This Ancient Maltese Legend Involves a Curse, a Knight, and a Missing Head

Malta’s history is filled with stories that mix fact with folklore, and one of the most striking is the tale of the headless knight said to haunt the site of the Nibbia Chapel in Valletta.

The Chapel of Bones

The Nibbia Chapel was built in 1619 near the cemetery of the Sacra Infermeria, the hospital of the Knights of St John. In the eighteenth century, the remains from the cemetery were transferred to an underground crypt, which was decorated with human bones. This earned it the chilling title of the Chapel of Bones. Although the chapel was destroyed during the Second World War, its reputation for mystery endures.

The Legend of the Headless Knight

Local tradition speaks of a knight who was decapitated in battle and cursed to wander without his head. According to the story, his restless spirit roamed the chapel grounds searching for his missing head among the bones. Though there is no historical evidence for this tale, it became part of the folklore surrounding the chapel and added to its unsettling atmosphere.

Folklore and Memory

The legend of the headless knight is not a matter of recorded history but rather a story passed down through generations. Like many ghost tales, it reflects the human tendency to explain sombre or unsettling places through imaginative storytelling.

#MaltaDaily