The Voice of the Maltese (driven by the voice of its readers ) Issue 81 oonnlliinnee mmaaggaazziinnee August 5, 2014 Entrance to Valletta.... then and now Inset is the gate to Valletta as it was prior to 1964 Two pictures that tell a very in - teresting story. On right is Stra- da Reale, Kingsway, before it was adequately renamed as Re - public Street, as pictured from above Porta Reale (Kings Gate) towards the city as it used to be. The other picture (below) sho- ws the new entrance from in - side the city, at the beginning of Tommaso Dingli, during the rule which became "Putirjal" in Mal - Republic Street, until recently of Grandmaster Antoine de Pa- tese, and "Kingsway" in English. known as Freedom Square. ule, replaced Porta San Giorgio . The old gate was pulled down Once inside City Gate, the pic - Dingli's design consisted of a in 1964 to be replaced by the new ture above is how the entrance central archway with a smaller City Gate. It was part of a project used to look like before 1964 arch at each side, and a wooden that never materialised, that of when the main entrance through drawbridge across the deep, redeveloping the entrance to Val - the bastions into the city was dry moat that lies immediately letta and the Royal Opera House. originally known as the Gate of outside the walls of Valletta. Its Italian modernism design was St George and then Porta Reale . In 1853, at the height of British the source of much controversy. It was designed by military en - rule over Malta, a new gate de - It pleased nobody but the people gineer Francesco Laparelli de signed by a certain Col. Thomp - who took the decision to replace Carotona during the reign of son of the Royal Engineers was the old one. Grandmaster Jean Parisot de erected, consisting of two cen - The new (fifth) City Gate (!) cur - Valette, and was erected be - tral arches with two smaller rently under construction -since tween April 1566 and 1569. ones. Throughout the 19th and 2011 - follows the design by Ital - In 1632 a more ornate gate de - early 20th centuries, City Gate ian architect Renzo Piano. His signed by the Maltese architect was known as Porta Reale , design incorporates a new Par - liament building that is scheduled to be inaugu - rated in October, and the new entrance. By no stretch of the imagina - tion can the entrance still be called a door or a gate to the city. It is sim - ply an opening. It and the new Parliament buil- ding are nearing com - pletion The design also took in the building of an open theatre to replace the Royal Opera House that was destroyed during World War 11 in 1942 in a German air strike. 2 The Voice of the Maltese Tuesday August 5, 2014 Malta PM asks whether Commonwealth is still relevant after 65 years alta Prime Minister Dr Joseph State. “Thus,” he Muscat gave the leaders of the said, “the sentimental MCommonwealth countries a lot to relevance of the Com - chew on when he delivered a lecture at the monwealth is steadily London School of Economics and Political decreasing in the Science in London on 'The Commonwealth minds of my compa - at 65 – from London to Valletta' - in which triots, as it is, I be - he considered the future of the Common - lieve, in the minds of wealth, and how to ensure it is an effective, many young people prosperous and r-levant organisation which across the countries meets the needs of its citizens. that make up this or - The Maltese PM during This was his first commitment during a ganisation.” his lecture at the London four-day very busy trip to the UK, and with Dr Muscat said one School of Economics Malta due to host the next Heads of Gov - has to admit there are ernment meeting, CHOGM 2015 next year all the symptoms of division and dysfunction “It is time and it is politically correct to de - Dr Muscat also addressed the Common - in an organisation (the Commonwealth) that bate Britain’s role in the Commonwealth. It wealth Games Business Council at the Uni - depends on unity and cooperation. would be acknowledging the elephant in the versity of Glasgow and had several “I believe that in the minds of many, the room, and I believe it would come as a huge meetings with Commonwealth leaders, in - Commonwealth is seen as a vehicle of each relief to everyone, including the UK. cluding British PM David Cameron. and every member’s relations, many times “Indeed, a nation that is ready to debate the During his stay in the UK he also presided of the rollercoaster type, with the United secession of an integral part of it, and its over a conference of the small states of the Kingdom. Can it be otherwise?” he asked. own relationship with its immediate neigh - Commonwealth that focused on building sus - He said that smaller countries look at the bours, would probably have no qualms in tainable and reliable island economies, at - Commonwealth as a means to foster their debating itself and its relationship with tended a meeting in Glasgow with Mr those countries who are mostly its former Kamalesh Sharma, the Secretary General of subjects,” he added. the Commonwealth, had talks with Alexan - ‘ It is politically cor - He said that talking about the good and the der Salmond, the First Minister of Scotland, bad times, and seeing how to make better had a private audience with Prince Charles, rect to debate the things that they still have in common, and also met the Maltese athletes taking part Britain’s role in the would offer many countries the opportunity in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Commonwealth to clear the air and hopefully get a break During his meetings he pointed out that from the blame game. Malta would make sure the leaders coming Referring to Britain's 200-year direct in - to Malta for next year’s CHOGM won’t be relationship with the UK and som’e other fluence on Malta he said this was essen - coming for a holiday. global players, and that they, and peripheral tially positive. But 50 years ago, the Dr Muscat, the Prime Minister of a small countries see these meetings as rather ex - Maltese decided it was time to move on and country celebrating its 50th year of Inde - ceptional occasions where they can rub became an independent nation. He said the pendence, and a proud member of the Com - shoulders with important international play - decision could not have come a day sooner monwealth, pointed out that there was an ers, and have their ear in discussions crucial and eventually led to a Republican consti - important question the Heads of states ne- to their own economic development. tution 10 years later, the closing down of eded answering, that is, whether, after 65 “It is legitimate to say that in some quar - British military bases, and, a decade ago, years, the Commonwealth should call it a day ters there is much more interest in fostering membership of the European Union. and withdraw from the international scene. bilateral relations with a handful of coun - He indicated that while the United King - He said that to him, the independent and Re - tries rather than engaging in a genuine mul - dom cannot claim the sole paternity for suc - publican ethos of his nation was never an tilateral discourse that would produce a cess stories in the Commonwealth, other issue to be questioned and he always consid - healthy debate on global issues, which such countries cannot keep thinking that Britain ered this a natural state of affairs, and added a genuinely trans-continental organisation is uniquely responsible for problems that, that like many people from his generation, he is ideally poised to host,” Dr Muscat said. many times now, are of their own making. cannot contemplate the idea of being a One of his first suggestions is to do less fin - colony or of having a foreigner as a Head of ger pointing and tone down the blame game. Continued on page 13 A proud sponsor of The Voice of the Maltese Tel (02) 9622 7799 website: www.breakawaytravel.com.au Breakaway Travel 94 corner of Main & Campbell blacktown@breakaway - Streets, Blacktown NSW travel.com.au for all your travel needs. Tuesday August 5, 2014 The Voice of the Maltese 3 he house was ugly. Even square, and find out where Tas a child, I could see that. each went. There was another problem Last week we followed the with it: the courtyard in the passage on the left, and made middle. Oh yes, I know, that it all the way to the football kind of feature is much appre - ground before our one candle ciated by many, but it was no gave out. The football field is good to me. Sound carried too on the other side of Mdina, but Gwell anod miyn aungt had da veroy wn thestil l wsithin tehe blasttioen wr alls. sharp ear. We knew that there were many But not that day. Ha! Ha! exits, some of them connecting The crackle of the blue paper the wartime shelter to the isitors to Malta should not miss visiting -as I eaxtracftedt oene crand let sohundeed so lowud apalarce-like houses in Mdina. Vthe War Museum that is located at the in my ear, but my aunt must not have This week, we agreed that if we have original historic entrance of Vittoriosa (Birgu), been washing her ears, cause I got clean more candles, we could take more time to the older from the Three Cities.