Vigilo 57 July 2022

VIGILO D I N L - A R T Ħ E LWA

ISSUE 57

May 2022

57

The National Trust of Malta

TA’ ISOPU

The Oratories IN GOZO of Valletta

A STATUE AND ITS STORY

Din l-Art Ħelwa is a non-profit non-governmental organisation whose objective is to safeguard the cultural heritage and natural heritage and natural environment of the nation.

Din l-Art Ħelwa 133 Melita Street, Valletta VLT 1123 T: +356 21225952 E: info@dinlarthelwa.org WWW.DINLARTHELWA.ORG Like our Facebook page and join the group Follow us on Twitter

Din l-Art Ħelwa functions as the National Trust of Malta, restoring cultural heritage sites on behalf of the State, the Church and private owners, and managing and maintaining these sites for the benefit of the general public.

Din l-Art Ħelwa strives to awaken awareness of cultural heritage and environmental matters, through a policy of public education and by highlighting development issues to ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained and that local legislation is strictly enforced.

DIN L-ART ĦELWA HAS RECIPROCAL MEMBERSHIP WITH THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL NATIONAL TRUSTS ORGANISATION:

THE DIN L-ART ĦELWA COUNCIL 2021-2023

FOUNDER PRESIDENT Judge Maurice Caruana Curran (1965-1999) EXECUTIVE PRESIDENT Professor Alex Torpiano HON. SECRETARY GENERAL Simone Mizzi HON. TREASURER Michael Warrington MEMBERS Albert Attard Joe Attard Professor Anthony Bonanno George Camilleri Perit Dr Shirley Cefai Stéphane Croce Cettina Caruana Curran Dr Petra Caruana Dingli Maria Grazia Cassar Josie Ellul Mercer Cathy Farrugia Joseph Philip Farrugia Dr Stanley Farrugia Randon Martin Galea Ann Gingell Littlejohn Kenneth B. Micallef Martin Scicluna Professor Luciano Mulè Stagno Perit Joanna Spiteri Staines HON. LIFE COUNCIL MEMBER Martin L. Scicluna PATRON H.E. The President of Malta

Badan Warisan Malaysia • Czech National Trust • Geldersch Landschap & Kasteelen – Netherlands • Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) – Italy • Herita – Belgium • Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga • Kulturerbe Bayern – Germany • Manx National Trust – Isle of Man • National Trust of Australia • National Trust of Barbados • National Trust for Canada • National Trust for the Cayman Islands • National Trust of England, Wales and Northern Ireland • National Trust Guernsey • National Trust for Ireland – An Taisce • National Trust of Korea • National Trust Jersey • National Trust for Scotland • National Trust of Slovakia • National Trust of Tasmania • National Trust of Zimbabwe • Pro Patrimonio Foundation – Rumania DIN L-ART ĦELWA IS A MEMBER OF: u Wirtna – Our Legacy u ICOMOS – Malta u Europa Nostra u The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) u The Heritage Parks Federation u Future for Religious Heritage Association

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN VIGILO ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF DIN L-ART ĦELWA

EDITOR Petra Caruana Dingli DESIGN Ramon Micallef COVER IMAGE Daniel Cilia - An aerial photo of the tower built by the Order of St John known as Ta’ Isopu in Nadur, Gozo. The dramatic broken cliffs are known as l-Irdum il-Kbir—the large cliffs. The Upper Coralline limestone cliff edge has fragmented due to coastal landslides caused by the sea eroding the underlying layer of Blue Clay.

Text and images copyright © the authors and the publisher Din l-Art Ħelwa Printed at Gutenberg Press Ltd, Gudja Road, Tarxien GXQ 2902, Malta Vigilo - ISSN – 1026-132X Number 57 - May 2022

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

NEWS – PROPERTIES – PEOPLE – BOOKS

OPINION

FEATURES

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

INTO Places

2

Oratories in Valletta: Art of the Protagonists of Maltese Baroque Painting in the Oratories of Valletta, a Survey – Frederica Agius

3

A Statue and its Story: The Eighteenth-Century Statue Of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta – Mark Agius

10

A Copy of a Statue in Rome: The ‘Bambin ta’ Praga’ or ‘ta’ Aracoeli’ in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta – Mark Agius

13

Burial Grounds on the Floriana Bastions: The Consecration of the Protestant Cemeteries in 1843 – Mike Hinton

16

Id-Dellija u ix-Xemxija: The Sunny and Shady Areas of St Paul’s Bay – James Licari

20

The Żejtun Roman Villa: A Digital Presentation – Ruben Abela

26

The Upper Northwest Front: Trekking Along the Victoria Lines (Part Two) – Joseph Galea Debono

29

Isopu: A National Park for Gozo – Martin Galea

35

From ‘Words to Action’?: Living Up to Environmental Promises – Alex Torpiano

38

Our Industrial Heritage in the Inner Grand Harbour – Joanna Spiteri Staines

42

Restoration Report – Stanley Farrugia Randon

46

The restoration of Għallis Tower

48

Din l-Art Ħelwa’s Marine Photographic competition

50

Torri Mamo

52

Sixteenth-century titular painting restored at Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta

53

Seven paintings by Mattia Preti at Sarria Church – a seminar

54

Short News

55

An Appreciation: George Serracino Inglott – Roger Vella Bonavita

58

From the Din l-Art Ħelwa Archives – George Camilleri

59

Vigilo People

60

Vigilo Books

62

Salvaging the Australian Bungalow

64

1

Editor’s Note

O

ver the last six months, Din l-Art Ħelwa was pleased to conclude several restoration and maintenance projects. After their initial restoration, the historic sites under the management of Din l-Art Ħelwa need constant maintenance—and sometimes a more comprehensive overhaul.

This time it was the turn of Għallis Tower in Bahar ic-Cagħaq, and Torri Mamo in Marscascala, two projects which have now been completed. We can also report that the sixteenth-century titular painting at Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta has been restored. This issue of Vigilo is again filled with illustrated features.

Three essays focus on the oratories of Valletta, providing fascinating insights into the rich artworks sponsored and contributed by confraternities. Another essay takes a look at the consecration of the Protestant cemetery on the Msida Bastion in Floriana in 1843—another site held in Guardianship by Din l-Art Ħelwa.

The nineteenth and early twentieth centuries are also the setting for an essay on St Paul’s Bay, and another on the Victoria Lines. A digital presentation of the Roman Villa in Zejtun is introduced. The opinion pieces focus on the idea of creating a national park near Isopu Tower in Gozo, on the industrial heritage in the inner part of the Grand Harbour, and on environmental promises and proposals prompted by the recent General Elections.

The issue concludes with other news of activities by Din l-Art Ħelwa, including a look through the Archives. As usual we feature people who make up our organisation, and a book review.

2

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

INTO PLACES

Launch of the International National Trusts Reciprocal Visitors Scheme

18th April 2022 saw the launch of the International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) reciprocal visiting scheme. Under this scheme thirty-two National Trusts in twenty-four countries have got together to open up their properties to members of participating trusts, free of charge.

On presentation of your Din l-Art Ħelwa membership card, you will be able to visit over 1,000 properties free of charge in England, Scotland, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and a host of other countries as far away as Canada, New Zealand and Australia. For Din l-Art Ħelwa members, this includes free access to National Trust properties in England and Scotland including national parks, stately homes, fortresses and historical buildings. The new membership cards have the INTO logo to facilitate this. The scheme is an exciting new step taken by INTO to encourage co-operation between National Trusts around the world and a greater awareness of our common natural and historical heritage. More trusts are expected to join the scheme in due course.

So if you are travelling, do look up the INTO website on https://www.into.org/places/ and check out any places you would like to visit—and don’t forget to take your Din L-Art Helwa membership card with you.

INTO is a diverse network of heritage organisations from across the globe, with eighty-five members in sixty-five countries. It is united by a common approach to the conservation of world heritage—built and natural, tangible and intangible.

It facilitates the exchange of expertise, promotes best practice and shares resources to increase global capacity for heritage protection. It uses its shared knowledge to support new trusts to grow, and lends its voice to key discussions in the heritage sector.

Din l-Art Ħelwa has been involved with INTO since its inception some fifteen years ago.

It was involved, through its then president Martin Scicluna, in the steering committee which charted its foundation, guided by the National Trust of England and Wales. Since then, Din l-Art Ħelwa has remained an active member and has retained a seat on the board of trustees through Simone Mizzi and now Martin Galea.

Din l-Art Ħelwa has recently benefited from the Covid scheme launched by the charity to help trusts through the pandemic as well as through exchange visits organised by Union Rempart.

Most recently, a field trip was organised with one of the National Trust conservation experts for the Torri tal-Qbajjar project in Marsalforn. INTO also organises exchanges of information and best practice through conferences, lectures, workshops, exchanges and mentoring.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ORATORIES IN VALLETTA ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

3

Art of the Protagonists of Maltese Baroque Painting in the Oratories of Valletta — a Survey

By Frederica Agius

Detail from the Oratory of the Sacrament, at St Dominic's Priory, Valletta

4

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

'Crowning with Thorns' by Giuseppe D'Arena at the Oratory of the Crucifix at Ta' Ġieżu

O

ne of the direct consequences of the Council of Trent was the rise of confraternities in the late sixteenth century. A confraternity is a group of lay people who are united and driven by a single devotion and mission; usually to promote specific areas of religious life. Many of these were established in Catholic Europe, and Malta was no different to the trend. There were around 140 confraternities on the island by the 1660s and most of them occupied a space within the church or a separate chapel annexed to the church referred to as oratories. The distinguished members of the confraternities decorated these spaces with paintings by the most prominent artists of the time.

This article will survey the artistic milieu of some notable examples in Valletta, namely the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception and Onorati at the Jesuit Church, the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament at the Dominican Priory, the Oratory of Charity at St Paul Shipwrecked and the Oratory of the Crucifix at the Church of St Mary of Jesus (hereunder referred to as Ta’ Ġieżu).

Despite this being a select sample, these spaces represent the prevailing stylistic currents of local art during the latter half of the seventeenth century and the early years of the eighteenth. The oratories have been the subject of a number of undergraduate and postgraduate studies within the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta, and on-site lectures are organised as part of students’ programme.

An oratory can be defined as a versatile space that houses a confraternity and specifically caters to their mission and activities. Oratories were adorned with Maltese art from the midseventeenth century that fuelled members’ devotion and naturally promoted their cause, whilst creating healthy artistic competition amongst the other confraternities. The oratories in this discussion follow a rectangular hall format directly annexed to the main church.

The Oratory of the Crucifix at Ta’ Ġieżu is slightly shorter in length and indirectly connected to the church. All have a separate entrance and a main altar as a focal point of the space. The iconography of the artworks, decorative sculpture and practical nature of the architecture create a synthesis as a single work of art in the Baroque spirit, that functions to house the confraternity and stir piety within members almost as a form of self-promotion.

This article will examine oratories belonging to confraternities that the Maltese formed part of. In doing so, it excludes one of the most significant examples; the Oratory of the Decollato in the conventual church of St John in Valletta. The artistic programme for the latter boasts the work of two giants of seventeenth-century art in Malta, Caravaggio and Mattia Preti, and its distinguished patronage sets a precedent for other oratories in the capital. Its prime location and prestigious members elevated its status and emphasised the ritualistic aspect and communal mission

Some degree of rivalry between confraternities existed, and thus embellishing the space became a means of attracting new members and competing with others.

View of the Oratory of the Crucifix at Ta' Ġieżu showing the 'Crowning with Thorns'

by Giuseppe D'Arena

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

5

View of some of the laterals and sculptural decoration at the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, at the Jesuit church

of confraternities. It is to be assumed that some degree of rivalry between confraternities existed, and thus embellishing the space became a means of attracting new members and competing with others.

The oratories under study provide a visual summary of Baroque art in Malta in the latter half of the seventeenth century. The mechanics of artistic patronage for these oratories provide brilliant case studies for microcosms of Maltese society. Essentially works of art were commissioned directly by individual donors of the confraternity or collective donations and collected funds. Each had their specific dedications, some of which are directly linked to their namesake, such as the Oratory of Charity at St Paul Shipwrecked, the Eucharist at St Dominic’s Convent, Immaculate Conception at the Jesuit Church and the Crucifix at the Church of Ta’ Ġieżu, whilst the reference to the Oratory of the Onorati is more obscure. The latter’s dedication is to the Assumption of the Virgin whilst it is named after the bones of Santa Onorata which it housed.

The oratories showcase the work of the leading artists at the time and this article will survey the style of works in these examples.

Mattia Preti’s arrival in Malta in the 1660s signalled a new direction in artistic style for the island. His output of forceful works with a clearly communicated narrative, almost proclaimed, and a visual directory of outward

yet contained movement, bold and bright colours composed through an underlying spiritual, humanistic or political guidance, put forward a style that was contemporary to the continent and pushed Malta into the High Baroque sphere. There were two dominant stylistic trends in the 1660s; the classicising strain of the local artist Stefano Erardi and the tour de force of Preti’s works. Erardi’s work harped back to the Early Bolognese models of the Carracci artists, Domenichino, and Giovanni Lanfranco amongst others, and through his reference to prints of their major works, created a pocket revival of the style that was popular in the early seventeenth century. Preti’s art encapsulated the spirit of the High Baroque, and together they defined the stylistic context in Malta. Erardi did not resist influence from Preti, however largely remained indebted to Classical models, which his son Alessio then updated after a trip to Rome. Preti arrived in Malta as a mature artist and his career on the island saw him reinterpret his style, where he transitions into a more subdued yet deeply spiritual art that is clearly represented in the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament at the Dominican Priory. He led a thriving bottega and it is in this context that the artist Giuseppe D’Arena emerges, whose style fluctuates between Preti’s and his previous Roman baggage.

The Jesuits were an influential order and the academic context that they created attracted

6

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

View of the main altar of the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, at the Jesuit church

distinguished members to their confraternities.

The Jesuits settled on the island in the early 1590s and the Confraternity of the Immaculate Conception was established soon after. The Oratory of the Immaculate Conception dates to the 1640s and 50s, when Francesco Buonamici revised the plans of the church and the college.

The sculptural decoration showcases the work of seventeenth-century Maltese sculptors from the Casanova families. The cycle of six large laterals with scenes from the life of the Virgin are attributed to Filippino Dingli with the possible assistance of the young Stefano Erardi. The titular depicting the ‘Immaculate Conception’ is a plausible attribution to Dingli but merits further study. Dingli was a notable artist working within the Maltese villages at that time, thus this emerges as a prestigious commission. His works harp back to a late Mannerist style, aloof to the prevailing Baroque manner on the continent, but possibly reveal Erardi’s early artistic training. This cycle attests to the vernacular context that Erardi began his career in and the artistic situation on the island before Preti’s arrival. The works are currently being restored and the relationship between the artists can thus be properly mapped out.

The oratories at the Jesuit church provide an interesting case study for the development of Erardi’s style, especially in the Oratory of the Onorati where the six laterals were probably carried out by Stefano and his son Alessio. The

Detail of the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, at the Jesuit church

main titular of the ‘Assumption of the Virgin’ is of particular interest as it is a testament to Stefano’s working methodology where he often utilised various prints. In this case the work is an almost direct copy of Peter Paul Rubens’ painting of the same subject in the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. It is interesting to note that his colouring remains independent from the original, since the print would have been carried out in black and white. At times the prints are utilised in an intelligent way and as viewers our appreciation for the work deepens once we recognise quotes from the masters, however there are times where this method is less successful and one questions whether his referral to prints is his remedy for problems in artistic creativity. Alessio’s initial artistic training and his indebtedness to his father’s manner are palpable in this cycle. This case study creates a better understanding of the stylistic developments after his trip to Rome, showcased in the ceiling painting at the Oratory of the Eucharist at St Dominic’s Priory.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

7

The oratories provide a visual summary of Baroque art in Malta in the latter half of the seventeenth century.

View of the main altar with 'The Institution of the Eucharist' by Mattia Preti and the surrounding gloria, in the Oratory of the Sacrament, St Dominic's Priory

The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament attached to the Dominican Priory was founded in the 1570s and addressed the correct handling of the Eucharist; an important doctrine from the Council of Trent.

The whole iconography of the oratory relates to this theme, thus enhancing the theme and glorifying the confraternity’s cause. It is a case of a direct import of the Roman confraternity’s statute that was adapted to the Maltese context.

This was a popular confraternity that initially boasted over sixty members. Artistically, this is one of the most important spaces in late seventeenth-century Malta and attests to the high standards of patronage amongst confraternities, where in this case, members of the confraternity created an artistic paragon between the protagonists of Maltese art at the time. Mattia Preti was commissioned to paint the main titular altarpiece depicting the ‘Institution of the Eucharist’ for the inauguration of the oratory. The work dates to 1674, a transitional time during the artist’s career where he modifies his palette and the luminosity of his early works is gradually eliminated in favour of a more subdued tone, as can be observed in this scene. Preti’s later works become more spiritually charged and this painting, which is surrounded by a typically golden Baroque gloria that extends to the space of the entire wall, is a significant example. The carved monstrance on the

gloria merges with Preti’s framework and thus extends and emphasises the iconography of the Eucharist. The tenebrist palette and strong chiaroscuro modelling on Christ’s face mark the new direction in Preti’s art and this commission is a testament to the important members within the confraternity.

Giuseppe D’Arena was commissioned four laterals for this oratory, two of which survive (‘Christ Walking on Water’ and ‘Christ in the Desert Served by Angels’), whilst the ceiling scene depicting ‘The Triumph of the Eucharist’ was carried out by Alessio Erardi in 1711–12 and is currently being restored. Initially in 1701 the confraternity approached Giovanni Paolo Chiesa, a member within Preti’s workshop, for the commission, which fell through probably due to financial reasons. It was then awarded to Alessio who collaborated with the artist Cristofano De Lucia, a decorative painter who was responsible for carrying out the painted decoration and quadratura surrounding the central panel. This provides a unique study for the working methodology of wall and ceiling paintings in Malta during this time.

The ceiling painting was partly sponsored

by Grand Master Perellos, thus emphasising the importance of these confraternities in religious life in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. The central panel is unfortunately largely repainted, however the format reveals its influence of Carlo Maratti’s ‘Triumph of

8

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

View of some of the laterals and sculptural decoration at the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception at the Jesuit church

the Clemency’ at Palazzo Altieri in Rome in its similar viewpoint and structure. This again further highlights the Erardi artists’ creative process and reveals Alessio’s preoccupations during his five-year tenure in Rome at the turn of the eighteenth century. This work, and the ‘Virgin of the Rosary’ in Lija parish church, brought the latest Roman classicising trends popularised by Maratti to the island and provided a new direction for art to follow after Preti’s death in 1699.

The works in the Oratory of Charity, attached to the Church of St Paul Shipwrecked, and the Oratory of the Crucifix, which forms part of Ta’ Giezu, by Giuseppe D’Arena can be better appreciated. The former have just been restored and the latter are soon to be, thus allowing an in-depth study into the artist’s varying style. D’Arena was commissioned with four laterals depicting scenes from the Passion. ‘The Flagellation’ and ‘The Crowning with Thorns’ will here be considered as the other two paintings show extensive repainting.

D’Arena carried out these works in 1701, shortly after Preti’s death, and his rendition of these themes in the latter’s style attest to his skill and knowledge of Preti’s methodology.

His composition and palette in both the paintings attest to the fact that he carried out a thorough study of Preti’s ceiling panels of the same subject in the Oratory of the Decollato in the conventual church of St John and these

works could indeed be an ode to the artist who had just passed away. They also highlight his artistic training under Preti before he left his bottega in pursuit of an independent career.

‘The Crowning of Thorns’ is the only known signed work by Giuseppe D’Arena, and has aided research on the artist. He was until recently linked to another artist through the nickname ‘il Romano’ which was thought to refer to Giovanni Paolo Chiesa, but since has been corrected and has paved the way for further research on D’Arena.

The Oratory of Charity in the Church of St Paul Shipwrecked housed another popular confraternity that is still in operation till today, and offers an insight into their continued piety, mission, structure of their organisation and seventeenth-century origins. The cycle of paintings by D’Arena directly relates to their charitable mission and the six laterals depict Old Testament scenes of charity and ‘The Prodigal Son’, taken from the Gospel of Luke. D’Arena was commissioned in 1706/7, after Preti’s death, and he executes the works in a different style when compared with the cycle of works in the Oratory of the Crucifix.

D’Arena quotes Roman works, such as the ‘Burial of St Petronilla’ by Guercino currently at the Capitolini Museum in Rome, in the ‘Judas the Macabean Burying the Dead’ and reworks the composition to create a variant.

His style is no longer dependent on Preti, and

The mechanics of artistic patronage for these oratories provide brilliant case studies for microcosms of Maltese society.

Essentially works of art were commissioned directly by individual donors of the confraternity or collective donations and collected funds.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

9

View of the Oratory of the Onorati, the Jesuit's church showing one of the side laterals View of the Oratory of Charity, at St Paul Shipwrecked Church, showing 'Judas the Macabean Burying the Dead' by Giuseppe D'Arena. The paintings have since been restored

he moves away from the tenebrist palette in favour of brighter tones.

The oratories in this article form a neat selection from the vast confraternity culture on the island and through their distinguished patronage; provide a survey on Baroque art in Malta in the latter half of the seventeenth century. Confraternities, especially those established in the villages, continued to embellish their oratories and chapels in the eighteenth century, which continues to provide an insight into the stylistic currents

at the time. The artistic work that the confraternities commissioned directly relates to their mission and appeals to their piety; thus an interesting dialogue must have taken place between members and the artists whilst commissioning work. There is a palpable promotional tone in the works, and the way in which confraternities engaged leading artists to embellish their space reveals their desire to attract members and create a statement of their prestige and presence within the context of the knights’ city. n

View of the Oratory of the Onorati, at the Jesuit church

Further reading: Keith Sciberras, Baroque Painting (Malta: Midsea Books, 2009); Keith Sciberras, Caravaggio to Mattia Preti: Baroque Painting in Malta (Malta: Midsea Books, 2015); Paul Cassar, ‘The Oratories of the Onorati and the Immaculate Conception at the Jesuit church, Valletta’ (Unpublished MA dissertation, University of Malta, 2014); Hannah Portanier , ‘The Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament at St Dominic’s Priory, Valletta: A Total Work of Art’ (Unpublished BA dissertation, University of Malta, 2017); Andrei Azzopardi, ‘Alessio Erardi’s Ceiling Decoration for the Oratory of the Blessed Sacrament, Dominican Priory, Valletta: History, Context and an Analysis of its State of Preservation’ (Unpublished BA dissertation, University of Malta, 2018).

Frederica Agius completed her Ph.D. in early seventeenth-century art in Malta under the supervision of Professor Keith Sciberras. She is a visiting lecturer in Baroque art at the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Malta. She has also carried out research on Palazzo Parisio and the patronage of the Scicluna family, and has published on the Dragonara Palace.

10

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

AANDSTATUE ITS STORY

The Eighteenth-Century Statue Of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta

By Mark Agius

T

he Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta celebrates its fourth centenary this year. It was founded on 13th February 1622. To celebrate this centenary the Confraternity has been restoring its oratory and the artefacts that it contains.

One of the most important artefacts owned by the Confraternity is the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which dominates the altar of its oratory in Old Theatre Street. This is the oldest processional statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Malta, and there has been much discussion about its author. In the past it was suggested that this statue was sculpted by Bernini or Ferrata, the teacher of Melchiorre Gafà, and that it was brought from Rome in 1657.1 This was based on an entry in the accounts of that year which noted that food was provided for the statue bearers.2 Iconographically, it followed the pattern established in 1660 by the Maltese sculptor Melchiorre Gafà in his statue of Our Lady of the Rosary sculpted for the Dominican

church in Rabat.3 With this work, Gafà had set a typically Maltese pattern in iconography.

Here Our Lady directly presents an item to the beholder, and with it offers her protection and that of Her Son. It has a very direct appeal to the beholder, who is in effect part of the action of the piece—it is he who receives the object, and hence the protection offered. This contrasts with depictions of Mary offering a scapular to St Simon Stock, in which the observer is simply observing, watching a ‘sacred conversation’ and excluded from the action.

However recent research by Alessandro Debono has shown that a previous statue— a mannequin which was dressed up—existed before that date.4 Some of the clothes of that mannequin were found to be listed in an inventory in the Confraternity archives. Cesare Passalacqua, the founder of the Confraternity, had asked in his will to be buried in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel close to the statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which he says that he had funded and who was his special

Detail of the statue after restoration

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

11

The Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue, after restoration

Iconographically, it followed the pattern established in 1660 by the Maltese sculptor Melchiorre Gafà in his statue of Our Lady of the Rosary sculpted for the Dominican church in Rabat.

protector. We do not know, however, which statue he was referring to.

Therefore when we decided to restore the statue we were anxious to find out more about its author and its date of execution. The outcome of the various studies provided a great deal of interesting new information about this statue.

On stylistic grounds, art expert Alessandro Debono has suggested a new attribution for the statue. He suggests the statue is by Pietro Paolo Troisi (29th June 1686 to March/April 1743), a silversmith and sculptor who was Master of the Mint of the Knights of Malta. Troisi was a member of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the Carmelite church in Valletta from at least 1713 to his death, and at times he was appointed as the Confraternity’s secretary, treasurer or rector.5 The head of the Virgin was analysed using portable x-ray equipment. X-radiography of the head showed that the head was carved out of a whole piece of wood and that the glass eyes were inserted from cavities on the front of the face according to the Italian/Neapolitan technique.

Nails indicate attachments of separate pieces of wood for the construction of the veil.6 In order to identify the pigments used in the statue, a High Power Optical Microscope (HPOM) followed by investigations under SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) and analysis

of the layer composition through EDS (Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy) was used.

The SEM-EDS analysis showed a layer of blue overpainting containing particles of Prussian blue pigment together with various white pigment particles. These pigments in the upper blue layer were known to be used from the early twentieth century and therefore pertain to a fairly recent intervention. The lower layer of blue, which was probably the original paint layer, contained particles of emerald green together with lead white, which are both pigments in common use between the early seventeenth century and the late nineteenth century.

The flesh tones of the Virgin were composed of several layers containing red ochre and lead white particles, which would have been used to produce the light pink skin colour. The uppermost layer contained particles of barium white. Barium white is a pigment used since the late eighteenth century and is still in use today.

Hence the uppermost layer of paint for the skin was a fairly recent overpainting intervention.

Wood identification analysis showed that spruce and pine were the types of wood used to sculpt the statue. The spruce sample was from the base of the Virgin, while the pine sample was from the Child’s head. Dendrochronology dating of the statue’s wood did not give a definitive date, but suggested a date in the

12

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

The restoration team and restoration works being undertaken.

middle of the fifteenth century. Such an early date enables us to speculate that the wood used might have been recycled from wood which had been brought to Malta for another purpose— perhaps part of a ship such as a large mast.

Thus we can say that we now have a statue with quite a different history from its traditional story. It was sculpted in Malta, not Rome, by Troisi, a local artist who held an important position in the administration of the Order of St John and within the Confraternity. It was made from wood, possibly from northern Europe, which had been reused after having been used for another purpose. However iconographically it followed the pattern established in 1660 by Melchiorre Gafà, also a Maltese artist, when he sculpted the statue of Our Lady of the Rosary for the Dominican church of Rabat. Since Troisi died in 1743, he would appear to be the first Maltese artist to follow Gafà’s lead in creating an

Our Lady of Mount Carmel statue antedating Andrea Imbroll’s statue in Mdina which is dated 1761.

Because the statue was overpainted several times and there were a number of cracks and losses in the paint, and also because much of the original gilt had been repaired using porporin and the silver was even replaced with acrylic paint, the result of the restoration of the statue to its original appearance has led to a statue which looks very different to its previous appearance—a statue which is much more beautiful and closer to its seventeenth-century glory. Indeed we feel that we have rediscovered a masterpiece of Maltese Baroque art. n Acknowledgements: Thanks are due to Valentina Lupo and Maria Grazia Zenzani both of the firm Atelier del Restauro, and to Dr Sandro Debono and Rev. Dr Jonathan Farrugia.

NOTES: (1) Lawrenz Sammut, Is-Santwarju tal-Karmnu (Malta: 1952), 74; (2) Valentin Borg Gusman, ‘Marian Devotion in the Maltese Carmelite Province During the 17th and 18th Centuries’, in Marian Devotions in the Islands of Saint Paul (1600–1800), ed. Vincent Borg, 284–300 (Malta: The Malta Historical Society, 1983); (3) Philip Mallia, ‘The Dominican Order and the Blessed Virgin in Malta till the End of the Eighteenth Century’, in Borg, Marian Devotions, 303–11; (4) Sandro Debono, ‘Ir-Redentur: Iconography and Art for the Purposes of Ritual’, in Ir-Redentur: History, Art, and Cult, ed. Jonathan Farrugia (Malta: Midsea Books, 2019), 23; (5) Pietro Paolo Troisi https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pietro_Paolo_Troisi; (6) Valentina Lupo and Maria Grazia Zenzani, ‘Final Report for the Conservation and Restoration of the Early 17th-Century Wooden Polychrome Statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta’ (Atelier del Restauro, 2021), 28–35.

Mark Agius is a retired medical doctor who is rector of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta.

He used to teach Psychiatry, Medical Communication Skills and Neuropsychopharmacology at the University of Cambridge.

He has developed an interest in art restoration and church history.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MARCH 2022

13

A COPY OF A STATUE IN ROME The ‘Bambin ta’ Praga’ or ‘ta’Aracoeli’ in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta

By Mark Agius To celebrate the centenary of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the artefacts of its Oratory are being restored.

I

n all Carmelite churches, there is a devotion to the Child Jesus under the title of the ‘Bambin ta’ Praga’—the Holy Child of Prague. The Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta is no exception.

Since the present writer was a little boy, he would be taken by his mother to visit the Child Jesus in the Oratory, and he was taught the story of the Holy Child of Prague. All the local community knew this Baby Jesus as the Bambin ta’ Praga. Silver ex voto and war medals were offered to it, and were displayed in its niche. My mother, a Carmelite tertiary, wrote to Faversham in England, where a Child of Prague shrine exists, to get some literature about the story for me.

But in fact a careful iconographic examination of this Child Jesus in the Oratory shows that it is not in fact a Bambin ta’ Praga, but a copy of an equally famous child Jesus of Aracoeli in Rome, which is a Franciscan devotion.

It is worth recounting the story of the Holy Child of Prague, since there is an important connection with the Knights of Malta. The Holy Child of Prague is a sixteenth-century waxcoated wooden statue of the Child Jesus holding a globus cruciger of Spanish origin, surmounted by a Maltese Cross, which is in the Discalced Carmelites Church of Our Lady of Victory in Malá Strana, Prague.1 It first appeared in 1556, and pious legends claim that the statue once belonged to Teresa of Ávila, who gave it as a wedding present to a Spanish noblewoman, Maria Maximiliana Manrique de Lara y Mendoza, who married the Imperial High Chancellor of Bohemia, Vratislav of Pernstein. She gave the statue to

14

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

her daughter, Princess Polyxena of Lobkowicz.2 The princess later donated it to the Carmelite friars in 1628, after the Carmelites were given the church after the battle of White Mountain.

By now, the statue had a reputation of having miraculous healing powers. The princess is famously said to the Carmelites: ‘Venerable Fathers, I bring you my dearest possession.

Honour this image and you shall never be poor’.

On 15th November 1631 the army of King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden took possession of Bohemia’s capital city. The Carmelite friary was plundered and the image of the Infant of Prague was thrown into a pile of rubbish behind the altar. There it lay forgotten for seven years, its hands broken off, until in 1637, after the Carmelites returned to Prague, it was found again by Father Cyrillus and placed in the church’s oratory. One day, while praying before the statue, Father Cyrillus claimed to have heard a voice say, ‘Have pity on me, and I will have pity on you. Give me my hands, and I will give you peace. The more you honour me, the more I will bless you’.

Since then, the statue has remained in Prague in the Church of Our Lady of Victory, and it has become a major site of pilgrimage by devotees to honour the Infant Child of Prague, with many claims of blessings, favours and miraculous healings.

The monastery was abolished on 3rd June 1784 by Emperor Joseph II, and as a consequence, administration of the church was assigned to the Knights of Malta, the Order of St John, who have a very important Commandery—the Grand Priory of Bohemia, almost next door to the church.3 The Knights of Malta continued to look after the church until the Discalced Carmelites returned to

the church after two hundred years on 2nd July 1993. This is why every side altar is marked with a Maltese Cross, as is the globus cruciger which the Child holds.

The Grand Priory of Bohemia was part of the German langue, whose auberge was close to the Carmelite monastery in Valletta, where the Anglican cathedral now stands, so the German knights, who used the oratory of the Carmelite church as their private church (in the same way as the Church of Our Lady of Pilar was used by the knights of the Langue of Aragon) would have known about the Holy Child that they cared for in Prague during the eighteenth century.4 They used the Carmelite oratory rather than building their own, as the other langues did, because there were relatively few German knights in Malta at any one time.

Thus they may have introduced devotion to the Child of Prague into Malta.

Traditionally the Baby Jesus of Prague is clothed in luxurious fabrics and imperial regalia, with a golden crown and portrayed with his left hand holding a globus cruciger and with his right hand raised in a benediction posture. However, when we examine the statue of the Child Jesus in the Oratory of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we see that this Child as depicted is younger in age, is not wearing the Royal Cloak which the Child of Prague wears, and instead wears garments similar to swaddling clothes. Its hands are held in the same position as the Bambino di Aracoeli in Rome. Indeed, the Child in the oratory in Valletta turned out to be iconographically very similar to the Bambino di Aracoeli.

On examination, the sculpture in the Carmelite oratory in Valletta is composed of a papier-mâché head, hands and feet, and a cloth bodice which is filled with wool/cotton.5

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Our research into our ‘Bambin ta’ Praga’, as we all knew it, has shown that it is actually a nineteenth-century commercial copy of the Bambino di Aracoeli in Rome.

It is dressed in silk garments with metal thread embroidery and lace trimmings. The garments include a tunic and sandals. The statue is also embellished with jewellery, including two pearl bracelets and a necklace, as well as a bejewelled accessory held in its right hand. The garments probably date to the eighteenth century, while the sculpture seems to date to a later period possibly the nineteenth century because of the ‘commercially’ made glass eyes.

It is of interest that the garments are eighteenth-century,8 while the sculpture is probably nineteenth-century. This might suggest that the garments might have come from a previous eighteenth-century statue, although naturally other explanations, such as the reuse of old vestments or other fabrics to make the garments of the statue might explain the findings.

On searching the archives, the Bambin is not mentioned in inventories prior to the 1890s. There is mention of the statue of the Bambin in a note of 10th December 1899, when it had to be put in a girandola facing the niche of the Duluri. It is possible, since no previous mention was made of it, that this was the occasion that this Bambin arrived in the Oratory. Here the statuette is called ‘Gesù Bambino d’Araceni’ (a distortion of Aracoeli).6 Thus the findings from the archives support the iconographic evidence that this is in fact a Bambino di Aracoeli which was perhaps

15

bought commercially in Rome from near the shrine, and produced as a commercial copy of the original. Given the previous presence of the German Knights of Malta during the eighteenth century in this Oratory, and the eighteenth-century garments, it still remains possible that this statue replaced a previous statue and devotion.

It is worth describing the history of the Bambino di Aracoeli. The Santo Bambino of Aracoeli, sometimes known as the Bambino Gesù di Aracoeli (Child Jesus of Aracoeli) is a fifteenth-century Roman Catholic wooden image enshrined in the titular Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli, depicting the Child Jesus swaddled in clothes of golden fabric, wearing a crown, and adorned with various gemstones and jewels donated by devotees.7 The original was stolen on 1st February 1994, and is now replaced by a modern copy.

Pilgrimages to the images are recorded as early as 1794. In February 1798, the image was saved from being burned by French troops.7 During anti-Catholic protests in 1848, the Santo Bambino was saved from arson. The Santo Bambino of Aracoeli is strongly associated with the healing of illness. It has been often taken to the houses of sick persons. The Santo Bambino of Aracoeli receives letters from all over the world. At Christmas, the Bambino is usually placed in the crèche at the Basilica. The Bambino is cared for by Franciscan friars.

Hence, our research into our ‘Bambin ta’ Praga’, as we all knew it, has shown that it is actually a nineteenth-century commercial copy of the Bambino di Aracoeli in Rome. It continues to receive much devotion in our Oratory. n Acknowledgements: Valentina Lupo, Maria Grazia Zenzani and Valentina Lombardo all from the firm Atelier del Restauro, and Rev. Dr Jonathan Farrugia. Art expert Dr Sandro Debono contributed to the dating of the statue of the Bambin ta’ Praga/ Aracoeli.

NOTES: 1. Infant Jesus of Prague https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infant_Jesus_of_Prague; 2.

Princess Polyxena of Lobkowicz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyxena_of_Lobkowicz; 3. Church of Our Lady of Victories, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_Our_Lady_of_Victories; 4. Michael Galea, German Knights of Malta (Malta: Bugelli Publications, 1986); 5. Maria Grazia Zenzani and Valentina Lupo, ‘Final report for the Conservation and Restoration of the Polychrome Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Oratory of the Fraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Valletta’. (Atelier del Restauro, 2022); 6. Archives of the Confraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta, 1899; 7.

Santo Bambino di Aracoeli https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santo_Bambino_of_Aracoeli; 8. Valentina Lombardo, ‘Final Report for the Conservation and Restoration of the Vestments Pertaining to the Polychrome Statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague at the Oratory of the Fraternity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta’ (Atelier del Restauro, 2022)

16

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Fig. 1: A plan of the western fortifications of Valletta and the Floriana lines signed

by Brigadier W.B. Tylden, 25 January 1855 (The National Archives: MPHH 1/687).

BURIAL GROUNDS ON THE FLORIANA BASTIONS The Consecration of the Protestant Cemeteries in 1843

By Mike Hinton

O

ne of my 2x great-grandfathers served throughout the Crimean War with the 49th Regiment and it is almost certain he would have stopped at Malta on his way to or back from the Crimea.

I first became aware of the Msida Garden of Rest in 2005 and found several tombstones of individuals who were associated with the campaign in one way or another. I have visited the cemetery several times since and

consulted surviving records at The National Archives at Kew. Some documents relate to its consecration—and the consternation this caused the military authorities in London— and on further enquiry, for some of the residents in Malta. This essay summarises the issues which were clearly of importance at the time; though after nearly 180 years some may seem to be little more than an irksome ‘storm in a teacup’.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Fig. 2: George Tomlinson c.1842–1850. Lithograph by C. J. Hullmandel after George Richmond (©National Portrait Gallery: NPG D39643).

Four relatively small non-Catholic cemeteries were situated on the northern side of Floriana overlooking the Marsamxett (Quarantine) Harbour. Interments had commenced there in the nineteenth century shortly after Malta became a British protectorate. These comprised the Msida Bastion cemetery, known as the ‘Garden of Rest’,1 and the Quarantine, Greek Orthodox, and Cholera cemeteries. These three were damaged by bombing during the Second World War and the land is now occupied by the Grand Hotel Excelsior and car parks. They were located within the outer defence works of Valletta and were thus the responsibility of the military authorities.2 Construction in this locality had been commissioned initially by Grand Master Antoine de Paule in 1635 and designed by the Italian engineer Pietro Paolo Floriani. Two French engineers, De Tigne and Mondion were employed to complete the works and the retrenchments (secondary works) constructed to the rear of the Msida and Quarantine bastions (Fig. 1).3 Dowager Queen Adelaide, the widow of William IV, visited Malta in 1838. She appreciated that the Anglican community needed a church in Valletta, rather than having to use the relatively small chapel in the Governor’s Palace which ‘served the needs of the civil population as well as the garrison families.’ She funded the building of the collegiate church of St Paul and laid the foundation stone on 20th March 1839. The building was consecrated on 1st November 1844, although she was not present.4 William Burton Tylden assumed command of the Royal Engineers in Malta in May 1840 and one of his assignments, with Colonel George Judd Harding RE, a Peninsular War veteran, was to ‘examine and report upon the military defences of the island, so as to put them forthwith in such an efficient state, as to render the city of Valetta, and the towns of Senglea (L-Isla), Vittoriosa (Birgu) and Cospicua (Bormla) impregnable and tenable’.5 Tylden’s wife Lecilina died in Valletta in 1845 and was buried initially in the Msida Bastion cemetery but her remains were later repatriated6 and interred in the family vault at Milstead, Kent.

George Tomlinson (Fig. 2) was consecrated Bishop of Malta and Gibraltar in Westminster Abbey on 29th August 1842.7 It was planned that on his arrival at Valletta, ‘the yards of the ships in port will be manned and a salute fired on his landing’.8 He landed from the frigate

17

HMS Belvedere on 14th December though he ‘experienced a most awfully terrific squall in entering the harbour, which the vessel did under a jib’.9 Shortly afterwards he was installed as the Bishop of Gibraltar in the Palace chapel in Valletta.10, 11 The need of additional land for burials was granted by the Government of Malta (see below) and this and the existing cemeteries, which were hitherto unconsecrated, were consecrated by Tomlinson on 25th January 1843 in the presence of ‘all the clergy in the island and the chaplains of the fleet … together with a large concourse of spectators both English and Maltese’. The sight of an English bishop with ten clergymen in surplices walking in procession was quite a new thing on the island and the consecration seemed to ‘excite much interest’12 as it was ‘the first time, other than church parades, that there had been a public Anglican ceremony in Malta’.13 The service of dedication provided for a considerable extension of the existing burial grounds (see Figs 3 and 4 for a contemporary plan and one drawn during the Crimean War) which proved controversial as it provoked a reaction from two different quarters; the military authorities in England and the members of Protestant denominations other than the Church of England in Malta.

The Inspection Officers of Ordnance on the island, that is the Commanders of the Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers—Lieutenant Colonels James Stokes Bastard and William Burton Tylden—sought permission from the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Henry Bouverie, to proceed with an enlargement of the cemeteries. This was granted without reference to the authorities in London, but on the ‘clear understanding that the erection of no monuments is to be allowed which can in any way interfere with the defence of the place, and which are not in accordance with such rules as may be laid down by the commanding Royal Engineer’.14 However, when the Board of Ordnance in London was informed they censured Bastard and Tylden for ‘having permitted the consecration of a portion of the fortifications of Malta without having referred the question for their decision’. In their reply to the Board they pointed out, inter alia, that it was necessary because of ‘the unusual dryness of the soil and rock of this island decomposition is very slow in progress rendering it many years before the same ground can be used again, and thus requiring a large surface than would otherwise be the case in most cemeteries’. It was stressed

18

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

that the act of consecration did not convey any authority over the ground to the bishop. There was, however, no suggestion of the area being deconsecrated, though the Master General of Ordnance, Sir George Murray, directed ‘that a reference shall, in future, be always made to [the Board] before any such concession is allowed’.

The second objection centred on the tradition prior to the consecration when the cemeteries were treated as ‘common property’ and were available for the Presbyterian and Episcopalian [and Greek Orthodox] alike but they were now disadvantaged as the whole area had been consecrated by the Anglican Church. The Malta Times considered that Bishop Tomlinson had ‘committed a most unjustifiable act’ and there was no excuse for him ‘taking the sole possession of that, a part of which had been for half a century the undoubted property of other religious bodies … The Scotch are [thus] greater fools than anybody … if they put up quietly with such a barefaced grasping act of intolerant bigotry and injustice’.15 In the event the additional ground consecrated was used for less than fifteen years until the Ta’ Braxia cemetery near the Porte des Bombes was opened in 1857.16 The first recorded interment there was a twenty year-old Crimean War veteran, Lieutenant and Adjutant T. Coakely, 21st Fusiliers, who died on 30th October.17

It appears that the reprimand from London did not affect the careers of either Bastard or Tylden. Bastard was promoted to lieutenant general on his retirement from the army while after his tour in Malta Tylden returned home to command the Royal Engineers in the South Eastern Military District based in Dover. In 1854 he was appointed as a brigadier to command the Engineers in the British Army of the East at the outset of what was to become known as the Crimean War. He died of cholera shortly after the battle of the Alma on 22nd September 1854 with his remains being repatriated after the war for interment in the family vault.

Tomlinson married Louisa daughter of the then Governor of Malta, Lieutenant General the Hon Sir Patrick Stuart, in 1848. She died in 1850 and in 1855 he married Eleanor Jane, the daughter of Colonel Charles Mackenzie Fraser. He died at Gibraltar on 6th February 1863 aged 68, and was buried in the Ta’ Braxia cemetery where his grave (No. A33) can be seen.18 n Acknowledgements: I am grateful to Majorie Bonnici, Paolo Ferrelli, Brian Tarpey, and Andy Welsh (in Malta) and Douglas Austin, Phebe Camberlain, Lena Jordan, Tony Margave, Colin Robins, and Joyce Whitaker (in the UK) for assistance in various ways over the years.

The sight of an English bishop with ten clergymen in surplices walking in procession was quite a new thing in the island and the consecration seemed to ‘excite much interest’ as it was ‘the first time, other than church parades, that there had been a public Anglican ceremony in Malta’.

Fig. 3: the Protestant cemeteries are in red and the additional area consecrated in blue, and a view from Fort Manoel, May 2017.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Fig. 4: The Protestant cemeteries in a plan dated 29 March 1856 (The National Archives: MFQ 1/220), and a view from Fort Manoel, May 2017.

NOTES: (1) Andy N. Welsh, The Msida Bastion Garden of Rest (Malta: Din l-Art Ħelwa, 1995 & 1999) and Stanley Farrugia Randon, Heritage Saved: Historic Monuments Restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa 1965 to 2002 (Malta: Din l-Art Ħelwa, 2002). Details of the cemetery are available on the internet; (2) For information on the island’s defences see Stephen C. Spiteri, A Visual Guide to the Fortifications of Malta (Malta: BDL Publishing, 2017); (3) J. Cannon, ed., The Msida Bastion Cemetery, Malta. (Hedgerley, Bucks: Cannon Associates, 1990); (4) Morning Post, 26 July 1842 and Malta Times, 5 November 1844. The construction and future development of St Paul’s Anglican pro-cathedral have been described in extenso by A.N. Keighley, Queen Adelaide’s Church Malta (2000). St Andrews Scots church in Valletta was opened in 1857; (5) Naval and Military Gazette, quoted in the Caledonian Mercury, 12 June 1844; (6) Mrs Tylden’s tombstone was recorded in a survey carried out in the 1930s and was probably destroyed during WWII; (7) The diocese of Gibraltar was created on 29 September 1842 and covered all Anglican chaplaincies from Portugal to the Caspian Sea. Since 1980 it has formed part of the diocese of Europe; (8) Morning Chronicle, 17 December 1842; (9) Morning Post, 27 December 1842; (10) Malta Times, 20 December 1842; The National Archives (TNA): CO 163/24; (11) Accounts of Tomlinson’s episcopate can be found in H.J.C. Knight, The Diocese of Gibraltar: A Sketch of the History, Work and Tasks (London: SPCK, 1917), 50–54 and Keighley (2000), 32–44. Neither referred to the consecration of the Protestant cemeteries; (12) Malta Times, 18 April 1843; TNA: CO 163/25; (13) E.A. Shortland-Jones, St Paul’s Pro-Cathedral, Valetta (Valletta: 2000); (14) This paragraph and the rest of this commentary are based on a bundle of letters filed together as ‘Malta: Consecration of burying ground at north entrenchment (plan). General question of consecrating any part of the fortifications’, in TNA: WO 44/138; (15) Malta Times, 27 September 1847 and quoted by Keighley (2000), 33; (16) Keighley (2000); (17) TNA: WO 156/113; (18) Accounts of Tomlinson’s episcopate are in H.J.C. Knight, 50–54; while Keighley (2000), 32–44 provided details of his ministry in Malta. Neither referred to the consecration of the cemeteries.

Dr Mike Hinton spent most of his career as a biomedical scientist in universities and associated institutions before retiring in 1996. Since then he has published a book Victory over Disease. Resolving the Medical Crisis in the Crimean War, 1854-1856 (Warwick: Helion, 2019), and recently was elected a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

19

20

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

ID-DELLIJA U IX-XEMXIJA

The Sunny and Shady Areas of St Paul’s Bay

By James Licari

Throughout history, many historical facts as well as artefacts are lost due to good intentions. During British rule in Malta, several coats of arms were removed and placed within the national collection, for better preservation. In some cases, replicas were produced. As time passes by, the recollection of their original context may be lost and the documentation of these removals gets buried in piles of paper within curatorial reports or museum libraries. Luckily in the quest to undertake the conservation of the quaint monument that lies on the side of the road in Xemxija, St Paul’s Bay, the author and his colleague made various discoveries. It is fun to re-discover history and conserve what we can of it.

Description Today the monument in Xemxija consists of a plain wall with an upper edge. Towards the central upper area of the wall, facing the road, there are three escutcheons and a large inscription. From left to right, the coats of arms are of Grand Master Perellos, the Order of St John, and Balì Philippe de Vendôme.

There is a small marble plaque on the left side of the monument dating from 1924.1

The original pieces of the former redoubt

The inscription states: E.M.M.F.D. RAIJMUNDI PERELLOS, U ROCCAFULL EMULATUS ZELLUM MAGNANIMUS PRINCEPS F PHILIPPUS DE VENDOSM FRANCIAE PRIOR DUM UBIQUE SECURTATI SATAGITUR AD HOSTEM EMINUS ARCENDUM MARITIMAS ORAS VALLIS, AGGERIBUSQUE MUNIEDAS PRAESENTIA, CONSILIO, ATQUE IMPENSI AERIS EXEMPLO SATEGIT, LAUDANTE CONCILIO, PLAUDENTIBUS OMNIBUS, NON PAUCIS INTER VV.PROCERES UT NOMINA VALLORUM INDICANT IMITANTIBUS ANNO D.1715.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

21

Above: Philippe, Duke of Vendôme, by Jacob Ferdinand Voet Right: Id-Dellija Redoubt demolished in 1925 (Heritage Malta photographs)

History The architectural elements of this monument were originally copies of those present on a redoubt that once stood in the vicinity of the current monument. The redoubt and its twin (Xemxija or Arrias Battery) were also known as the Pwales Right Battery, built between 1715–16 and costing the Order of St John over one thousand scudi under the reign of Grand Master Raymundi Perellos y Roccafull.2 They were built to match the zeal of the magnanimous Philippe Vendôme of the Priory of France3 to defend the maritime integrity of the bay against the enemy with the backing of the Council of the Order in 1715.

This redoubt consisted of a large structural strengthened blockhouse to protect itself from enemy fire but having apertures to allow defense. It was built at the gorge of a rectangular platform. One of the corners facing the sea was rounded off. Above the level of the cordone there was a parapet which surrounded the platform, with a low three-course high boundary wall. The land-facing façades were high, to protect the persons inside the battery and obstruct the view of any enemy attack. E. P. Theuma noted that the escutcheons belonged to Grand Master Perellos and the Langue of France (representing Vendôme, believed to have been the architect).4 Due to the increasing range of gun power, especially of cannons, the defensive strategy of Malta had to change in the eighteenth century,

from being centred around fortified towns to more defensive posts. The fortified outposts dotted all over the coastline to prevent the invading navy from landing on dry ground.3 It is known that in 1770, the redoubt ‘was armed with six 6-pounder iron guns, and was supplied with 420 rounds of roundshot and 90 rounds of grapeshot. Three of its guns were removed by 1785’.5 Thanks to the kind assistance of Mr and Mrs Zahra, some old photographs were obtained. Mrs Zahra’s grandparents, Alfonso Naudi and family, lived in the id-Dellija redoubt in the 1900s. This building had to be removed to make way for the bypass when cars started to replace the more usual form of transport of the time (il-karrettun). This was the popular route to Mellieha and Gozo. In the First World War (1914), the building was used as a military station. The photographs show the id-Dellija redoubt as it was. Moreover, the Museums Annual Reports of 1910–1911 described a ‘Fine marble inscription, in perfect condition, measuring 184cm by 84cm. The inscription was, probably, never put up as the letters are not polished’.6 The name id-Dellija is mirrored by another redoubt on the opposite side of the bay, referred to as ix-Xemxija and which was previously the home of the Borg Cardona family, and was converted into a wine bar several years ago. In the early twentieth century, id-Dellija is said to have been lived in by Antonio Muscat Fenech (consul-general of the Austrio–Hungarian

22

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Top left: The three original coats of arms and the inscription in the Museums Annual Report, shamefully in a very bad state Above: Id-Dellija redoubt c.1900, with coat of arms still visible Far left: Inscription on the side of the monument.

Left: Some relatives of the family in the past

Empire, one of the flags flying above the redoubt in one of the pictures).7 The names of these buildings imply that one part of the bay received direct sunlight while the other did not, as it lay in the shade below Wardija hill.

The minutes of the Antiquities Committee meeting held at the University on Tuesday 12th February 1924, note a request for the drafting of a report on the ‘Dellia Redoubt’.

The tenant was claiming that it had historical importance while the public works department required its demolition due to road works.8 A subsequent meeting was held on 29th February

by committee members Col. Gillam, Dr Stilon, Mr Hannibal Scicluna, Mr Rizzo, Prof. R. V. Galea, Mr Vincenzo Bonello, Capt. Laferla and the Secretary. The Minutes state that: ‘The place was inspected on the 23rd inst.

It consists of a bastion, a suite of old rooms and a couple of modern rooms. On the old front a Latin inscription is surmounted by three coats of arms. There is nothing practically precious in the building but the sub-committee are against the disappearance of all signs of this redoubt and suggest that if it is not possible to widen the road in any other manner than by Left: During the expansion: reclamation of land to widen the road (Heritage Malta photographs) Below left: Front and side views of the monument prior to conservation Below right: Inscription on the front of the monument Opposite page: The pillar: wall built on the side of the road, possibly as directed

by Vincenzo Bonello

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

pulling the house down, the bastion which is the real redoubt be left standing and repaired and the coat of arms and the inscription be fixed on a wall facing the road with a tablet to record the removal of the house’.9 At another meeting on 25th March 1924, it was minuted that despite the committee not being in favour, the demolition was possible but the coats of arms and inscription plaque should be re-installed on a pillar/wall and Mr V. Bonello must be consulted on this.

It is believed that these heraldic signs and inscription blocks were already copies and not the originals,10 and that in 1910–1111, the original coats of arms and the inscriptions were first transferred to the National Museum of Malta12 and then separated and installed in various parts of the Palace Armoury. The originals were thus replaced by copies. Once the redoubt was demolished in 1924, the parapet and the coats of arms were left, but eventually when the present roundabout and jetty were built after the war, the parapet was also demolished.13 The present author traced them and discussed with the curatorial team to have them re-united. This was made possible in 2014, during a refurbishment of the Malta Military Museum at Fort St Elmo.14

Manufacturing technique Both the original and copies of this collated monument seem to have been sculpted in similar ways, with chisels, hammers, files and manual drills. The inscription on the front of the monument was carved mechanically out of white marble (original) and two possibly Coralline limestone blocks (copy). The coat of arms was carved mechanically out of Upper Coralline limestone (original) and Globigerina limestone (copy). In the original marble inscription, lead lettering was inserted. This was normally done by pouring the molten lead metal into the carved grooves, and generally the grooves would also have drilled holes in particular points of each letter to serve as strong attachment anchors, once the metal cools down and hardens. Tool marks may still be visible on all the sculptured coats of arms.

In the monument at Xemxija Bay, the rest of the construction consists of a plain Globigerina limestone structure with an underlying damp proof layer. This seems to have moved location several times due to widening the road as well as possibly the construction of public toilets, and the close proximity to the sea. There is a small engraved marble plaque which may be observed on the left side of the monument.

23

The letters within this marble plaque are still filled with lead. It was observed that the lettering in the main inscription (copy) may originally have been made of lead or painted in with coloured paint.

State of conservation of the original pieces and the copies The originals and copies were covered in a thick layer of dust deposits, developed over time, in their various locations. The original coats of arms and the inscription were kept in an internal environment but in separate zones. The coats of arms were attached within a wall in the entrance to the Palace Armoury halls. This implied that layers of plaster and paint were applied on their edges, through various maintenance procedures of this building. The marble inscription seems to have had a ferrous piece of metal resting or lying on it during storage, as rust stains were observed diagonally over the marble. The marble surface had darkened, possibly due to the penetration of surface deposits within the pores in humid storage conditions. The lead lettering had also deteriorated and white corrosion products seemed to have formed in various areas. Some paint drops were also observed.

The external monument seemed to have a dark surface on the edges possibly due to biological growth. The monument seems to have been splashed or sprayed with paint in an act of vandalism, during the heightened political enthusiasm of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Such remains were found on the central inscription and the lower part and sides. Various colours including black, blue and orange-red were observed. These paints penetrated the porous stones and required a professional intervention to remove them as much as possible while safeguarding the ethical aspect of retaining the patina of the original stone.

Where it was difficult to remove it had to be left there, to avoid losing the authenticity of the stone.

It was also noticed that at some point in time the lettering was painted to replace the original lead which was missing. Most of the mortar joints were missing or cracked, causing water to infiltrate. Black crust was seen in the undercuts of the sculptured areas. This was possibly caused by pollution and carbonaceous dust from the burning of fuel (eg. car fumes). This deposit collects in the sheltered areas and since the rain does not wash it off, it hardens to form a compact

24

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

layer. Some stone blocks were chipped and the crown on the Perellos coat of arms was also chipped. The central coat of arms had its right upper scroll broken. Some stone block surfaces seemed to be exfoliating at their surfaces. The plaster at the lower courses was also getting detached. Interventions on the stone work seem to have taken place probably in 1924 since this is the date recorded on the small inscription on the side of the monument.

Conservation intervention The monument standing along the Xemxija coast was conserved by the conservators of Heritage ResCo, supported by the Local Council of St Paul’s Bay. During the process of conservation, the team carried out research and documentation. They also applied mechanical and chemical cleaning tests in inconspicuous areas, to assess the most effective but least invasive methodology to use. Eventually, the dark black biological growth was removed, the vandalism graffiti and black crust were reduced as much as possible (taking great care not to damage the

original surfaces). Metal attachments were also removed mechanically. The open mortar joints were filled in with a hydraulic lime mortar and a sacrificial lime wash was applied to the monument. The uppermost surface of the monument was covered with a mortar, creating a tilt to assist in the run-off of rain water. The missing central floral design on the crown of the coat of arms of Grand Master Perellos was reproduced and attached in place. The right upper edge of the cartouche of the coat of arms of the Order of St John was reconstructed with mortar, in several layers. The dispersed coats of arms attached to various walls at the Palace Armoury, were removed thanks to the masonry heritage skills personnel and were mechanically cleaned by the objects conservator (the author), assisted by students within the Conservation Division of Heritage Malta.

Conclusion Conservation and research go hand in hand.

There are still many curiosities and discoveries waiting to surface, and research is the key. As observed through the state of preservation, the

The front and sides of the monument after the intervention

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Right: The small inscription after the intervention Bottom: Conservators Ingrid Ross and James Licari at work on the monument

25

periodical maintenance of such monuments and artefacts must be kept up. Maintenance should include regular monitoring of any signs of powdering, loosening of parts, and dust on the surface. Household products should be avoided. Harsh tools or equipment should not be used on such cultural heritage monuments or objects. Let us appreciate our cultural heritage for the future. n Acknowledgements: The author would like to thank Ms Ingrid Ross (managing director of Heritage ResCo), Charles Debono (curator of the National War Museum), Mr Oliver Mallia (researcher from St Paul’s Bay), Mr Emmanuele Magro Conti (senior curator, Military History), and Ms Sharon Sultana (senior curator, National Museum of Archaeology).

NOTES: (1) The smaller marble inscription states: ‘PUBLICAE UTILITATIS CAUSA DISIECTO AGGERE VETUSTO CUI NOMEN VULCO ID-DELLIA MEIO CONDITORUM INSIGNIA CUM TITULO AOSERVANTUR MCMXXIV’; (2) E. P. Theuma, San Pawl il-Bahar-A Guide (Malta: Dormax Press, 2003), 189; (3) Philippe de Bourbon (1655–1727), the fourth and last Duke of Vendôme, was the son of Louis de Bourbon and Laura Mancini. He participated in the Siege of Candia in 1669 against the Turkish forces. He eventually was promoted to the post of Grand Prior for France in the Order of St John. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe,_Duke_of_Vend%C3%B4me (accessed 28th April 2020); (3) Theuma, 189; (4) Theuma, 148; (5) https://military.wikia.org/wiki/ Dellia_Battery (accessed 28th April 2020); (6) Museums Annual Report 1910–1911, 14 See fn 11 below; (7) John A. Mizzi, ‘The Dellija Redoubt’, Times of Malta, 4th February 2012; (8) Antiquities Committee Minutes, 12th February 1924; (9) Antiquities Committee Minutes, 29th February 1924; (10) Antiquities Committee Minutes, 25th March 1924; (11) The Museum Annual Report 1910– 1911, p. 14, states: ‘Donated by The Hon. The Supt. of Public Works—Marble coat-of-arms of the Grand Masters (most of them in fragmentary state) and several marble inscriptions… II. Fine marble inscription, in perfect condition, measuring 184cm by 84cm. The inscription was probably, never put up as the letters are not polished. E.M.M.F.D. RAYMUNDI PERRELLOS, Y ROCCAFULL EMULATUS ZELUM MAGNANIMUS PRINCEPS F. PHILIPPUS DE VENDOSME FRANCIÆ PRIOR, DUM UBIQUE SECURITATI SATAGITUR AD HOSTEM EMINUS ARCENDUM MARITIMAS ORAS VALLIS AGGERIBUSQUE MUNIENDAS PRESENTIA CONSILIO, ATQUE IMPENSI ÆRIS EXEMPIO SATEGIT, LAUDANTE CONCILIO, PLAUDENTIBUS OMNIBUS, NON PAUCIS INTER V.V. PROCERES UT NOMINA VALLORUM INDICANT IMITANTIBUS ANN D. 1715’; (12) Theuma, 189; (13) Mizzi; (14) James Licari and Ingrid Ross, ‘Conservation Report of the Dellija Redoubt Monument, St Paul’s Bay’, (Unpublished, 2006).

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Antiquities Committee Minutes, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta; Museums Annual Report 1910–1911; National Archives of Malta, ‘Proposed inscription recording and demolition of Dellia Redoubt’ (1924), Public Works, File number 471/24; National Archives of Malta, ‘Lorenzo Gouder; Dellia Redoubt: Applies for compensation for works carried out in …’ (1924), Public Works, File number 146/24; E. P. Theuma, San Pawl il-Bahar: A Guide (Malta: Dormax Press, 2003), 148–89.

James Licari is a professional conservator–restorer.

26

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

THE ŻEJTUN

ROMAN VILLA

A Digital Presentation

By Ruben Abela

T

he remains of the Żejtun Roman Villa lie on the highest point of a long, somewhat flat ridge that stretches for about one kilometre roughly in an east-west direction. This point is located close to the east end of the ridge. Beyond Triq Dun Lawrenz Degabriele that borders the Żejtun secondary school grounds on the east side, this ridge starts dipping rather rapidly towards Tas-Silġ and Delimara, along the road leading to those destinations. The ridge dips slightly less rapidly to the north, beyond Triq Luqa Briffa, and even less rapidly to the south, beyond the Żejtun bypass (Triq il-President Anton Buttigieg), while it maintains more or less the same altitude to the west up to Bir id-Deheb from where the ground starts rising again towards Gudja and the parish church of Ħal Għaxaq.

The ground level of the remains of the Villa lies approximately 60 m above sea level, a few metres higher than that of the old parish church of Santa Katerina (the present St Gregory’s church) and considerably higher than that of the present Żejtun parish church.

People who lived close by and were familiar with the area later occupied by the school all stated that no signs of the presence of ancient remains were apparent in these fields before 1961, when ‘traces of masonry and some pottery came to light’ during soil clearance works for the building of a new school for the village. The Museums Department was called in to investigate, but the remains were then deemed to be ‘slight’ and no further action was taken.

The remains of the Roman Villa in Żejtun

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

3D digital reconstruction of the Roman Villa in Żejtun

Wirt iż-Żejtun has created a website dedicated totally to the Żejtun Roman Villa. Its aim is to create awareness of and to share information about this important archaeological site located within the town of Żejtun in south-east Malta – the name which it got from the olive itself.

The main source of the information being shared on this platform is the publication The Żejtun Roman Villa: Research, Conservation, Management, published by Wirt iż-Żejtun following a symposium held in 2012. The publication includes twelve papers which were presented by researchers and academics.

A virtual reconstruction of the Żejtun Roman Villa is also presented on this platform.

This virtual model, together with an animated video describing the olive-pressing process in Roman times, were produced by Wirt iż-Żejtun with the direct assistance and contribution of a number of academics from the Department of Classics and Archaeology at the University of Malta and the senior curator of Punic, Roman and Early Medieval sites at Heritage Malta.

These productions were co-financed by the European Union through the LEADER project managed by the Gal Xlokk Foundation.

The website reproduces extracts from the paper ‘The Żejtun Roman Villa: Past and

27

present excavations of a multi-purpose site’

by Professor Anthony Bonanno and Professor Nicholas C. Vella from the Department of Classics and Archaeology of the University of Malta. This paper was presented in the symposium referred to above and is the introductory paper to the publication The Żejtun Roman Villa: Research, Conservation, Management. It gives insight into the way that the site was discovered and the early excavation projects carried out on the site spanning between 1964 and 1977. It also gives a detail account of the excavations carried out by the Department of Classics and Archaeology between 2006 and 2018.

The latter intended to assess and record the remains uncovered in 1964 and in the 1970s and other data arising from new excavations at the site. In addition, the fieldwork provided undergraduate students reading for a degree in Archaeology at the University of Malta with the practical skills related to excavation, including on-site recording. A series of preliminary observations are shared by Professor Bonanno, who also refers to important finds which were discovered at this site, while Professor Vella explains in detail the University of Malta excavation project, with particular reference to the excavations held between 2006 and 2012.

28

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Studying the site

The main feature of this website is the 3D digital reconstruction of the Villa itself. The layout of the Villa was reconstructed from the ACAD drawing produced by Dario Nigro, and edited by Dr Maxine Anastasi in 2014 under the direction of Dr Ing. John C. Betts, head of the Department of Classics and Archaeology, Professor Anthony Bonanno, Professor Nicholas Vella and Dr Maxine Anastasi. This virtual reconstruction was possible through a continuous consultation process with Dr Maxine Anastasi and David Cardona, senior curator for Punic, Roman and Early Medieval Sites at Heritage Malta. The model depicts the villa as it presumably was in the third and fourth centuries AD. The reconstruction was mainly based on what was found through archaeological excavations, however some extrapolations and suppositions based on other archaeological sites from the same period, found in Malta and the Mediterranean region, were carried out in order to complete the model. A decision was taken to not include furniture within the Villa, since no tangible evidence of this was ever found. The digital model was produced by Martin Bonnici of Shadeena Entertainment, assisted by Perit Bernice Casha.

The website also features an animation of olive pressing, produced by Studio 7.

Animations are liked not only by younger audiences, but are also interesting to adults.

This animation takes the audience to Roman

times and precisely to the Żejtun Roman Villa and its olive groves. It describes the whole process of olive oil production, as it is thought to have taken place during this period and also highlights the social hierarchy which existed.

The process starts from the picking up of olives and ends with the transportation of its main product—pure olive oil. It places the Żejtun Roman Villa in what is believed to have been its geographical and topographical context in the Classical period. The animation is in Maltese with English subtitles.

A documentary about the Żejtun Roman Villa, produced in 2012 and which formed an integral part of an exhibition on the Żejtun Roman Villa, curated by Wirt iż-Żejtun,during the Żejt iż-Żejtun folklore festival held in September that year, is also hosted on this platform. The production gives an overview of the geographical, topographical and cultural setting of the Villa. The link between land and sea is an integral part of this setting. The video documents and describes a number of archaeological sites which have been discovered in south-east Malta, giving a historical context to the Żejtun Roman Villa.

The documentary includes an interview with two key academics and archaeologists who studied this site, Professor Anthony Bonanno and Professor Nicholas Vella. n THE URL OF THE WEBSITE IS: https://thezejtunromanvilla.com/

Perit Ruben Abela is a conservation architect. He has worked in the fields of planning, environment and heritage, and today is a manager at Heritage Malta where he is responsible for restoration and conservation projects.

For the last thirty years, he has been involved in the voluntary sector and was founder of the non-governmental organisation Wirt iż-Żejtun.

The main feature of this website is the 3D digital reconstruction of the Villa.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

29

THE UPPER

NORTHWEST FRONT

Trekking along the Victoria Lines (Part Two)

by Joseph Galea Debono

In this second article about the Victoria Lines (the first one appeared in Vigilo 56), I capture some of the impressions from walks which, for the past years, Professor Anthony Bonanno and I have experienced in our surveys of the historical, military and archaeological features which are encountered in the area along the Great Fault. We had occasion to recount these in joint lectures that we had delivered at Din l-Art Ħelwa’s Maurice Caruana Curran Hall some years back but more recent walks along the North West Front have yielded yet more sites of interest.

T

he previous article included an overview of the historical context in which this formidable defensive line was built by the British during the last three decades of the nineteenth century, when the need was felt to protect the harbours around Valletta and the urban conurbations around them from a possible invading enemy force landing on the beaches in the north of Malta. It then covered the fortifications spanning the sector between Madliena on the north-east coast to the centre of the island north of Mosta, stopping at Tarġa Gap. This feature deals with the Upper North West Front from Tarġa Gap to Fomm ir-Riħ Bay on the west coast.

Tarġa Battery On the Mosta–Burmarrad road, by the commemorative plaque marking the silver jubilee of Queen Victoria, who gave her name to this feat of military engineering, and opposite a World War II machine-gun pillbox, which now serves as a bus-stop shelter, the defensive wall branches off to the left of the main thoroughfare. It then winds for about one kilometer, passing by Tarġa Battery built in 1887, which was intended to cover the stretch between Fort Mosta and the Dwejra Lines.

However, it was never armed. Most of the site of the battery, except for the barrack rooms fronting Top right: The start of the trek at Tarġa Gap Right: Tarġa Battery mostly hidden by overgrown trees

30

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

the entrance, is now hidden by overgrown trees. After the last war and up to the early 1970s it was used as a Civil Defence rescue training site. Recently it has been assigned to the Mosta Scouts Group and it is hoped that this will spare it from further use by squatters and vandalism. The site provides excellent vantage points over Wied ta’ Ghajn Rihana extending all the way up to Bahrija Ridge and its hamlet across the valley.

From this location, one can also admire an impressively well-preserved segment of the Infantry wall with its scarped rock face beneath it and deblais from the excavation work being used as a further obstacle for an enemy approaching the wall from below.

The Falka Entrenchment

The next defence complex in this segment was constructed to the rear of the earlier entrenchment built by the Order of St John in the eighteenth century, of which only what appears to be the salient point of a spur of a redoubt is still extant. In recent months this has been used to form the corner of a high boundary wall of a considerable extensive garden to a newly built villa. The only trace of the British entrenchment is the ditch scarped in the rock as the firing platform was buried under a previous dirt track servicing the enormous quarry on the other side of the passage. In recent months this road has been given a tarmac surface. The entrenchment ends close to the main road leading from Mosta to Mgarr at Falka Gap at the foot of Dwejra Ridge.

The Upper North West Front For the faint-hearted an easier, if slightly longer way, up to Dwejra Ridge is along the road built by the War Department a couple of 100 metres down the road towards Mosta at Falka Gap. Otherwise, one can follow the infantry wall directly across the road at Falka Gap where it starts a steady climb over a rough pathway which presents magnificent views of the surrounding countryside. In places the wall is intact with its inner and outer faces of ashlar blocks of Coralline limestone with rubble infill. A coping, sloping outwards tops the wall, which is bound together on the outer face by a sort of mortar composed of a mixture of lime and coal dust (xebha). This eliminated handholds and footholds for scaling by the enemy. On the inner face, this binder is only found in the upper course of masonry. In other places the wall has unfortunately crumbled either owing to part demolition to provide access to the fields below or to natural subsidence. Halfway up the climb there are two adjacent World War II sites; one termed a sound locator and the other a searchlight emplacement, the former with its unusual, curved batter at the base typical of similar sound locators found elsewhere on the island. It is a rectangular enclosure with a room with a large door which was used to hide the equipment from the eyes of enemy reconnaissance aircraft when not in use.

The Dwejra Lines At the top of the ridge, one comes upon the right flank of the Dwejra Lines with its scarped ditch below the redan with its serrated profile. The ditch features a caponier and scarp galleries to provide en filade fire against an enemy which has gained access to the ditch. The latter are situated at each of the serrations. Though it is possible to

Top left: Old photo showing works in progress on the Falka entrenchment Above: The only trace left of the Falka entrenchment - the ditch Left: The infantry wall bound together by xebha on its outer face Below: WWII sound locator at Dwejra

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Top: WWII searchlight emplacement Above: One of the concrete gun emplacements on Dwejra Lines Right: Tunnel leading down to scarp gallery with loopholes covering the ditch Below: sketch plan of Dwejra Lines (courtesy of Dr Stephen Spiteri)

1. Main gate 2. Underground engine room for searchlight 3. Artillery platform for field gun 4. Caponier 5. Scarp flanking gallery 6. Indented parapet for battery of field guns 7. Ramp leading down to scarp gallery 8. Protective emplacements for 64-pd RML guns on disappearing mounts 9. Battery for three 5-inch BL guns on barbette mountings 10. Searchlight emplacement 11. Sally port leading down into ditch

31

walk in the ditch for some distance, it is better to veer left to the old War Department built road and cross over a short bridge spanning it, entering between the partly below ground level defence electric light generating station on the left and the eastern flank of the Dwejra Lines.

A short ramp on the right leads to what was a searchlight position of which only the foundations survive. At this point one can take the somewhat precarious path on the glacis between a low redan and the ditch which offers splendid views over the Mgarr valley, or else follow the parallel wide track to the rear which is safer but lacking views. The entire length of Dwejra Lines, just over two kilometres, is now mostly covered with pine trees, presumably planted by hunters. On the inner side of the redan one comes across sally ports or entrances to tunnels leading down to the scarp galleries and the caponier in the ditch under the serrations in the wall of the entrenchment. Some of these have very recently had their wooden doors broken into and are now accessible with some difficulty though they are very clean inside. Permanent concrete gun emplacements and flat gun platforms with ramps for field guns were ranged to fire across the valley below.

At the western end of Dwejra Lines one comes upon perhaps the most picturesque and photographed part of the Victoria Lines, namely Bingemma Gap. Here the restored wall, perforated by eighteen musketry loopholes, zigzags down to the valley. It then crosses over a narrow masonry fortified bridge or stopwall.

The parapet of the bridge was also pierced by musketry loopholes. The wall then rises up the hill on the opposite side close by the quaint chapel of the Madonna tal-Ittra. This word is a typical local corruption of the correct Greek name which is ‘Hodegitria’, that is, the Madonna showing Baby Jesus as the road to a Christian way of life. The chapel was built in 1680 by the Noble Stanislaw Xara instead of a previous one built by his uncle in 1600. The titular painting on the altar is by the famous painter Stefano Erardi, who also painted the nave of Our Lady of Victory in Valletta. Another interesting feature of this site is a series of tombs dug into the vertical cliff face on the eastern side of the valley, which are reputed to date back to the late Roman and Byzantine paleo-Christian periods.

Nadur Tower and the heavy anti-aircraft battery The Infantry Line continues on the hill across the road from the chapel. In parts this was restored some years back. It stops where the sheer cliff face makes access impossible. It is here better to retrace one’s steps to the asphalted road leading up to Nadur Tower. The garigue terrain on either side of the road rising to Nadur Tower is characterised by a number of cart ruts and tombs on the slope in the direction of Gomerino. The tower was built in 1637 during the magistracy of the French Grand Master Lascaris Castellar and provided a visual link between Mdina and the coastal watch towers of Lippija atop Gnejna Bay and Ghajn Tuffieha. Next to the tower are two underground water tanks which, being sited at the highest point at 815 ft above sea level, could supply the various gun positions and military installations on this sector.

During the Second World War the tower was used as an observation post for the nearby troop of four 3.7” anti-aircraft guns known as NEDDY Battery which was manned by officers and men of the

32

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

2nd Regiment, Royal Malta Artillery. Regrettably, like other gun positions, it was partly taken over by farmers and two of the gun pits have been incorporated into ramshackle structures. The other two are still intact but the command post and predictor and height finder posts have seen better days. On the night of 14th April 1942— the day before Malta was awarded the George Cross by King George VI—the site was raided by enemy aircraft and a bomb crashed through the roof of one of the officers’ accommodation huts. Luckily its occupier Lt Maurice Agius (now retired Major) was in the command post at the time standing in for a fellow officer that night.

The bomb landed on his bed and went right through his best service dress trousers which was neatly folded on it without exploding. It only went off some hours later injuring two gunners.

Left: Nadur Tower and underground water tanks in foreground Below: The restored loophole wall at Bingemma Gap with the chapel in the background

Fort Bingemma By far the largest and most imposing military establishment in the upper part of the Victoria Lines, is Fort Bingemma. Work on the fort began in 1875 and was completed three years later. It had a diamond-shaped keep on its eastern end, detached from the rest of the fort by a ditch. The keep was approached across a chain-counterpose lifting bridge spanning the outer ditch along its land front. On either side of the bridge there is a short, covered way accessible from a stepped platform to enable riflemen to fire on the approach to the main gate.

Initially, the fort was to be armed by three 64-pounder rifled muzzle loading guns mounted in open en barbette emplacements.

In 1904 these were replaced by one, more modern 9.2” Mark X, breach-loading gun and two 6” Mark VII breach-loading guns. In 1939 the two 6” guns were removed and only the bigger gun remained positioned on the second emplacement on the western side of the fort facing the sea. It had a range of 20,800 yards or just under 12 miles. In addition, according to Dr Stephen Spiteri, the leading authority on Malta’s fortifications, four twin Lewis light machine guns for anti-aircraft defence were mounted on the fort’s keep.

There was a battery command post. A unique feature of Fort Bingemma are the two serrated casemates at each of its western and eastern salients, which were intended for the mounting of an 8” smooth bore gun in each one of them.

However, these were never installed. During the war the fort had a garrison of seventy-five men armed with rifles and two Tommy Guns for use by the parachutist hunting squad. Eventually a new entrance was constructed and was accessible from a bridge traversing the ditch on its south-western extremity, allowing heavier vehicles to access the outer parts of the fort. Access to the fort is barred by a padlocked gate behind which a pack of baying dogs deter anyone who ventures too close to it.

Above: The semiunderground command post where Major Agius was sleeping when a German bomb landed on his bed Left: Aerial view of Fort Bingemma (courtesy of Dr Stephen Spiteri)

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

33

The fort was placed ‘Out of action’ and into ‘Care and Maintenance’ in 1943 and in the early 1960s was handed over to the Maltese authorities. Since then it has been occupied by persons who flatly refuse to let anyone inside.

It is indeed a pity that such a gem of Victorian military architecture is the preserve of these individuals.

Left: One of the two serrated casements on the western salient of Fort Bingemma Below: Typical layout of one of the Howitzer batteries (courtesy of Dr Stephen Spiteri)

The Howitzer batteries To the rear of the central and western segments of the Victoria Lines there were seven Howitzer batteries and the map shows the siting of numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 batteries. Each battery housed four mobile Howitzer guns and their respective positions were separated by earthen traverses ending in a masonry revetment fitted with a small ammunition cubicle made of concrete and iron. They were intended to lob shells over the infantry line onto the low ground below the Great Fault. These four batteries have all but disappeared as the earthen traverses were reclaimed to replenish the topsoil of nearby fields. Only the uppermost layers of the revetments of no. 4 Battery can be seen by peering over a high wall constructed recently to enclose private property. No. 5 is along the left side of the road leading from Nadur Tower to Fort Bingemma. Only the stone facings survive in batteries no. 5 and no. 7. This last one is about 100 metres away from Kuncizzjoni chapel hidden in a copse of trees in an enclosed field. The stone facings in battery no. 6, close by the road leading down to Santi Gap, have been incorporated into a field retaining wall. It was only after many attempts that we managed to locate these batteries.

The Kuncizzjoni Ta’ Calumia Fortified Electric Light engine room

Far right: Kuncizzjoni ta' Calumia fortified position Right: Infantry wall leading down to Fomm ir-Riħ Bay redoubt

Past Santi Gap, the wall then follows the edge of the heights to Kuncizzjoni where close to the western extremity of the Great Fault, overlooking the picturesque Fomm ir-Riħ Bay stands the Kuncizzjoni ta’ Calumia Fortified Electric Light engine room. This has been recently restored by the Mgarr Local Council and an Institute of the University of Malta. The perimeter of this outpost has a rubble wall with loopholes for rifle fire. The complex is topped by a light directing station and on the north-west side it is flanked by a rifle gallery with thirty-three loopholes for small arms fire in the direction of Fomm ir-Riħ Bay. Behind this gallery is a flight of rock-hewn steps leading down to the electric light engine room, magazines and the accommodation block below ground level, with their windows all protected by armoured shutters, each with a single loophole for small arms fire.

The Fomm ir-Riħ Redoubt The infantry wall then extends down the escarpment towards the bay where it ended in a redoubt which was intended to be armed with a number of Maxim machine guns. This last outpost has deteriorated considerably and only parts of it seem to have survived as a retaining wall for an improvised rainwater reservoir at the bottom of the hill.

34

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

The Second World War With some 30,000 men under arms deployed all over the Maltese countryside, it was to be expected that the defences along the Victoria Lines were also heavily manned as a second line of defence.

We have it on record that the chief of the Imperial General Staff, Sir John Dill (while in transit from Cairo to London in the company of the War Cabinet minister, Sir Anthony Eden) inspected a company of the 4th Battalion of the Royal East Kent Regiment (The Buffs) at Falka Gap and the 8th Battalion of the Manchester Regiment on the Victoria Lines on 27th March 1941. It is also recorded that the 2nd Battalion of the Royal Irish Fusiliers was responsible for the Madliena, Gharghur and Naxxar sectors of the Lines.

Besides infantry units, along the Great Fault there were anti-aircraft batteries at Nadur Tower, Bisbizija and Naxxar together with mobile field gun positions and searchlight emplacements in addition to fixed defences described in these two articles and the pill boxes built just before or during the war. Whereas the anti-aircraft batteries sited along the Great Fault were very active throughout the entire three-year aerial siege, the anticipated airborne and seaborne invasion by the Axis forces, planned for high summer 1942, never materialised and so the Infantry Line was never tested in battle.

Left: Map showing location of 4,5,6 and 7 Howitzer batteries and Fomm ir-Riħ redoubt

Sporadic restorations In 1995 the local councils of Mosta, Mgarr, Rabat, St Paul’s Bay, Naxxar, Gharghur, Swieqi and Pembroke had teamed up in a very laudable European Union Med Urbs project with a view to developing a heritage trail along the Victoria Lines. This project, which started with a great deal of good will and enthusiasm has fizzled out over the years. Apart from some initial clean-ups of sections of the miles of patrol paths and some sporadic restorations here and there, very little was done for many years. Only recently has some restoration started at ‘Top of the World’ at Gharghur by the Restoration Directorate and Ambjent Malta. The Friends of the Victoria Lines, spearheaded

by Ray Cachia Zammit, have a very active website updating information and urging the creation of a heritage trail along the Lines. Meanwhile natural decay and vandalism continue to take their toll on this remarkable military project that must have provided a regular source of employment to Maltese craftsmen in the last three decades of the nineteenth century. n SOURCES: Maurice G. Agius, Recollections of a Malta HAA Gunner (Malta: Allied Publications, 2008); Ray Cachia Zammit, The Victoria Lines, Malta (Malta: Midsea Books, 2021); Ray Cachia Zammit, ed., Malta’s Heritage: The Victoria Lines (Malta: Progress Press, 1996); Ray Cachia Zammit, ed., The Victoria Lines: New Edition with a Fold Out Map (2003); Denis Rollo, The Guns and Gunners of Malta (Mondial, 1999); Stephen C. Spiteri, The Knights’ Fortifications (1989); Stephen C. Spiteri, The British Fortifications (1991); Stephen C. Spiteri, British Military Architecture in Malta (1996); Stephen C. Spiteri, The Fortifications of Malta (Malta: BDL, 2017).

Joseph Galea Debono is a retired judge. He graduated in Modern European and Maltese history from the Royal University of Malta and has a special interest in Maltese military history. He has authored various publications on the subject in local and international media.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

35

ISOPU

A National Park for Gozo

By Martin Galea

Din l-Art Ħelwa was instrumental in the setting up of Majjistral Nature and Heritage Park in Mellieha. This was founded in 2008 and it has now become somewhat of a national treasure with many visitors enjoying the natural beauty of the area.

36

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

F

rom the beginning, the aim of Majjistral Park was to conserve the natural beauty of the area for posterity. As a national park the area is safeguarded from development which seems to encroach every corner of these islands. One must remember that there was a serious proposal to build a golf course there which was only stopped through the concerted efforts of several NGOs. Its secondary aim is to minimise damage from visitors by ensuring the area is properly managed with designated paths, protection of the flora and fauna, and the rehabilitation of the damaged areas by replanting indigenous species and removal of debris and waste dumped in the area. We are currently in talks with the Minister for Environment and the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) to extend the park boundaries at Majjistral.

Gozo is now under the same development onslaught which Malta has suffered for many years, and whereas once it was possible to believe that the island would retain its natural beauty, recent decisions by the Planning Authority make this a false hope.

Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex has made a concrete proposal to the Authorities for a beautiful corner of Gozo to be given the status and protection of a National Park. Isopu is a pristine landscape in the limits of Nadur. It incorporates a Natura 2000 site, and agricultural land both in use and fallow. It is sited along cliffs (rdum) and is rich in biodiversity (garigue habitat). A detailed proposal has been made to the Minister for Gozo, the Hon Clint Camilleri, as well as to the Environment and Resources Authority. This proposal seems to have been well received and is under consideration. We now will be seeking to present this proposal to the new Minister for the Environment, the Hon Miriam Dalli, who has been a great supporter of Majjistral Park.

As with Majjistral, the central concept is the conservation of the Isopu area. It is not a park in the sense of Ta’ Qali and therefore all interventions are designed to protect the natural beauty of the area, its biodiversity, as well as local stakeholders. The local natural habitat is of high quality. As a result, we propose to limit

Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex and the Heritage Parks Federation are pushing for the proposal of a National Park to ringfence at least this small part of Gozo from the clutches of the developers.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

The Ta’ Sopu Nature Park would be fully dedicated to nature conservation and protection and the education of the public, while continuing to be a place for quiet country walks in stunning scenery to regenerate the soul.

interferences with the site by not building any new infrastructure or opening new paths and roads. Our priority is to preserve the site in its original condition through the implementation of conservation activities and to provide long term protection through its designation as a nature park. We strongly believe that we need to create opportunities for people to volunteer in conservation activities, for the public to engage with nature, and to provide educational platforms for the young people. As such, we propose to use Isopu Tower, a knights period tower restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa and the Local Council, as a visitor centre and a location to host educational talks for small groups of people.

The Ta’ Sopu Nature Park would therefore be fully dedicated to nature conservation and protection and the education of the public, while continuing to be a place for quiet country walks in stunning scenery to regenerate the soul.

As with Majjistral, the proposal is for the Heritage Parks Federation (HPF) to manage the park as they have considerable expertise in this area, with a small annual subvention from the government (at Majjistral this is €67k pa). The Heritage Parks Federation is

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SIMON WALLACE The photos feature Isopu Tower and the surrounding countryside, and a recent visit to the tower by Catherine Leonard, INTO General Secretary, and Emma Thomas, General Manager for the National Trust UK’s Seaton Delaval Hall, together with Stephane Croce, Chairman of the Heritage Park Federation (Gozo), and Martin Galea.

37

made up of Din l-Art Ħelwa, Nature Trust, and the Gaia Foundation. It would report to a supervisory board made up of a chairman and four representatives (normally from the local council, ERA, and others appointed by the minister) and three appointed by the HPF. The Board then reports to ERA as the regulator.

Gozo deserves a national park. Its principal selling point is its rural charm, quiet paced lifestyle and and beautiful countryside— indeed this is how it is marketed both in Malta and abroad. Others, however, have other ideas and it would seem to be a property developers paradise who are eager to speculate and turn lax planning laws to their advantage. The Planning Authority’s stated mission is to ‘Act on behalf of the community to provide a balanced and sustainable environment… and to endeavour to provide a better quality of life for the community through transparent and fair planning services, today and tomorrow’.

One could argue whether this is happening in Malta, or indeed in Gozo, but in the meantime Din l-Art Ħelwa Għawdex and the Heritage Parks Federation are pushing for the proposal of a National Park to ringfence at least this small part of Gozo from the clutches of the developers. n

Martin Galea is a Council Member of Din l-Art Ħelwa

38

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

”RDS

FROM

WACTI TO

N

LIVING UP TO ENVIRONMENTAL PROMISES During his recent visit, Pope Francis invited us to consider the issues of the protection of the environment, overdevelopment, and ‘rapacious greed, … avarice, … and construction speculation which compromise(d) not only the landscape but the very future’.

by Alex Torpiano

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

T

€700 million are promised as investment in the ‘environment’ over the next seven years, eerily mirroring the same amount invested over the past seven years on road infrastructure.

hese comments by Pope Francis, although largely ignored by the official media, were interpreted by others as a ‘blessing for activism’. Irrespective of the question whether the Pope’s intentions were to express support for eNGOs, the implicit acknowledgement that eNGOs are right to be worried about these issues, was a form of justification.

The recent election campaign was, to a certain extent, also an acknowledgement that the protection of our urban and environmental heritage is now a mainstream political issue. In the run-up to the elections, Din l-Art Ħelwa joined up with a number of environmental NGOs to draft, and present to the competing political parties, nine key environmental demands, which invited politicians to move from ‘Words to Action’.

In addition to Din l-Art Ħelwa, the eNGOs comprised Friends of the Earth Malta, Birdlife Malta, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar, Nature Trust Malta, and Ramblers; and the demands were also endorsed by Moviment Graffiti, the Grow 10 Trees Project, Rota, Wirt Għawdex, Għawdix, Żminijietna Voice of the Left, and Extinction Rebellion Malta.

The themes proposed that political parties commit to address Governance, Climate Change, Sustainable Mobility, Urban Development, Rural Policy, Habitat and Biodiversity, Marine Areas, Agriculture and Food Systems, and Waste Management. Each of the contributing eNGOs prepared a concise presentation on one of the above themes, and after discussion and unanimous adoption of a final document, a series of meetings with the main political parties were held. We were cordially heard.

Din l-Art Ħelwa focused on the theme of proper Governance in matters related to the natural and urban environment and to built heritage. The outline proposals are reiterated hereunder. Changes in the Constitution are considered as necessary, so that the protection of our heritage and the environment did not remain a sterile statement of principle, but something which concerned citizens could take legal action on.

Chapter II of the Constitution of Malta deals with the Declaration of important principles, amongst which, in Article 9, impose the obligation on the State to ‘safeguard the landscape and the historical and artistic patrimony of the Nation’. A recent

39

amendment to the Constitution has gone further: ‘The State shall preserve and conserve the environment and its resources for the benefit of present and future generations and shall take measures to address any form of environmental degradation in Malta, including that of air, water and land, and any sort of pollution problem and to promote, nurture and support the right of action in favour of the environment’. However, Article 21 of the same Chapter says: ‘The provisions of this Chapter shall not be enforceable in any court, but the principles therein contained are nevertheless fundamental to the governance of the country and it shall be the aim of the State to apply these principles in making laws’.

The problem, therefore, was that whilst the principles underpinning the protection of our natural and built heritage were correctly stated in the Constitution, the mechanisms of oversight of Government and its agencies, which were meant to enact laws and regulations keeping in mind these principles, was not clear.

There is divergent legal opinion on whether the provisions in the Constitution are sufficient tools to enable citizens to take legal action if the principles inscribed in the Constitution are violated as a result of any legislation or regulation, or as a result of the bad application of any legislation or regulation. The eNGOs did not want the matter of actionability to be resolved in a court debate; clarity in the Constitution was required so that action could be taken if any public entity ignored the principles enshrined in Chapter II. It is also important that the authorities responsible for the safeguarding of our natural and built heritage, and the quality of urban spaces, particularly the Planning Authority, really place the environment as their top priority, when evaluating proposals which, at face value, appear to favour economic growth. It was important that such agencies recognised the economic value of the natural and built heritage. It was important that the Planning Authority take serious heed of the objections raised by the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage and by the Environment and Resources Authority. The current approach was that proposals for development are judged against the question ‘why not?’, whereas proposals should be judged against the questions: ‘why?’, ‘what is the community gaining?’, ‘what are the risks, and who will pay for the impacts?’

40

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

The winning Electoral Programme, to a certain extent, reflects the growing concern for the environment. €700 million are promised as investment in the ‘environment’ over the next seven years, eerily mirroring the same amount invested over the past seven years on road infrastructure. Out of 20 sections in the Programme, No. 5 deals with the Environment, No. 6 with Climate Neutrality, and No. 13 with Gozo – within which eight proposals deal directly with environmental issues.

The proposals are wide-ranging; the more notable proposals are the first maritime park in Ċirkewwa, a geological park in Lapsi and Wied iż-Żurrieq, a nature park in Bahar ic-Ċagħaq, the relocation of the Sant’Antnin recycling plant to enlarge the Marsascala family park, the transformation of the Schreiber Ground into an open space with trees, parks in Mqabba and Birgu, a major afforestation project for L-Imwadar (now including Zonqor, of AUM fame), a family park in Bengħajsa, and an afforestation project in Comino. These all sound like laudable projects. It is however important that nature parks really become oases of biodiversity, real nature reserves; and not follow the same route as the ‘National Park’ in Ta’ Qali,, where the much-touted ‘environmental project’ morphed into a large hill of fake rubble walling, enclosing a massive open-air concert venue.

The Programme makes an interesting reference to the creation of urban green areas by the reclamation of public buildings. or of private buildings acquired by the state, or by the negotiated acquisition of private gardens in urban areas. It proposed the creation of ‘green’ walking/hiking networks, from Mellieħa to Xgħajra, and along Gozo’s coast and valleys.

One could add that it would be relatively easy, and cost-effective, to also add (or retain existing) trees to our existing arterial roads – instead of systematically removing them.

The Electoral Programme does not suggest that this ‘greening’ endeavour will include shaking off the national dependence on the private vehicle, not even for the enjoyment of nature. Many of the urban (and rural) greening proposals, in Bormla, Ħamrun, San Ġwann, and Marsascala, comprise underground carparking complexes, covered with ‘green’ (will we really have trees in these ‘green’ areas?). In other sections, the idea of roofing over, and ‘greening’, busy traffic arteries has taken root – excuse the pun – (this is re-proposed for the

approaches to the Santa Venera tunnels, but also over Triq 13 ta’ Dicembru in Marsa).

These proposals, and that of taking traffic underground, below newly created open green areas (as in St Anne Street, Floriana) suggests that private vehicular traffic will not in any way be discouraged. Although some of these proposals have the merit of repairing urban entities that have been split apart by traffic arteries, it is important that they do not end up as major, and expensive, infrastructural and structural engineering projects, consuming ever more concrete (and hence contributing to increasing the construction industry’s carbon footprint rather than reducing it). Natural green areas have an important role in reducing flooding, and in recharging our underground water resources, whereas impermeable areas, such as elevated concrete platforms, effectively exacerbate these problems, unless combined with carefully detailed water-harvesting facilities.

The eNGO proposal to strengthen Governance, in matters related to the natural and urban environment and to built heritage, does not really feature much in the Electoral Programme. There is some reference to ‘Ippjanar bi ħsieb’, or intelligent planning. The proposals in this regard are not very uplifting, since they seem limited to actions which should be considered as obviously necessary, such as the revision of SPED, or the promise not to reduce Urban Conservation Areas(!), or to improve the protection of Grade 2 scheduled heritage buildings. A proposal which could have a far-reaching impact is the promise of a skyline policy, especially for Gozo, so as to minimise the impact of high development on traditional localities and long-distance views.

Long-distance views are, in fact, an important aspect of landscape, and it is necessary that we start to schedule such assets, just as we schedule heritage buildings.

On the other hand, the words used in proposal 336, with an emphasis on the interests and rights of property owners, and the promise to ‘start’ discussions to limit development proposals for Outside Development Zones, does not represent a commitment to prioritise the interests of the community over the individual, and does not augur well.

The speech of the President of the Republic, inaugurating the 14th legislature since independence, promises the use of EU funds to ‘decarbonise’ our economy, and to

A proposal which could have a farreaching impact is the promise of a skyline policy, especially for Gozo, so as to minimise the impact of high development on traditional localities and long-distance views.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Changing from petrol/diesel engines to electricity (or hydrogen) will make for less air pollution; however, the congestion on our roads is destined to remain, increasing traffic leading to more roads.

make Gozo ‘climate neutral’. Unfortunately, the use of these slogans can be a distraction from the objective of creating a better quality of urban and natural environment for all of us.

The President also stated that it was not ‘enough to protect the natural environment’ of Malta and Gozo, since that was merely an obligation on all public entities (very true!).

The President went on to propose that Malta needed ‘to be innovative’ when it came to new public and open spaces in urban areas. It is not clear what this ‘innovation’ is envisaged to be. Maybe, it could be a programme to promote community gardens for the growing of vegetables and fruit and flowers, instead of the ubiquitous concrete paving, potted plants, and playing field furniture?

The speech also referred to the electrification of our vehicular fleet, the development of alternative transport modes, and the transformation of waste into energy.

This reflects the declared objectives of the €316 million that will be granted to Mata under the ‘Recovery and Resilience Facility’ of the European Union. Six main themes were identified in Malta’s relative Plan – two of the themes relevant to this discussion are: (1) climate neutrality through energy efficiency, clean energy and a circular economy, and (2) carbon neutrality by decarbonising transport.

This translates to a number of interesting initiatives, but decarbonising transport will absorb 35% of this grant – and the investments envisaged focus on grant schemes for the electrification of private and commercial vehicles, of the public service fleet and of new buses.

One curious investment proposal is to create a new ferry landing facility in St Paul’s Bay ‘to promote alternative modes of transport’ – one wonders whether this ferry landing facility is not part of another mass tourism scheme, rather than a real contribution to a multi-modal change in transport patterns. The reforms envisaged under this heading include more free access to public buses, the promotion of remote working, and the implementation of a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan for the

41

Valletta Region (do we need a mobility plan for Valletta and Floriana – cannot we just walk to everywhere in this area?). It also includes the regeneration of public squares and community spaces in village and town cores, and the creation of ‘more open and car free spaces’.

Unfortunately, if this is considered together with the urban greening-cum-underground car-parking proposals in the Electoral Programme, it could mean that car-free simply means cars hidden underground, without any real impact on the volume of vehicular traffic.

The massive investment in the electrification of the private vehicular fleet, promises to be a bonanza to car manufacturers and importers all over Europe, rather than contributing to a better quality of life for us.

Changing from petrol/diesel engines to electricity (or hydrogen) will make for less air pollution; however, the congestion on our roads is destined to remain, increasing traffic leading to more roads, and, as also promised in the Electoral Programme, to more underground car-parking, hence more excavation, and more excavation waste. How are we going to handle this – by a massive programme of production of reconstituted stone to service 100 years of further building? It does feel as if the fixation with the private vehicle is not going to be challenged by an equally massive investment in public mass transport.

The concern with the environment has clearly reached an unprecedented level of importance in politics and government. This is good news. However, there seems to be no clear, holistic, vision of a really sustainable, environmentally-conscious Malta and Gozo, which translates to a more beautiful country, with a better quality of life for us and future generations. We will have to wait and see. But as eNGOs we will also continue to voice our concerns, and to ensure that the authorities live up to the promises. n

Alex Torpiano is an architect, and Dean of the Faculty for the Built Environment at the University of Malta.

He is Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa.

42

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

OUR

INDUSTRIAL

HERITAGE IN THE INNER GRAND HARBOUR AREA

By Joanna Spiteri Staines

T

he mission statement of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation, known as the GHRC, is indeed admirable: • The Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation aims to undertake Government’s vision for the Valletta Harbours, the restoration and regeneration of Valletta grand harbour and the surrounding areas.

• To attract worldwide attention for the regeneration of sites for potential investment, development and tourist attraction.

• To work as Public, Private Partnership in a time when regeneration is critical to boost the economic development, through best communication strategies that will drive national growth strategy.​ This entity was set up in 2007 to carry out this commendable vision, with one of the first visions being outlined as the transformation of the Menqa area by the government of the time and forming part of the primary vision of the Grand Harbour Regeneration Plan. Indeed, many of the past and current projects that this entity has spearheaded are very much needed.

Perhaps the better known and commendable projects are that of the vertical connection known as the Barrakka Lift and the Tritoni Square.

Fig. 1 – Artist’s impression reproduced from article in the Times of Malta, 6th August 2021

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Fig. 2 – Consultation policy document (Planning Authority)

We need to rethink the way we look at our industrial heritage within the inner part of the Grand Harbour. Whilst we sorely need to rehabilitate these structures and sites, we need to do it with sensitivity and creativity.

However future projects within the umbrella of the GHRC (as reviewed from their website) only include the restoration of the French and English curtain bastions and the renovation of housing blocks in Carmelite Street. Whilst I am sure these projects are much needed, it appears to be the case that the GHRC need to go back to their roots and their own mission statement. Possibly other entities have taken over this mission.

In May 2017, expressions of interest were announced for the Menqa regeneration (Times of Malta, 2nd August 2017). This was announced

by Projects Malta that stated that this expression of interest aimed at ‘innovative activity and activities which would regenerate the area’.

In August 2021, Infrastructure Malta announced that the development of the old Marsa Power Station site is part of the harbour regeneration plan (Times of Malta, 6th August 2021). Sadly, this plan forms part of the clearance of the old power station in 2018 where the old power station was razed to the ground; the structures that were completely demolished formed an intrinsic part of our industrial heritage. This same article refers to a document entitled ‘Marsa Power Station Land Use Strategy’ which appears to concentrate on the innermost sheltered part of the Grand Harbour. The artist’s impression that was

43

produced clearly looks at transforming the ‘decrepit Albert Town Area into a highquality innovation hub with facilities and shared spaces for start-ups in the creative industries’ (Newsbook, 29th November 2021).

The Planning Authority chairman in this same article emphasises that no new tall buildings within this area form part of the vision in order ‘not to detract from the wider historical landscape value of the fortifications’, going on to state that, ‘Buildings must adopt innovative architectural designs evoking the maritime history of the harbour location and relate well to the existing buildings of cultural importance, especially the Chadwick Building, the ex-Sea Malta Building and the other traditional warehouse buildings on the quays’.

In fact, the Planning Authority published the Marsa Regeneration Area – Phase 1 document on 29th November 2021 which closed for public consultation on 15th January 2022 (https://www.pa.org.mt/en/consultationdetails/marsa-regeneration-area-phase-1).

A strategic view for the Marsa Regeneration Area is indeed much required, most especially the area earmarked which commences from Xatt l-Għasara ta’ l-Għeneb to the eastern end of Triq Troubridge and just before Dock Seven.

The principles earmarked by the Planning Authority are commendable since they prioritise a shared vision, the need to address the community in that area and a sustainable forward-looking approach.

Any rehabilitation programme needs to infuse the area with vision and new uses, and therefore, the vision of a high-quality innovation hub is not of concern. What perhaps, this document fails to highlight is the very important need to infuse new uses into ‘restored and rehabilitated historic buildings and sites’. This entire area of the inner part of the Grand Harbour is rich in industrial heritage and the entire demolition of the 1953 power station in 2018 does raise a number of questions (PA 3349/14; https://timesofmalta3. rssing.com/chan-4325555/all_p1081.html).

In fact, in recent studies undertaken by University of Malta Architecture students in 2016, the following was written:

44

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

“The Power Station can be considered to be a part of the industrial heritage of Marsa, as certain parts of it are highly valuable, however, one could consider the removal of parts of the sections of the long construction, including any tanks and equipment, as long as the overall character and values of the structures and equipment are retained.”

Our industrial heritage in the harbour area is severely undervalued. The relatively recent (2017) demolition works at the ex-Sea Malta illustrate the lack of appreciation of both industrial heritage and Modernist buildings. In fact, Din l-Art Ħelwa, together with the Kamra tal-Periti and Flimkien Għal Ambjent Ahjar, publicly called for an immediate suspension to the demolition works which were ongoing in November 2017. The demolition works were being carried out by Enemalta contractors in view of what was called ‘removal of unsafe structures’; following this outcry, works were halted. Whilst the building forms part of the PA – Marsa Regeneration Plan, its future intended use and associated restoration and rehabilitation is as yet unknown.

In 2016, as part of their final year studies, University of Malta Architecture students concentrated on the inner harbour area producing very interesting projects and proposals which merit an article on its own.

They also studied the history of the area and have shared one of their documents with me which reveals a number of interesting historical facts. Of note are the dates in this table:

1740-1773

1758

Ras Hanżir Boathouse – Boat shelter and in a very poor state of conservation.

Large industrial Grain Stores, believed to be Roman and on the hill of the present-day Marsa Power Station site. Status today – unknown.

1756 Ras Hanżir Gunpowder Magazine – Polverista used to store gunpowder and laboratory until 1950s. Part of Cargo Terminal operations and in very poor state of conservation.

1908 Potato Sheds – very poor state of conservation.

1908 Bridge Wharf Stores – very poor state of conservation.

ELEMENTAL New Art Museum, Doha, Qatar. Courtesy of Malcolm Reading Consultants Ltd and ELEMENTAL

Thomas Heatherwick MOCAA Art Galleries, Cape Town.

Image courtesy of Dezeen Awards

Thomas Heatherwick MOCAA Art Galleries, Cape Town.

Image courtesy of Dezeen Awards

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

45

The grain silo site on Triq l-Għassara tal-Għeneb

Any regeneration proposal must be rooted in a deep appreciation and understanding of the history of our harbour together with architectural sensitivity.

Over the past fifteen years since the setting up of the GHRC, there have been several attempts for the regeneration of the inner harbour area. This regeneration is very much needed, but it must form part of a strategic plan for this entire area which is rooted in the protection of all the historical buildings which form part of this area, most especially the industrial heritage of the area.

The current new art museum in Doha, Qatar does precisely this; its brief aimed to reuse the grain mill and silos. This international competition was won by the Chilean-based practice headed by the 2016 Pritzker Prize Laureate Alejandro Aravena, ELEMENTAL in 2017. According to ArchDaily, the winning project works with the existing silos and extends them as cooling chimneys.

Neither is this the first time that grain silos are utilised for the infusion of contemporary architecture. Thomas Heatherwick in Cape Town also carves out art galleries from grain silos.

I refer to these projects, since we need to rethink the way we look at our industrial heritage within the inner part of the Grand Harbour. Whilst we sorely need to rehabilitate these structures and sites, we need to do it with sensitivity and creativity.

Such structures, even 1950s structures, form part of our heritage and whilst they do not need to be treated as ‘untouchable’, their reuse needs to allow them to echo the past whilst being rehabilitated and reused.

The razing to the ground of our industrial heritage is not what we should be doing. We need to approach these structures with a vision and strategy which allows the rich history of the Grand Harbour to truly form part of a new proposal. The artist’s impression in Fig. 1 is worrying since it could be anywhere. It fails to create a sense of context and genius loci: which is about understanding and working with the ‘spirit of the place’. Any regeneration proposal must be rooted in a deep appreciation and understanding of the history of our harbour together with the architectural sensitivity which is so much needed for these sites. n

Perit Joanna Spiteri Staines is a practising architect and director of Openwork Studio Ltd. and Nidum Ltd. She has specialised in the past 25 years in the rehabilitation and restoration of historical buildings and sites. She is a Din l-Art Ħelwa Council Member.

46

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Restoration

Report Stanley Farrugia Randon

The Din l-Art Ħelwa Restoration and Maintenance Committee is composed of Maria Grazia Cassar, Josie Ellul Mercer and myself. However our efforts are useless without the help and advice of the rest of the committee. Without the hard work of our Treasurer Martin Scicluna (who resigned from this post in February due to other commitments), Secretary General Simone Mizzi and our office manager Rosanne Zerafa, Din l-Art Ħelwa would be unable to obtain the necessary funding for such projects.

u Għallis Tower In 2017 Din l-Art Ħelwa applied to the Planning Authority for the restoration of the external walls of Għallis Tower. Thanks to Gal Majjistral Foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa obtained funding to start and complete works on this seventeenth-century watchtower (see p. 48–49). Works involved some changing of stones, the pointing of all the external walls, changing of the batteries of the solar panels, restoration of the metal gate on the upper floor and pointing of the internal walls.

The solar panels provide electricity to light the external walls as well as the interior of the tower.

u Ħal Millieri Chapel Once more part of the rubble wall surrounding the pathway in front of the medieval chapel of Ħal Millieri collapsed following bad weather. This had to be repaired. Three of our properties—Mamo Tower, Ħal Millieri chapel and the White Tower—are partly surrounded by rubble walls which require frequent and costly maintenance.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

47

u Torri Mamo

u Dwejra Tower Thanks to European Union funds obtained through the Malta Tourism Authority, Din l-Art Ħelwa started the restoration of the Dwejra Tower in Gozo. The front elevation is nearly completed and involved extensive pointing as well as some stone replacement. This tower is especially exposed to the elements and is often in need of restoration.

Din l-Art Ħelwa has been granted funds from GalXlokk Foundation to be spent on the restoration of the external facades of Torri Mamo (see p. 52). Restoration of the tower was completed in February.

This involved some changing of grossly deteriorated stones as well as pointing of various parts of the tower external walls.

u The White Tower

u Future Projects

Now that the restoration of the White Tower and Battery in Mellieħa is complete, the restoration team has started working on the installation of the toilet facilities and furniture for the place to be used for short letting and accommodation. Thanks to the hard work of Rosanne Zerafa and Simone Mizzi, the restoration team obtained funds from the PostPandemic Support Scheme for Cultural Heritage, issued by the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, for two dormitories with beds and cupboards, sanitary facilities, a kitchenette, doors, seating facilities and tables.

The tower will now be able to accommodate groups of people for educational activities.

The Malta Tourism Authority has also offered us funds to install stainless steel security wire railings on the roof. The roof is the area preferred by visitors to take photos, and so it is of utmost importance that it is rendered safe for everyone.

Din l-Art Ħelwa is still working on obtaining permission to restore San Ċir Chapel near Rabat, the Vendome Redoubt in Marsaxlokk, the Australian Bungalow presently located in Għammieri, and the Qolla l-Bajda Battery in Qbajjar, Gozo. Din l-Art Ħelwa has been trying to convince the authorities to hand over these properties to the organisation for years, and in the meantime they are suffering more deterioration. We are also interested in restoring the Marfa (Wied Musa) Battery and Ir-Razzett taxXitan in Mellieħa. Bureaucratic issues hinder the granting of heritage sites to NGOs in Guardianship.

Din l-Art Ħelwa is very disappointed about the unreasonable and exaggerated delays in the concluding of Guardianship Deeds, leaving the organisation without answers for many months notwithstanding it having carried out the required studies, acquired the necessary permits and found funds for restoration.

And these places continue to deteriorate!

48

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

THE RESTORATION OF

A TOWER

Thanks fo a funding grant from the Majjistral Action Group Foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa was able to restore the historic Ghallis Tower. This site is held and managed by Din l-Art Ħelwa under a guardianship deed from the Government of Malta.

THE GHALLIS COASTAL WATCH TOWER The restoration of Ghallis Tower, one of the thirteen coastal watchtowers built by Grand Master Martin De Redin in 1658, has given the tower a new lease of life. Din l-Art Ħelwa worked hard to win a grant for this project from the Majjistral Action Group Foundation.

Together with its restoration Din l-Art Ħelwa has produced a set of educational tools including a very colourful Ebook, available to download through the link below, and also a set of Activity Sheets aimed at children. Military historian Dr Stephen C. Spiteri enriched the visuals with his images of cut through sections of the tower enabling those standing outside to know what lies within.

Ebook Link : http://ghallistower.dinlarthelwa. org/dlh_ghallis-ebook.pdf Activity Sheets Link: http://ghallistower. dinlarthelwa.org/activity_sheets.pdf

The project for the restoration of Ghallis Tower was made possible by the Majjistral Action Group Foundation for development in rural areas in the northern region of Malta under Measure 1: Restoration of Assets of Artistic and Cultural Value and by the Co-Funding Fund for NGOs of the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector.

The Ghallis Tower, located visibly at the mouth of Salina Bay, was the second in a series of coastal watch towers built by Grand Master Martin de Redin to relay warning signals of enemy invasion. Thirteen towers were built by De Redin in just one year, between 1658 and 1659, but today only eight survive.

Ghallis Tower suffers from exposure to the elements due to its proximity to the sea but pollution from coastal traffic and the nearby landfill have also had their impact on its external masonry.

Din l-Art Ħelwa also hopes to be able to regenerate the extensive natural area behind the tower in order to create walking trails and spaces of relaxation which the public can enjoy, with the tower as a focal visitor point. Endemic species can be revived and thus the tower would be protected from the constant dumping of illegal waste.

Anybody wishing to donate funds to Din l-Art Ħelwa for the natural rehabilitation of the area and to Din l-Art Ħelwa’s maintenance programmes for the numerous sites it looks after, can visit www/dinlarthelwa.org/donate, send a donation to 133 Melita Street, Valletta, or become a member of Din l-Art Ħelwa.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

VI

G ILO

Helwa

ST OF MALTA

OURTESY OF STEPHEN C. SPITERI

49

1. Main entrance into tower on first floor 2. Shaft with spiral staircase leading up to roof of tower 3. Wooden ladder (alternatively a rope ladder was also used) 4. Living quarters on first floor (with barrel-vaulted ceiling and floor resting on rib arches) 5. Ground-floor storage room accessed through trap door in the living area 6. Trapdoor providing access down to storage area (by means of a ladder) 7. Terrace / gun platform ringed by low parapet with embrasures 8. Wooden flagpole for signalling flag 9. Ventilation opening 10. Wellhead with shaft leading down to cistern situated beneath tower

THE GĦALLIS TOWER ONE OF 13 COASTAL WATCH TOWERS BUILT BY GRAND MASTER MARTIN DE REDIN IN 1658

1. Main entrance into tower on first floor Image of Ghallis Tower 2. Shaft with spiral staircase leading up to roof of tower courtesy of Stephen C. Spiteri 3. Wooden ladder (alternatively a rope ladder was also used) 4. Living quarters on first floor (with barrel-vaulted ceiling and floor resting on rib arches) 5. Ground-floor storage room accessed through trap door in the living area 6. Trapdoor providing access down to storage area (by means of a ladder) 7. Terrace / gun platform ringed by low parapet with embrasures 8. Wooden flagpole for signalling flag 9. Ventilation opening 10. Wellhead with shaft leading down to cistern situated beneath tower

50

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

DIN L-ART ĦELWA’S

MARINE PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

After an absence of five years Din l-Art Ħelwa has once again held its Blue Campaign Photographic Competition, to raise awareness about the importance of safeguarding the beauty and state of the waters surrounding the Maltese Islands.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

T

his year the competition was supported by Bank of Valletta.

Charles Azzopardi, Head of CSR & Communication at Bank of Valletta, explained how supporting this competition perfectly aligned with the Bank’s ESG programme in fulfilling the ‘Life Below Water’ Sustainable Development Goal: “Through the implementation of an ESG vision, we are aiming to fulfil certain UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by not only safeguarding the environment, but also educating the local community.

While we continue to back the hard work done by Din l-Art Ħelwa, we hope that these snapshots serve as a good lesson for all the community”.

This year’s edition consisted of two categories. Category A included photographs of sea pollution and any negative impacts caused by human activity on the local marine environment, while Category B consisted of photographs showing the beauty of underwater life around Malta and Gozo.

First and second place winners from both categories were awarded with cash prizes. David Agius placed first in Category A, and Lee Jellyman won Category B. Mario Micallef (Category A) and Victor Micallef (Category B) placed second.

Din l-Art Ħelwa Council Member Dr Stanley Farrugia Randon congratulated all the winners and hoped that this competition will again become a yearly event.

Left: Cruising the Tunnel, by Lee Jellyman Right top: Death for no purpose — Ghostfishing, by David Agius Right middle: Entangled Mess, by Mario Micallef Right bottom: Mediterranean Fan Worm, by Victor Micallef

51

52

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

TORRI MAMO

NOW READY FOR EVENTS

TORRI MAMO...

NOW READY FOR EVENTS

The restoration restorationofof Torri Mamo was recently completed byl-Art DinĦelwa. l-Art Ħelwa.

This The Torri Mamo was recently completed

by Din This seventeenthcentury building with its unusual sixteen façades in the shape of a St Andrew’s cross, seventeenth-century building with its unusual sixteen façades in the shape lies near St Thomas Bay, on the road to Marsascala. of a St Andrew’s cross, lies near St Thomas Bay, on the road to Marsascala.

T

The Mamo family were master builders of the Order of St John and they were granted the Mamo family were the building Order of several St John fortifications and they werefor granted right tohebuild a fortified familymaster homebuilders in 1657ofafter the Order. the right build a fortified family in 1657 within after building severalwith fortifications for The family andto their neighbours would home take shelter it—together their animals— the Order. The family and seen their neighbours would take of shelter within it—together with when marauding pirates were approaching the bay St Thomas.

Hence its internal their animals—when pirates wereThis seencircular approaching bayideal of St setting Thomas.for Hence domed hall was builtmarauding ‘a prova di bomba’. hall, the is an smallits internal domed hall was built prova di in bomba’ . This circular hall, is an ideal setting being for small events, family reunions and ‘acamping its historic moat. Bookings are readily events, family reunions and camping in its historic moat. Bookings are readily being accepted accepted through admin@dinlarthelwa.org through admin@dinlarthelwa.org. restoration of Torri Mamo made possiblebybya aLEADER LEADERprogramme programme grant grant for for TheThe restoration of Torri Mamo waswas made possible restoration ofofcultural in rural areas, through the Xlokk LocalLocal ActionAction GroupGroup Foundation restoration culturalassets assets in rural areas, through the Xlokk Foundation and the Fund for for NGOs of theofMalta Council for the for Voluntary Sector. The Funding and theCo-Financing Co-Financing Fund NGOs the Malta Council the Voluntary Sector.

The Funding teams in these foundations have beenand very helpful Din Ħelwa is grateful to teams in these foundations have been very helpful Din l-Art and Ħelwa is l-Art grateful to them for them for guiding us through these applications. guiding us through these applications.

.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

53

SIXTEENTH-CENTURY TITULAR PANEL PAINTING ‘NATIVITY OF THE VIRGIN’ RESTORED At Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta

T

The painting before and after restoration.

he titular Mannerist painting on wood of the Conservators—Fine Arts Restoration. The project was ‘Nativity of the Virgin’, within Our Lady of Victory made possible with the support of PwC Malta as part of Church in Valletta, has been restored. Din l-Art their ten-year programme of assistance to this church. Ħelwa is entrusted with the guardianship of this Conservator Amy Sciberras commenced with church. This was the first church and building in Valletta preliminary investigations of the panel painting in 2021. and was dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin by Grand Following this study, conservation works started in January Master Jean de Valette and the Order of St John after their of this year whereby the painting was fully stabilised victory at the Great Siege. Her feast was to be celebrated in through consolidation treatments of the various strata perpetuity each year on 8th September. comprising this painting, cleaned from past retouchings, It is believed that this panel painting stood above the varnish and overpaint—hence revealing more details of the altar of the first church of 1567, and was later moved up original composition. Chromatic integration of uncovered high into its elaborate carved niche when the church was and infilled losses were carried out, as the removal of old enlarged. Seated propped on cushions, the painting depicts and altered past retouchings revealed damage which the St Anne, the Mother of the Virgin having been delivered painting had suffered over the years. of her child. She is being offered food by a servant while As explained by Simone Mizzi, extraordinary details St Joachim, Mary’s father, prays and within the painting were rediscovered, observes the midwives tending to the including the platter of dried fruit infant’s needs. It is thought that the being offered to the Virgin, the painting may be the only one in Malta elaborate hair styles and footwear of depicting the birth of the Virgin. the maidservants, the tie cords on the Until recently the original midwife’s belt, the black and white sixteenth-century paint layer was swans on the bottom left, the elaborate not visible, under layers of overpaint pitcher of water, and the bright flash and darkened varnish applied over of the white towel being heated to the years. The paint layer was also warm the infant against the fire, an in a rather unstable condition and iconography of tenderness at birth. had begun to exhibit localised paint These interventions were carried Conservator Amy Sciberras applies liftings and losses. Hence Din l-Art out within the church itself by utilising first aid treatments to the titular Ħelwa, under the direction of Simone a purposely made scaffolding system painting prior to restoration.

Mizzi, and with experts from the carefully assembled by Agius Stone Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, initiated the process Works Ltd. This ensured that the panel painting could of saving and bringing to light this important painting. be restored in situ, avoiding climatic changes during the Conservation works were entrusted to Amy Sciberras conservation process. n

54

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

SEVEN PAINTINGS BY MATTIA PRETI At Sarria Church

Din l-Art Ħelwa, together with the Rector and Jesuit Community of Sarria Church, organised an online presentation giving an overview of the various aspects of the restoration of the seven paintings by Mattia Preti at Sarria Church.

C

onservator and art historian Prof. Sante Guido presented a detailed history of Sarria, starting from the original smaller chapel erected by a knight, Fra Martino Sarria, whose name it still bears. This was replaced by today’s larger church dedicated to the Immaculate Conception to give thanks for the end of the pestilence of 1675–76, which took the lives of thousands of people. Mattia Preti (1613–99) was commissioned by Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner (1605–80) to design this new church and the seven masterpieces that adorn it, including the ‘Immaculate Conception’ altarpiece, ‘St Sebastian’, ‘St Roque’, ‘St Rosalia’, ‘St Nicholas of Bari’, and two lunettes depicting the ‘Allegory of the Order’ and ‘St Michael Victorious over Lucifer’. This church is the only known building to have been designed by Mattia Preti.

Dr Sebastiano D’Amico, head of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Malta, explained the methodology and scientific investigations carried out to support the restoration of the two large lunettes, using 2D and 3D surveying to formulate hypothetic reconstruction, and XRF spectroscopy to get more information on how Preti prepared the various types of materials, in particular, the painting preparation, the pigment palette and the formulation of shades and highlights.

Conservator Dr Giuseppe Mantella, whose firm carried out the restoration project, highlighted the salient points from this project, which spanned over more than a decade, starting from the pitiful condition that the paintings were in, especially the large ‘Immaculate Conception’ altarpiece, which was literally detaching from its frame and buckling under its own weight, risking severe damage and losses of the pictorial layer. Many discoveries came to light as a result of the restoration process.

Foremost among these was Mattia Preti’s use of globigerina limestone dust mixed in with the pigments, which gave the paintings a distinctive palette identifiable as originating from Malta, when compared to his other works from Rome and Naples.

Din l-Art Ħelwa Executive President Professor Alex Torpiano thanked the sponsors for their generosity and support in funding the restoration of the individual paintings, namely, Shireburn Software Ltd, Malta International Airport, Middlesea Insurance Ltd, Sparkasse Bank Malta Ltd, the Rotary Clubs of Palermo and Malta, and an anonymous sponsor as an Ex-Voto. He also thanked Simone Mizzi, Maria Grazia Cassar and Patricia Salomone for coordinating this project.Thanks are also extended to Fr Lino Spiteri of the Jesuit community at Sarria Church. n Right: Restoration of the St Nicholas of Bari painting.

Below: Birds-eye view of the interior of Sarria Church with the St Sebastian, St Roque, St Nicholas of Bari, and St Rosalia paintings, after restoration.

(Images courtesy of Giuseppe Mantella)

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

Short

NEWS

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

55

GET GOING AGAINST GARBAGE! Din l-Art Ħelwa volunteers have been rolling up their sleeves and organising ‘clean up’ activities at various locations over recent months.

Litter continues to be a persistent and unwelcome sight all over the Maltese countryside.

A clean up around St Lucian Tower in Birzebbugia was organised as part of a Social Responsibility Programme with students from St Aloyius College. On the same day, a group assisted by Clean Malta and community Police held a clean up activity at Paradise Bay near Mellieha.

Another clean up and treeplanting activity took place at the White Tower in Mellieha.

Din l-Art Ħelwa was also assisted by employees from Hili Ventures Group at a clean up in the picturesque Għar Hanżir valley in Qormi.

56

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

TEN YEARS OF SERVICE

O

n 20th December 2021, Din l-Art Ħelwa Secretary General Simone Mizzi thanked Annemarie Navarro and Mario Sciberras for their ten years of service to the organisation with a presentation of Din l-Art Ħelwa’s 50th anniversary publication Heritage Saved authored by Stanley Farrugia Randon.

Mario Sciberras was thanked as the outgoing custodian of Our Lady of Victory Church in Valletta. He was instrumental in seeing it through major restoration periods.

Annemarie Navarro, the incoming custodian, has assisted the organisation as administration assistant at our headquarters and with high profile events such as the Bir Miftuh International Music Festival.

Din l-Art Ħelwa is grateful to them both for their long commitment to the heritage mission of the organisation.

17th-Century Living History at Wied iż-żurrieq

A

day of re-nactments by the Show of Arms group was held at Xutu Tower in Wied iz-Zurrieq, near the village of Qrendi.

This popular seventeenth-century coastal watch tower is managed by Din l-Art Ħelwa volunteers.

Short

NEWS

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

57

OUTREACH CAMPAIGN

O

ver the past two years, Din l-Art Ħelwa has conducted an outreach campaign aimed at reinvigorating its membership base. This outreach campaign consisted of a number of phases, which were successively built upon thanks to funding provided by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector, through the Voluntary Organisations Projects Scheme (VOPS).

This outreach project was targeted at youths, and began with extensive market research. A series of successful events targeted towards youths was then organised. The first of these was a Wine and Jazz Night at the Red Tower offering young people the opportunity to socialise, have a few drinks and listen to great local music in a unique environment. This event was sold out in the first 48 hours.

A Pub Quiz was also held, giving young people the opportunity to test their knowledge in a fun and social setting, while learning more about Din l-Art Ħelwa’s work.

Building on this success, Din l-Art Ħelwa was present at the University of Malta Freshers’ Week 2021. During this event, over 250 students joined Din l-Art Ħelwa.

At the end of this project, a three-year strategy aimed at attracting youths and revitalising Din l-Art Ħelwa’s membership base was drafted. This was yet another step in a rewarding journey, which is always ongoing, towards sustaining Din l-Art Ħelwa as a vibrant community of both younger and older people.

WALKS IN MALTA’S HISTORIC CITIES

M

TA licensed tour guide and longstanding Din l-Art Ħelwa volunteer, John Neville Ebejer (first on right), meets up with visitors at Greeks Gate for a walking tour of Mdina braving rain and inclement weather in March. This was the first guided walk in a series planned over the coming year.

For further information please contact admin@dinlarthelwa.org

58

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

AN APPRECIATION GEORGE SERRACINO INGLOTT

(1941 – 2021)

by Dr Roger Vella Bonavita

few years after Malta became an independent country, Judge Maurice Caruana Curran, then president of the newly established Din l-Art Ħelwa, asked me to call on him one evening in 1967. I was at the time lecturer in history at the Royal University of Malta. He said that the Association was formed to muster public support for the protection and appreciation of Malta’s built and natural environment as well as of its artistic heritage.

However, he went on, it was also very necessary to inculcate a love for our artistic, cultural, architectural and natural patrimony in Malta’s up-and-coming generation. And thus, in the fullness of time, as a new generation took the place of the old, he hoped there would be ongoing and ever stronger love and support for all aspects of our heritage.

He then asked me to help him establish a youth section for Din l-Art Ħelwa and he hoped that my wife Judith (then teaching history at the School of the Convent of the Sacred Heart) would encourage some of her young ladies to join. I must confess that, while we saw the merit of his plan, neither I nor Judith had any idea as to precisely how we would establish the youth section (and still less how to achieve its lofty aims).

A newspaper notice inviting youths to join the planned Youth Section of Din l-Art Ħelwa was enthusiastically taken up by scores of young men and women—they flocked to the Din l-Art Ħelwa offices in what was then called Britannia Street in answer to a notice in the Times of Malta.

Shortly afterwards the Judge introduced Judith and myself to two young teachers: Mario Buhagiar and George Serracino Inglott—then a novice of the Jesuit Order and teaching history at St Aloysius College. Both had formed interest groups among the young students in their schools, concentrating on archaeological sites. George was also undertaking serious archaeological research on the Salini Paleo-Christian necropolis. Sadly, he was not in a position to publish his findings. We sincerely hope that this work is still among his papers and that his research will finally be published after so many decades. The two teachers were also very interested in the art and architecture of Malta’s then very obscure mediaeval period and particularly the wall paintings in the chapel of the Annunciation at Ħal Millieri, near Żurrieq. The Din l-Art Ħelwa committee decided to seek the support of Archbishop Sir Michael Gonzi, which he readily gave, for a modest programme by the youth group to clean the precinct of the chapel and to make it presentable.

Over many Sundays over the next months, George, Mario, Judith and I worked with ‘Teenagers Din l-Art Ħelwa’, as the youth section quickly became known. Some thirteen truckloads of rubble were cleared from the precinct.

The project caught the imagination of everyone. George’s charisma and commitment kept the youth group together.

His erudition, drive and dedication were an inspiration to all. He broke the stereotype of a prospective young priest and the youngsters were fired by his accessibility and enthusiasm.

Furthermore this group, made up of male and female youngsters, and driven by a fledgling priest, was quite an innovation and certainly an attraction in Malta in the conservative 1960s.

On the initiative of the mediaeval historian Dr Anthony Luttrell, Din l-Art Ħelwa brought an English archaeologist and an Italian art restorer to Malta. A groundbreaking (for Malta) book, Medieval Malta: Studies on Malta Before the Knights, edited

by Dr Luttrell, by then lecturer in history at the University of Malta, was published in 1975. This was followed in 1976

by Luttrell’s Ħal Millieri: a Maltese Casale. Soon after the teenagers started work on the chapel, George and Mario Buhagiar had written a short monograph on Ħal Millieri, circulated in cyclostyled form. The teenagers’ next project was a similar programme of works at the old mediaeval parish church of Santa Maria ta’ Bir Miftuħ which also has mediaeval wall paintings. Again, the teenagers worked like Trojans, removing rubble and making the place tidy, and again Din l-Art Ħelwa supported the teenagers by engaging a restorer—a Maltese expert on this occasion. Din l-Art Ħelwa also brought out the renowned Oxford academic Fr Gervase Mathew to give a public lecture on the chapel at Ħal Millieri to a capacity audience in the Manoel Theatre.

Work on the two mediaeval churches (to which George Serracino Inglott contributed so much and so profoundly) eventually culminated in the establishment of the Ħal Millieri and Bir Miftuħ Trust. The two churches were placed in the care of representatives nominated by the government, the Church and Din l-Art Ħelwa.

Sadly for archaeology and our cultural heritage, George left Malta to settle in Chile. There he had a very distinguished career both as academic and archaeologist. I kept in touch with him via Facebook when I too left Malta for Australia in 1982, some ten years after his departure.

His work in South America is summarised by his son Jonathan in the following paragraph written to me on the afternoon of George’s burial on 13th October 2021, a few days after his death in Santiago Chile:

‘Formerly a Jesuit teacher in Malta and later a missionary priest in Chile, George was trained in archaeology. He studied in Rome and Cornell University as well as the University of Chile. He renounced his religious vows and worked as an archaeologist and an anthropologist in South America. He took part in many excavations and sites and wrote various papers on the subjects. He continued to teach students at Chilean universities. He founded and edited for five years the Estudios Atacameños (a scientific review), and created the Museums of Caspana, Ayguina and Calama. His latest post was of Professor of Anthropology at the Universidad Metropolitana de Ciencias de la Educación in Santiago, Chile’.

George was a remarkable man, a very remarkable man, and respected and loved by all.

RIP

photo courtesy of Clementina Pisani

A

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

From the

DIN L-ART ĦELWA

59

ARCHIVES

By George E. Camilleri

THE DIN T L-ART ĦELWA ARCHITECTURE PRIZE

he centenary of the birth of James Quentin Hughes was commemorated in a symposium, ‘Quentin Hughes (1920–2004)—A Tribute to a War Hero, Architect and Historian’, organised

by Palazzo Falzon Historic House Museum and the Department of Art and Art History of the University of Malta (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv09-WpDU38&feature=youtu.be).

Quentin Hughes, as he was generally known, first came to Malta in the war years and had a dramatic war record being awarded the Military Cross and Bar. In 1968 Hughes was seconded

by Liverpool University to start a School of Architecture at the then Royal University of Malta, becoming the first Professor of Architecture in 1970. A change in the political climate led to Hughes returning to England and his alma mater Liverpool University in 1973. I cherish a signed copy of his 1964 book Seaport on the architecture and townscape of Liverpool. He was very supportive of the newly formed Din l-Art Ħelwa and collaborated in furthering its aims. His 1956 book, The Building of Malta, based on his PhD thesis, is still a major contribution to Malta’s architectural history.

A letter of 29th December 1969 in the Din l-Art Ħelwa archives from Professor E. J. Borg Costanzi refers to plans between Hughes and Din l-Art Ħelwa founder president, Maurice Caruana Curran, for a proposed Din l-Art Ħelwa prize for architecture students. The turmoil in the University’s educational system and Hughes’s return to Liverpool delayed the eventual establishment of the prize. It was a prize of £50 for the best architectural design drawing at the annual examinations, and was first presented at the degree conferment ceremony in October 1973. The prize for 1975 went to students Ray Agius and Paul Gauci. The changes in the educational system occurring during this period prompted Din l-Art Ħelwa to recommend changes to the regulations, with emphasis on the best measured drawing of artistic and architectural importance in Malta. The high standard of the drawings submitted encouraged the holding of a successful exhibition at the Din l-Art Ħelwa headquarters. There was close cooperation in the adjudication of the Prize with Professor Karol Kaldarar (1930–2019), then head of the Department of Architecture. In 1990 after another period of change at the University, Professor Denis De Lucca, then head of the Department of Architecture and Urban Design, wrote to Maurice Caruana Curran, who was then also Chancellor of the University, suggesting a revival of the prize with wider scope to include a rehabilitation project or a new architectural intervention sympathetic to a particular environment. The archives at Din l-Art Ħelwa shed no further light on the prize. n

George Camilleri is a retired dental surgeon and former dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the University of Malta. He is now researching the history of dentistry in Malta and is a volunteer archivist at Din l-Art Ħelwa.

60

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

People John Neville Ebejer

Mark Shrimpton

I am the assistant guardian at the Bir Miftuh chapel in Gudja. I became involved with Din l-Art Ħelwa when I participated in a presentation at Bir Miftuh. I then became interested in the site itself, and particularly in the idea that it takes volunteers to open the place to visitors.

In my role at Din l-Art Ħelwa, I really enjoy sharing my enthusiasm and appreciation of our heritage with others. Looking ahead, I am planning to get more involved in setting up animated displays on sites managed by Din l-Art Ħelwa.

I am the Warden of Torri Xutu in Wied iżZurrieq (please visit us!). I work with a United Nations team of volunteers from all over the world, with a core group of three lovely Maltese guys. We open Torri Xutu most mornings of the week and welcome—during non-Covid and the tourist season—up to 1,000 visitors per month.

Essentially, aside from opening the Tower on Fridays, my role is to manage the site, get things fixed when they break and cash up and report at the end of every month.

I got involved with Din l-Art Ħelwa by chance! I was signposted to Din l-Art Ħelwa and met the then president Maria Grazia Cassar (wonderful woman) and two Maltese volunteers. We very quickly gelled and I drew the short straw to become Warden of the fabulously restored Tower.

In my role at Din l-Art Ħelwa I enjoy making fabulous friends from all over the world and guiding visitors from places as far flung as Mongolia and Peru. The Torri Xutu collective has become a close group—we meet at least four times a year, usually for far too much beer or wine. Thus we have become a family.

Regarding future plans, we are beginning to extend personalised events at Torri Xutu. For example, a whole day filming for a children’s television show, an engagement proposal, confirmation photos and, very soon, a wedding.

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Allbert Attard My role at Din l-Art Ħelwa is that of an active Council member. Meetings are regularly organised to discuss both setbacks and achievements, and to plan the way forward. I am also one of the founders of the first regional branch, Din l-Art Ħelwa Mellieha, and am now Warden of the recently restored White Tower which we are regularly opening to the public on Sundays.

It was by sheer coincidence that I became involved with Din l-Art Ħelwa. As part of a group Daniela Cini and myself had established, called ‘For a better environment—Mellieha’, we had decided to have meetings with different entities around the Mellieha area to seek cooperation in our new mission. One such meeting was with Majjistral Park manager Darren Saliba, at which Martin Galea, a long-established executive member of Din l-Art Ħelwa was present. During the meeting we had exchanged our vision of how we can improve the locality of Mellieha from both its heritage and environmental standpoints. We found that we had enough common ground and aspirations to benefit from being part of this well established voluntary organisation, that has already contributed so much to the country with regard to heritage and environment. This is when the idea cropped up of setting up a seperate sub branch of Din l-Art Ħelwa focusing on the Mellieha locality. We are happy to have made the move as this meant we could pursue our plans and aspirations in a more effect and concrete way, benefiting from the great experience that Din l-Art Ħelwa was already very well known for, and keeping on working under the banner of Din l-Art Ħelwa Din l-Art Ħelwa to me was always one of those voluntary organisations that I admired for protecting and doing so much good with its ongoing work towards the preservation of both the built and natural heritage. One cannot but feel proud to be part of such an organisation. My biggest satisfaction is encountering so many people that truly appreciate the hard work that all our volunteers do.

I must admit that caring for the White Tower as its warden has taught me so much about what people think, sharing our thoughts about the state of our environment and appreciation for caring for our built heritage. All this has created a very hopeful and positive feeling and energy, that will augur well for the future of the Maltese Islands in this regard. This can only energise us more, to carry out our plans to protect more of Mellieha and the general environment and to push for more heritage buildings to be restored for the enjoyment of all and to improve the quality of our lives.

I feel very happy to be involved in the various ongoing afforestation projects in two locations, and am very proud to have invested so much energy to bring forward the trash problem within Mellieha and all around the islands. The time is past when we rely on government services to have our countryside clean and respected, and just pass a remark and complain, waiting for someone to do something about it. I feel that creating a movement for civil society to speak up and start taking matters in their own hands to rectify things is very important if we are to find a solution and stop this degradation with trash dumped in our seas and countryside. We are very happy that this movement is growing with like-minded people.

Organising cleanups with companies and schools is probably our best achievement. My plan is to get involved in the restoration of three sites in the Mellieha locality and I am willing to direct my energies towards this, no matter how long it takes. I truly believe it can happen and that will be my focus in the coming months and years.

61

62

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

BAROQUE

TRANSFORMING AND THE‘Officio

T

his study by Mevrick Spiteri presents the development of the urban and socio-economic fabric of Valletta from 1650 to 1750. By then it had evolved into a dynamic and culturally diverse city, a centre of commercial activity, politics and religion, with a rapidly growing population.

Unlike various other studies on the buildings of Valletta to date, the author’s principal interest does not lie in studying the architecture and aesthetics of the city’s outstanding monumental edifices—its churches, palaces, auberges, or fortifications.

Instead, he focuses his lens on a broader spectrum of buildings. He is interested in the ‘architecture of space’, including ‘ordinary’ or residential architecture, providing a basis for understanding the development of the city’s urban society and economy over time.

Spiteri highlights that Valletta’s urban fabric is not only defined by its monumental architecture or its public spaces. He notes that each part of the entire built space of the city has its own history to recount. This book pays attention to civil architecture, that is, buildings which are not military, religious or governmental. The author divides these into four main types in Baroque Valletta— the palace (palazzo), the large building (palazzino), the smaller building, and groups of small rooms. While varying in scale and architectural details, civil buildings developed according to a traditional house plan, generally consisting of spaces organised around an internal courtyard.

Property and its regulation was of great importance to the Order of St John from the first days of the city. Already in the sixteenth century, the Order had set up a regulatory and judicial body known as the Officium Commissariorum Domorum, better known as the Officio delle Case. This body oversaw and regulated the construction of buildings, in line with a set of evolving planning and

building regulations, also taking aesthetics into consideration.

The Officio delle Case is the focus of this study, providing a very important and largely untapped source of archival documentation on the development of Valletta. Besides information on architecture, this material also provides valuable insights into the social relations and economic activity of Valletta, between the sixteenth and the eighteenth centuries. The judiciary volumes, for example, record numerous and wide-ranging social disputes, amongst property owners, tenants, and capo maestri builders or contractors.

In these cases, a cross-section of society participated in discussions on the spatial organisation and construction of buildings, revealing a wealth of information about the residents of Valletta and their means, concerns and aspirations.

The period under review is of special interest due to the transformation of Valletta that occurred then. In the midseventeenth century, the earlier concept of large living spaces began to shift. The city was overpopulated and commercial activity was on the increase. Some owners became more interested in the economic potential of their properties. As a result, smaller spaces were created by dividing single properties into different households, often with their own entrances, thus completely changing internal layouts. House divisions were sometimes prompted by inheritance disputes, but more frequently they were carried out for financial gain and economic considerations.

Spiteri notes that this process of transformation, “segregated and redefined the older larger structures into a conglomeration of varied-scaled buildings occupied by separate houses and commercial spaces”. Botteghe were opened at street level. Rooms with high ceilings were transformed with the insertion of mezzanine. Different social groups and strata

delle

VALLETTA

Case’

By Petra Caruana Dingli thus lived and co-existed side by side. This rebuilding and restructuring throughout the city generated intense construction activity.

Houses were generally not demolished but reconstructed, while salvaging and reusing masonry to reduce the costs.

The result of this trend is still evident today, with many old buildings—which were originally one unified property—split up into smaller and more confined separate dwellings, also with resized and reduced courtyards, as can readily be seen from the many fragmented old façades with multiple entrances.

These new spatial reconfigurations radically changed the use and social meanings of space—which Spiteri marks out as public, semi-private, or contested spaces.

Unsurprisingly, these divisions generated constant disagreements, confrontation, and litigation.

Many of these house-related disputes were dealt with by the Officio delle Case. The cases often revolved around the use of resources, such as water cisterns, shared courtyards or access.

They disputed privacy and encroachment onto personal spaces, such as neighbouring windows overlooking courtyards, or the obstruction of windows, or the addition of balconies, windows or chimneys. Other quarrels centred on sanitation and waste, the contamination of water, or the use of ovens.

Neglected houses, maintenance, and leases were also common topics. Spiteri gives a detailed account of a range of cases, exposing perceptions of public and private space at this period.

In this work, Spiteri demonstrates the advantages of a multi-disciplinary perspective.

He amply shows that archival sources enrich and widen historical perspectives gained through the study of the architecture of buildings. He also provides an excellent and informative overview of the workings of the Officium Commissariorum Domorum, and the

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa

ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

63

BOOK Review Mevrick Spiteri, The Houses of Baroque Valletta 1650–1750: Property Redevelopment From Records of the ‘Officio delle Case’– Socio-economic Reflections on Civil Buildings (Malta: Midsea Books, 2021), pp. 319.

Published in collaboration with the International Institute for Baroque Studies at the University of Malta, and the National Archives of Malta.

relevant documentation extant in the National Archives of Malta.

Along the way, Spiteri also structures a typology of houses in Baroque Valletta, and establishes an effective methodology for the study of the city’s spatial transformations over time. Finally, his work provides a fresh understanding of urban Malta in the early modern period, presenting some of the background that shaped the redevelopment of Valletta.

In this perceptive and detailed piece of research, the study of buildings leads to the writing of urban history, and to a deeper appreciation of the socio-economic life of Valletta in the Baroque Age. Such knowledge helps us, as a community, to gain better insight into the values that we assign to our cultural and built heritage, particularly as we apply them to Valletta today as a living city. n

64

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

Salvaging T

he Melita Foundation will be supporting Din l-Art Ħelwa’s project to salvage and restore the Australian Bungalow, a wooden building typical of many areas of Australia which is currently located in Ghammieri. This unique construction was sent to Malta from Australia in the 1920s to assist prospective migrants familiarise themselves with their future environment and to learn new building skills.

Officials from Din l-Art Ħelwa visited the site together with the High Commissioner for Australia, H.E. Jenny Cartmill, and Professor Tanya Sammut Bonnici, Chair of the Melita Foundation.

Professor Alex Torpiano, Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa together with Council Members Professor Luciano Mule Stagno, Joseph Farrugia, and Secretary General Simone Mizzi, described the work that had to be undertaken to save the Bungalow which included dismantling each part, restoring and replacing missing elements, and re-erecting them at the Ta’ Qali Family Park where the government has allocated an area for its relocation where it will be easily accessible to the public.

Professor Alex Torpiano noted that this Australian Bungalow is thought to be the last remaining example of similar structures sent to all Commonwealth countries and is unique for Malta. For this reason Din l-Art Ħelwa is extremely grateful to the Melita Foundation for having recognised the value of the project, and hopes that this example will encourage other entities and individuals to come forward with further funds to complete other phases of the delicate operation.

THE AUSTRALIAN BUNGALOW Professor Tanya Sammut Bonnici said that the Melita Foundation is delighted to support this unique project which is marked with aspects of history, culture, workmanship and the dynamics of emigration in the 1920s.

The Australian High Commissioner, Ms Jenny Cartmill, welcomed the valuable work of Din l-Art Ħelwa with the Melita Foundation, to bring this part of Maltese–Australian history back to life. She noted that the bungalow represents a very Australian architectural style, which was suited to the climate and environment. She added that it was wonderful that the bungalow would in future be open to the public as part of our joint history of migration, and hoped that others would add their support to the project. n

Below, from left to right: Professor Alex Torpiano, Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa and Secretary General, Simone Mizzi, HE the High Commissioner for Australia, Jenny Cartmill, Professor Tanya Sammut Bonnici, Chair of the Melita Foundation, Simon Montanaro, CTO Melita Ltd and Din l-Art Ħelwa Council Member, Joseph Farrugia.

CORPORATE MEMBERS & SPONSORS ADRC Trust Alfred Mizzi Foundation APS Bank plc Atlas Insurance PCC Ltd Avantech Software AX Holdings plc Bank of Valletta plc Best Print Co Ltd BNF Bank plc Corinthia Group Citadel Insurance plc Collinson Grant Curmi and Partners Ltd Cyberspace Solutions Ltd Deloitte Malta Dingli and Dingli Law Firm ECOVIS GRC Ltd Eden Leisure Group EY Malta Farrugia Investments Ltd Farsons Foundation Fenlex Corporate Services Ltd FIMbank plc finXP Frendo Advisory Ganado Advocates GasanMamo Insurance Ltd GO plc Horizon 2020 Project GEO4CIVHIC HSBC Malta Foundation IIG Bank (Malta) Ltd INDIS Malta Izola Bank plc J Ripard & Sons JZT Holdings Ltd KPMG Malta Lombard Bank Malta plc Majjistral Action Group Foundation Malta Airport Foundation Malta Community Chest Fund Foundation Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector Malta Development Bank Malta Stock Exchange Malta Tourism Authority MAPFRE Middlesea plc Mapfre MSV Life plc Medserv plc Melita Foundation

Ministry of Education and Employment Ministry of Finance Good Causes Lottery Fund Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government MISCO MJE Solutions Ltd P Cutajar Foundation Parliamentary Secretariat for Sports, Recreation and Voluntary Organisations Psquared Asset Management AG Plaza Centres plc PwC Malta RCLIN Pharma Ltd Sak Ltd Shireburn Software Ltd Simonds Farsons Cisk plc Sparkasse Bank Malta plc STM Malta Trust & Company Management Ltd Strickland Foundation Sullivan Shipping Agencies Ltd The Tanner Trust TOLY Group Tug Malta Ltd Vassallo Builders Group Ltd Vodafone Malta Foundation Voluntary Organisations Projects Scheme VJ Salomone Marketing Ltd Xlokk Local Action Group Foundation

LEGACIES

Karmen Micallef Buhagiar Marjorie de Wolff Anne Crosthwait Major Nestor Jacono - The Agapi Trust Gita Furber de la Fuente

BENEFACTORS

Anne and John Cachia Zoe and the late Pierre Chomarat Heribert Grünert Anthony Guillaumier Albert Mamo Peter Mamo and family Chevalier Joseph Micallef Matthew Mizzi Dr John Vassallo and Dr Marianne Noll Dr Ingrid Vella Robert von Brockdorff Nicola Woodward

4

ViGiLO - Din l-Art Ħelwa ISSUE 57 • MAY 2022

VIGILO D I N L - A R T Ħ E LWA

The National Trust of Malta

Din l-Art Ħelwa 133 Melita Street, Valletta VLT 1123

T: +356 21225952 E: info@dinlarthelwa.org WWW.DINLARTHELWA.ORG Like our Facebook page and join the group Follow us on Twitter