Vigilo April 2013
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April 2013 Din l-Art ĦelwA NUMBER 43 National Trust of Malta €3.00 NEWSPAPER POST Din l-Art Ħelwa is a non-governmental organisation whose objective is to safeguard the cultural heritage and natural environment of the nation. The Council 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 those sites for the benefit of the general public. Founder President Judge Maurice Caruana Curran Din l-Art Ħelwa strives to awaken awareness of cultural heritage and environmental matters by 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. THE COUNCIL 2013-15 Executive President Simone Mizzi Vice-President Professor Luciano Mulé Stagno Hon. Secretary General George Camilleri Hon. Treasurer Martin Scicluna Members Professor Anthony Bonanno Albert Calleja Ian Camilleri Cettina Caruana Curran The views expressed in Maria Grazia Cassar VIGILO Joseph F Chetcuti are not necessarily Carolyn Clements those of VIGILO Josie Ellul Mercer Din l-Art Ħelwa is published in April and October Cathy Farrugia Dr Stanley Farrugia Randon Din l-Art Ħelwa VIGILO e-mail: Judge Joe Galea Debono has reciprocal membership with: [email protected] Martin Galea The National Trust of England, Philip Mercieca Wales & Northern Ireland COPYRIGHT by the PUBLISHER Victor Rizzo Din l-Art Ħelwa Patricia Salomone The National Trust for Scotland Martin L.A. Scicluna EDITOR Joanna Spiteri Staines The Barbados National Trust DESIGN & LAYOUT JOE AZZOPARDI The National Trust of Australia Honorary Council Member PROOF READER Dame Blanche Martin The Gelderland Trust for JUDITH FALZON Historic Houses PHOTOGRAPHS The Gelderland ‘Nature Trust’ If not indicated otherwise photographs are by Din l-Art Ħelwa JOE AZZOPARDI National Trust of Malta Din l-Art Ħelwa is a member of: 133 Melita Street PRINTED BY ICOMOS - Malta Best Print Co. Ltd. Valletta VLT 1123 |urrieq Road Tel - 21 225952 Europa Nostra Qrendi QRD 1814 Fax - 21 220358 The International National Trusts Organisation (INTO) open Monday - Friday The National Federation of 9:00 am - 12:00 noon NGOs of Malta V I G I L O The Heritage Parks ISSN - 1026-132X e-mail Federation [email protected] Qantara NUMBER 43 web www.dinlarthelwa.org Future of Religious Heritage APRIL 2013 Association 28 Art treasures at Our Lady of Victory Church saved C by Amy Sciberras & Joe Azzopardi O 32 02 16 Conservation and restoration N Time for heritage Letter of appeal for of St Roque's Statue, Żebbuġ to come into its own Our Lady of Victory Church by Joe Azzopardi by Simone Mizzi by Simone Mizzi T 36 04 17 An archaeology walk in Gozo Secretary General's Din l-Art Ħelwa News by Stanley Farrugia Randon E 2013 AGM Report by George Camilleri 23 38 N Major Edward Xuereb Żejtun Roman Villa 08 An appreciation symposium and exhibition Din l-Art Ħelwa Opinion Poll on by Martin L. A. Scicluna by Ruben Abela T Heritage and the Environment by Simone Mizzi 24 39 S St Agatha's Tower cannon Illegal, unregulated 11 by Patricia Salomone and undeclared Din l-Art Ħelwa Awards for by George Camilleri Architectural Heritage 25 Comino Tower 40 12 visitors statistics The restoration of an AGM 2013 Resolutions by Peter Llewellyn old stove by Michael Bonnici 14 26 An update on the progress Icon of Our Lady of Victory 42 at Our Lady of Victory Church restored San Girgor - The old parish by Simone Mizzi by Joe Azzopardi church of Żejtun by Dr Andy N Welsh 46 The Messina sepulchral chapel by Giuseppe Gauci 49 Publications reviews 53 Corporate members Detail from one of the side altars at Our Lady of Victory Church FRONT COVER BACK COVER Mattia Preti’s Mattia Preti’s Immacolata St Sebastian at Sarria Church at Sarria Church funds are needed for its restoration sponsored by restoration MIA Plc 2 VIGILO - DIN L-ART ÓELWA APRIL 2013 Time for Heritage to Come Into Its Own Simone Mizzi Executive President of Din l-Art Ħelwa on what we have achieved for heritage and nature protection, both as a nation and as an organisation that has held to its course since 1965. In a way, this article – written for inclusion in Vigilo and built on my AGM address of 23 February – may serve as a memory frame to many newcomers to the scene, to new DLH members, new volunteers and, yes, to new parliamentarians who will each receive a copy of this edition of our beautiful magazine. Founded to safeguard the environment and Malta’s rich built cultural heritage, our mission statement binds us to cooperate in the observance of the directive We are living in the interesting times DLH Foundation Day, 16 July 1965 that come after every general election, Principle enshrined in Section 9 of our hopeful that culture and the environment Constitution that provides that the “state will remain foremost in the minds of our shall safeguard the historic and artistic opposite top: patrimony of the nation and its landscape”. new administration as it settles in to begin St Anthony’s Battery enacting its programmes and establish its We have followed this guiding principle before and after restoration priorities. The sweeping mandate given to through successive administrations, working the new government is doubly significant with each to contribute significantly to the opposite bottom: growth of the heritage sector. as it brings with it not just the onerous Restored bastions in Valletta responsibility for the fulfilment of a wide Yet heritage has not been without its overlooking massive over-development growing pains in its search for maturity. We and all-embracing manifesto, but also a at Tigne Point great opportunity to put an end to many have seen the country commit acts of folly: long-outstanding issues that impact on our the breaching of the bastions twice for the environment and our cultural heritage. building of the Excelsior Hotel; acts of greed: Now we extend our good wishes the piecemeal demolition of the gracious to those who have been elected to govern Sliema front; acts of ignorance: vandalism at The DLH and HSBC Mnajdra and quarry blasting below the temple and, in particular, to those who will be National Heritage Map responsible for our sphere of activity and sites and an absence of action, where laissez Painted by Kenneth Zammit Tabona and faire policies allowed public land to be stolen we are satisfied with the identification of distributed to 15,000 schoolchildren the cultural sector as being worthy of its by lawless citizens at Armier and elsewhere. own Parliamentary Secretariat within the Tourism and Culture Ministry. With its ever-increasing contribution to our economy through tourism and potential job creation, and above all to our unique identity as a nation, we are confident the sector will continue to be given the recognition it very much deserves. Within the culture portfolio of ministerial responsibilities we are particularly excited to see that restoration and the National Archives have been identified as sectors for activity, as both were selected through the DLH opinion poll for Cultural Heritage and the Environment as needing much by way of resources. With a national budget about to be voted in, Din l-Art Ħelwa will work to take its ideas through to its new advocates, and certainly looks forward to remaining, as it always has done, a main contributor to the search for solutions. While reflecting on the role of an NGO such as DLH at this moment, I cannot help but return to our roots and look back APRIL 2013 VIGILO - DIN L-ART ÓELWA 3 Heritage has suffered British forts being turned into cattle issues that remain unsolved. We need a strong hand inspired with a farms, the building of a swimming pool within St Angelo and, even vision to find a just and fair solution to the illegal shanty town built more recent, insensitive insertions such as apartments on its adjacent at Armier, to stop illegal building that continues elsewhere, to bring foreshore. Valleys continue to be raped and, up to this very day, all hunting issues to an end, to allow the public to walk along the planning aberrations such as the Tigné metropolis are permitted national footpaths and enjoy the open countryside freely. on the grounds of economic expediency, built beautifully for those Then, too, we need skillful financial planning and finely who live inside, of course, but not for those outside. It sounds as if tuned land-use policies to find alternatives to investment, wealth we have failed miserably as a nation – proving that if “education and job creation that are solely dependent on the commercial is expensive, try ignorance!” But no: slowly but surely, public exploitation of our natural and historic assets. Ta’ Ċenċ, Ħondoq appreciation of the environment and of cultural heritage has grown, ir-Rummien, Manoel Island and other beauty spots are waiting like even if we could not prevent such acts. lambs going to the slaughter. The regeneration of decaying urban As a phoenix rising from the ashes, a cultural conscience areas, and even of modern yet shabby recent development, goes a did result from such mistakes. We do have a Structure Plan, and we long way towards providing these same alternatives, but much is do have a Planning Authority. After the terrorism on Mnajdra on that left that needs protection and our antennae are up. fateful Friday 13th – Good Friday – in April 2001, when we took to We hope and trust that both the new administration and the streets and went into schools with our National Heritage map, its Opposition will champion the environment and cultural heritage sponsored by HSBC, and we lobbied for and saw a good Cultural and pronounce themselves always with transparency but, above all, Heritage Act come into force.