, dating back to at least the 14th century in Piedmont but is today most seen a table grape that is occasionally used for home winemaking.

History and relationship to other grapes

The first written documentation of Luglienga dates back to 1329 where it was listed under the old synonym Luglienchis growing in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy. Ampelographers believe that the name is derived from the Italian Luglio which means July and could be a reference to the grape's tendency to ripen early in the growing season. The French synonym Jouanenc, derived from juin meaning June also seems to support the grape's reputation as an early ripening variety.

In the early 21st century, DNA analysis confirmed what ampelographers such as Pierre Galet had long suspected--that the German/Swiss wine grape Siedentraube and the French wine grape Lignan blanc were in fact Luglienga. DNA also showed that Luglienga shares a parent-offspring relationship with the Valle d'Aosta wine grape Prié blanc with the older Luglienga likely being the parent variety.

Saint John's Cavalier

Saint John's Cavalier (Maltese: Kavallier ta' San Ġwann) is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta, Malta, which was built by the Order of St. John. It overlooks St. John's Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front. St. John was one of nine planned cavaliers in the city, although eventually only two were built, the other one being the identical Saint James Cavalier. It was designed by the Italian military engineer Francesco Laparelli, while its construction was overseen by his Maltese assistant Girolamo Cassar.

The cavalier is located close to the City Gate Arcade and Hastings Gardens. Today, the cavalier is the embassy of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the successor of the Order who built it in the first place.

History

Following the Great Siege of Malta of 1565, in which the Ottoman Empire attempted to take over Malta but failed to do so, the Order of St. John decided to settle permanently on the island. The Order decided to build a new fortified city as their new capital, and it was called Valletta after Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette. In order to do this, De Valette asked for financial aid from various European rulers. Pope Pius V not only helped out financially, but he also sent the Italian military engineer Francesco Laparelli to Malta in order to design the new capital's fortifications. Construction of the city began in March 1566, and work continued throughout the 1570s. Following Laparelli's departure from Malta and his subsequent death, construction of the city was entrusted to his Maltese assistant, the architect and military engineer Girolamo Cassar.