Cute and furry pets to farm animals that have made Malta their home are the protagonists of the BOV calendar 2019.

Based on the theme ‘In Harmony with Nature Throughout the Ages’, the publication features, among others, the Maltese goat, which originated in the Middle East and is known for its high-quality milk; the Maltese cow, which has existed since prehistoric times as evidenced by drawings found in caves and which played an important role in agriculture and the construction industry before the introduction of modern machinery; the Maltese or peregrine falcon, which King Charles V of Spain brought to Malta in 1530; the Maltese sheep, a rare species which originated in Sicily and which is bred for its milk, meat and wool; and the apis meliffera ruttneri, better known as the Maltese honey bee, which evolved to adapt to the Maltese climate over the years.

Other animals included in the calendar are the calico cat (qattusa lewn il-Madonna), the Maltese hunting dog, the black Maltese chicken, the mule (bagħal), the donkey (ħmar tas-salib), the pharaoh hound (kelb tal-fenek)  and the ferret.

To put together this collection, the bank’s PR and marketing team and photographer Joseph Smith visited farms across Malta and Gozo and pictured some prime examples of the above-mentioned animals together with their proud owners. The photos also capture typical Maltese elements such as rubble walls, the girna and native trees.

Bank of Valletta’s calendar annually highlights aspectsof Malta that are slowly disappearing, from street games to traditional foods and trades to name a few.

The calendar is distributed to clients but a downloadable version is available from www.bov.com/documents/bov-calendar-2019.