Is Maltese a close language to Italian?

Yes, Maltese is a close language to Italian, both belonging to the Romance language family. Maltese is derived from Siculo-Arabic, which was spoken in Sicily and Malta during the Middle Ages. However, Maltese has been heavily influenced by Italian, especially during the period when Malta was under the rule of the Knights of St John and later the British Empire. As a result, Maltese has incorporated many Italian words and grammatical structures, making it mutually intelligible with Italian to some extent.