Main Guard (Valletta)
Main Guard | |
---|---|
Former names | Guardia della Piazza |
General information | |
Status | Intact |
Type | Guardhouse |
Architectural style | Neoclassical |
Location | Valletta, Malta |
Coordinates | 35°53′57.4″N 14°30′48.4″E / 35.899278°N 14.513444°E |
Current tenants | Heritage Malta |
Completed | 1603 |
Renovated | 1814 (portico added) |
Technical details | |
Material | Limestone |
Renovating team | |
Architect(s) | Giorgio Pullicino or George Whitmore (portico, attributed) |
The Main Guard, originally called the Guardia della Piazza, is a building in
History
The Main Guard building was built in 1603 to house the Regimento di Guardia, the personal guards of the
In 1814, a
magnæ et invictæ britanniae
melitensium amor et europae vox
has insulas confirmat a.d. 1814
(meaning The love of the Maltese and the voice of Europe assigned these Islands to great and unconquered Britain. A.D. 1814)
The portico was designed in the Greek Revival style, hence neoclassic, and is among the first of this design in the country.[6] The design of the portico is attributed either to the Maltese architect Giorgio Pullicino, or to Colonel George Whitmore of the Royal Engineers. The sculpted coat of arms was probably the work of Vincenzo Dimech.[7] The portico, coat of arms and inscription are considered to be one of the most iconic symbols of British rule in Malta.[4]
The British continued to use the building to house the guards of the
In 1974, the building was converted into the Libyan Cultural Centre, and the British coat of arms and inscription were covered in a zinc and plywood box bearing an Arabic inscription. The Libyan Cultural Centre moved elsewhere after the change of government in 1987, and the coat of arms was once again uncovered. The Main Guard subsequently became an annex of the Office of the Attorney General until it was eventually transferred to Heritage Malta for restoration.
In 2009, the inscription and coat of arms were restored once again as part of the regeneration of St. George's Square, but this resulted in a number of spelling errors within the inscription.[4] In 2015, there were plans to transfer the Valletta Local Council into the Main Guard, but they were never implemented.[9] The building is now under Heritage Malta's wing and is currently undergoing restoration. Once complete, it will serve as an interpretation center for all Heritage Malta sites in the capital city.
Layout
The building's façade has a single floor, but the rear part of the building, which is located in Strait Street, has three floors. This is due to a difference between the levels of the streets.[1]
Further reading
- Malta p. 102
- The Main Guard and Its Murals
- Morana, Martin (2011). Bejn Kliem u Storja (in Maltese). ISBN 978-99957-0137-6. Archived from the originalon 5 October 2016.
- Bonello, Giovanni (18 June 2010). The Latin inscription on Main Guard. Times of Malta.
- Valletta – vibrant city of many styles
- The Maltese Nobility in Maltese History
References
- ^ a b c "The Main Guard and the Chancellery - Valletta" (PDF). Maltese Newsletter (62): 12. 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ "St. George's Square". maltain360.com. Archived from the original on 20 August 2017.
- ^ "Architecture in Malta under the British". culturemalta.org. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d Bonello, Giovanni (14 January 2018). "Mysteries of the Main Guard inscription". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 14 January 2018.
- ISBN 1-4655-7163-9.
Main guard.
- ^ Bianco, Lino (1995). "Valletta: A city in history" (PDF). Melita Theologica. 60 (2). University of Malta: 14. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 March 2018.
- ^ Ellul, Michael (1982). "Art and architecture in Malta in the early nineteenth century" (PDF). Proceedings of History Week: 9–17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 April 2016.
- ^ "Products Of boredom". The Malta Independent. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
- ^ Diacono, Tim (17 July 2015). "Previous government wanted Main Guard for Valletta local council". Malta Today. Retrieved 6 October 2015.