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An opportunity to visit the Main Guard in Valletta
An opportunity to visit the Main Guard in Valletta
Foto: Heritage Malta
Next weekend, Heritage Malta will be giving all those who are interested, with the opportunity to visit the Main Guard in Valletta, where restoration and conservation works are currently on-going, including a new lease of life for hundreds of paintings on the walls.
The Main Guard is believed to have been built towards the beginning of the 17th century by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt to serve as quarters for the guards of the Grand Master’s palace, just across the square. This function was retained for more than 350 years, all the way up until the early 1970s. During the British rule, hundreds of paintings were completed on the Main Guard walls, mostly in the Officers’ Mess, where the guards ate and rested in between shifts. Painting was one of the soldiers’ hobbies and in fact, there are over 300 paintings, some of which were only recently discovered, during conservation and restoration works.
During a press conference, Anthony Scicluna, Heritage Malta’s chairman, outlined Malta’s rich history, in which the Main Guard played an important role. He urged the public to make the most of the opportunity presented by this open weekend, in order to gain a wider perspective of the function of this building through the years. Noel Zammit, Heritage Malta’s CEO, said that the agency’s ultimate aim is that works at the Main Guard continue at the same pace as the extensive Grand Master’s palace project. Once works are completed, the palace can be enjoyed in all its splendour while the Main Guard will serve as an interpretation centre, for all Heritage Malta sites in the capital city and beyond.
Foto: Heritage Malta
The regeneration of the Main Guard fits perfectly within the framework of Heritage Malta’s strategic vision for Valletta. This strategy, together with others designed for areas such as Cottonera, ensures the implementation of projects which further consolidate Heritage Malta’s commitment towards a visitor-centric, holistic and multisensory experience in its museums and sites. Architect Katya Maniscalco, Projects Manager within Heritage Malta, gave an update on ongoing works from a structural perspective. She said that the plan is to have the first floor focusing mainly on the wall paintings, aided by digital projections which will make them come to life for visitors to enjoy.
The ground floor, on the other hand, will have diverse functions, acting as a focal point for the Heritage Malta’s attractions in Valletta and the rest of Malta, providing a contextual interpretation of the history and function of the building, as well as providing the infrastructure for digital art installations during extended hours. Anthony Spagnol, Senior Conservator at Heritage Malta, explained the process involved in the conservation and restoration of the paintings. He said that work on the Officers’ Mess paintings has now been completed and the focus has shifted to other paintings in the surrounding rooms.
These depict skeletons, demons and other gruesome creatures, in contrast to those in the Officers’ Mess which document daily life. The reason for this repeated representation of death is still a mystery, although death is a theme often and inevitably contemplated by soldiers.
The Main Guard open weekend is being held on Sabato 23rd and Domenica 24th Ottobre. Opening times on Sabato will be from 11:00am until 10:00pm while opening times on Domenica will be from 10:00am until 4:00pm. On both days there will be a lecture by military expert Denis Darmanin, allowing time for questions by participants. Sabato’s lecture starts at 6:00pm while the one on Domenica is at 11:00am.
Admission to the lectures is free of charge, but reservation is required either at any Heritage Malta museums or site, or by sending an email on info@heritagemalta.org. Places are limited.
