Papers by Charles Savona-Ventura
The fossil herpetofauna of the Maltese Islands : a review
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous permission in writing of the publisher.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 5:91-103, 2022
The early decades of the twentieth century saw the Order obliged to restructure itself to conform... more The early decades of the twentieth century saw the Order obliged to restructure itself to conform to the legal requirements prevalent in France and to re-establish some form of fons honorum after the Patriarch H.B. Cyril IX Moghabghab indicated his intention to withdraw his formal protectorship of the Order. The inter-Wars period therefore saw the administration of the Order reaching out to the Holy See to try establishing closer links. These efforts were hampered by State-Church relations relating to the Kingdom of Italy and eventually by the outbreak of the Second World War.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 5:7-28, 2022
The Brethren of Saint Lazarus during the 12-13th centuries evolved from a purely monastic hospita... more The Brethren of Saint Lazarus during the 12-13th centuries evolved from a purely monastic hospitaller order to assume the added role of maintaining a small military detachment to help protect the Kingdom of Jerusalem. This required the development of a two-tiered organization emulating on one part the organization of the monastic orders and on another the organization of the military orders.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 6:121-131, 2023
A copy of a letter held in the Torri ta’ Lanzun Archives of the Order of Saint Lazarus relates to... more A copy of a letter held in the Torri ta’ Lanzun Archives of the Order of Saint Lazarus relates to the setting up of a jurisdiction in Mexico during the third decade of the 20th century. The letter reveals interesting insights on how the Order was managed and its history viewed by its leaders.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 6:45-59, 2023
The present grandmaster of the Military and Hospitaller of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is said to ... more The present grandmaster of the Military and Hospitaller of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem is said to be the fiftieth leader in the Order’s history. The series of assumed leaders includes a number of individuals who served during the Crusader Period in the Outremer. The documentation relevant to the early Lazarite masters is scanty and often suspect or non-existent. Some documented masters have also been missed by previous authors.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 6:7-27, 2023
The Order of St Lazarus lost all its holdings and influence in the Middle East after the Christia... more The Order of St Lazarus lost all its holdings and influence in the Middle East after the Christian forces were expelled from the Outremer at the end of the 13th century. In spite of assuming a completely European character, the Order throughout the centuries has looked at its original birthplace with nostalgia. A link was forged with the region by the early 20th century with an eventual failed attempt at re-establishing a pilgrim hostel in the region.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 7:175-176, 2024
A new related document held in the Torri ta’ Lanzun Archives has come to light which sheds furthe... more A new related document held in the Torri ta’ Lanzun Archives has come to light which sheds further light on the dating of the letter sent by Melkite Archimandrite to the Marquis of Guadalupe. The new document dated 8th January 1930 written by the Marquis of Guadalupe to Mgr. Arsèsene Attié states ‘J’ai reçu la lettre du 12 décembre dernier et c’est pour moi un honneur de la répondre’ clearly confirming that the original letter was dated 12th December 1929. This document confirms the acceptance of the Marquis of Guadalupe to serve as Bailiff to the Mexican jurisdiction.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 7:65-84, 2024
In spite of the Reconquista crusade, the Brethren of Saint Lazarus did establish themselves on th... more In spite of the Reconquista crusade, the Brethren of Saint Lazarus did establish themselves on the Iberian Peninsula mainly as a hospitaller Order serving the victims of leprosy particularly along the pilgrimage trails. The Order of Saint Lazarus in Spain was to become embroiled in the political manoeuvres engendered by the Holy See in the 15th and 16th centuries. The arbitrary donation of land holdings to non-Spanish organizations whose only loyalty was to the Holy See was considered unacceptable by the Spanish rulers initiating a series of correspondence aiming to block this land transfer.
Acta Historiae Sancti Lazari Ordinis, 2024, 7:9-26, 2024
The statutes of the Hospitaller Order of St John precluded professed members from entering into a... more The statutes of the Hospitaller Order of St John precluded professed members from entering into a marital relationship and becoming members of other Chivalric Orders. Circumstances however arose where professed members asked and obtained a dispensation from their vows allowing them the freedom to join other Chivalric Orders including the Ordre de Notre-Dame du Mont-Carmel et de Saint-Lazare.
Melita Classica - Journal of the Malta Classics Association, vol. 8, 2022
The Gozo Observer - The Journal of the University of Malta-Gozo Campus, 2024
Before and during the pre-Modern age, art held great influence over society as a prominent medium... more Before and during the pre-Modern age, art held great influence over society as a prominent medium of communication especially relating to religious or political messages. Places of worship and other religious-managed institutions, such as the various hospices known as Xenodochium or Nosokomion, frequently commissioned sculptors to carve images suggesting a religious theme into the exteriors and interiors of these institutions. These images generally depicted a religious contemplative diorama or specific saintly individuals directing the viewer to emulate their actions. Other sculptures depict symbolic or realistic body image representations that may have served to communicate a specific message to the contemporary viewer. In Western culture, the head was considered the chief symbolic part of the body signifying intellect, but was further regarded as the seat of the soul. The face was not only considered central to identity, but also an expression of emotion and character. The symbolic or realistic facial image, sometimes illustrating medical features, was therefore a commonly sculptured image. Two such head sculpture images depicting leprosy are to be found in the Il-Ħaġar Museum at Victoria-Rabat in Gozo.
University of Malta. Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ... more All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous permission in writing of the publisher.
Published on the occasion of the Conference organized [by] Dar Ġuzeppa Debono in collaboration wi... more Published on the occasion of the Conference organized [by] Dar Ġuzeppa Debono in collaboration with The Noble Military and Hospitalier Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem, and Anawim Community on the theme of "Voluntary Work and Social Services for the benefit of single parents"
Journal of Case Reports and Images in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Introduction: This case highlights the long-term obstetric risks following salpingectomy. These i... more Introduction: This case highlights the long-term obstetric risks following salpingectomy. These include recurrent ipsilateral interstitial ectopic pregnancy and uterine rupture. Case Report: A 29-year-old lady presented with acute abdominal pain as well as signs and symptoms of hemorrhagic shock at 14 weeks of gestation. She was subsequently diagnosed with a ruptured right-sided interstitial ectopic pregnancy, which was managed surgically. The patient had a past history of open salpingo-oophorectomy for a complicated right-sided ectopic pregnancy involving the ovary at 12 weeks of gestation in her previous pregnancy. A subsequent pregnancy a year later was complicated by impending uterine rupture at 30 weeks of gestation. A healthy baby was delivered by Cesarean section. Conclusion: A meticulous surgical technique is of the essence when performing a salpingectomy for whatever pathology. The risk of a recurrent ipsilateral interstitial ectopic pregnancy must always be considered. Als...
Triplets are a relatively rare, occur rence being encountered in the Maltese Islands with an over... more Triplets are a relatively rare, occur rence being encountered in the Maltese Islands with an overall incidence of about 0.1 per 1000 maternities. The incidence appears to be on the increase over the last twenty years rising from the 0.08 per 1000 maternities in the decade 1960-69 to 0.11 per 1000 maternities in the following two dec ades. This increase has been correlated with the increasing use of ovulation induction agents, as has the occurrence of two quadruplets and one octuplet pregnancies in 1988-90. Triplets are shown to occur more frequently in eld erly mothers, but no relationship to parity could be identified. Higher or der births are shown to have a high incidence of antenatal and intrpartum problems, and are associated with a higher fetal loss than singleton preg nancies.
Coverpage: The Spiny Chicory plant [Cichorium spinosum] considered in Maltese folklore as useful ... more Coverpage: The Spiny Chicory plant [Cichorium spinosum] considered in Maltese folklore as useful in the treatment of diabetes. Drawing by V. Falzon, 1994 No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted to any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the previous permission of the publisher and author.
COX isozymes and non-uniform neoangiogenesis: What is their role in endometriosis?
Prostaglandins & Other Lipid Mediators, Aug 1, 2023
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Papers by Charles Savona-Ventura