In the beginning..
It all begins at the Skorba site, where traces of domestic dwellings dating back to 5400 B.C. can be seen. These were mud-brick huts made of blue marl, a rock combining clay and calcite. Dry-stone walls were also developed, two of which, 8 and 11 m long, still stand today, testifying to the need for protection. But Malta's finest prehistoric evidence is undoubtedly its megalithic temples dating from the 4th and 3rd millennia BC. These are true architectural feats. Built using only the most rudimentary tools, they are among the world's first self-supporting structures. Listed as UNESCO World Heritage sites, the temples of Ggantija, Hagar Qim, Mnajjdra, Skorba, Tarxien and Ta Hagrat all have their own unique identities, but it is possible to sketch out some common features. An elliptical forecourt precedes the concave facade of the buildings, from which one enters via a monumental passageway leading to one or more paved courtyards. Inside, the walls are made of vertical slabs topped by horizontal blocks, forming so-called trilithes. Researchers have been able to deduce from the surviving masonry that these temples had overhanging corbelled roofs. Inside, the temples are organized into semicircular chambers called apses, arranged symmetrically on either side of the main axis. Panels decorated with pierced holes, panels with bas-reliefs depicting spiral motifs, trees, plants and animals adorn the walls of these immense constructions believed to have been built by giants. These temples are built of local stone: globigerine limestone - ochre-coloured and made up of small spherical logs, making it easy to work and therefore ideal for decorative elements - and coral limestone - harder and more resistant, ideal for reinforcing exterior walls. Alongside these temples, Malta boasts some of the world's only examples of hypogeums. Veritable labyrinths, these underground necropolises bear witness to extraordinary craftsmanship. These structures, dating from the 3rd millennium BC, are made up of several superimposed levels of chambers carved out of limestone, whose architecture seems to echo the characteristics of above-ground temples: false bays inspired by triliths, a carved stone ring overhanging the ceiling and creating a corbelled effect, decorations based on spiral motifs... Visit the hypogeums of Zebbug, Xaghra and above all Hal Saflieni to discover these splendors.
From Antiquity to the feudal period
Since ancient times, Malta has been coveted by the Mediterranean's greatest powers. Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians, all brilliant navigators, established ports and trading outposts here. Among the great sites of this era is the temple of Tas-Silg, which bears witness to what has been Malta's identity down the centuries: an astonishing syncretism in which each civilization draws on the preceding ones to build its own style. The temple is built on a megalithic structure to which the Phoenicians added pilasters and cornices. Numerous Punic necropolises also dot the archipelago, as at Ghajn Klieb, where you can observe dozens of tombs consisting of an access shaft and a funerary chamber of varying shapes. But it was the Romans who left their most lasting mark on the island with their architecture, combining engineering prowess and decorative sophistication. Between Mdina and Rabat, the Domus Romana is a superb example of a single-family urban dwelling. The rooms of this impressive residence are organized around a peristyle with limestone columns covered in polychrome stucco, while the floors are magnified by the finesse of the mosaics. In the bay of Ramla, you can also discover an astonishing Roman villa. Some twenty rooms have been unearthed, thirteen of which form a thermal complex. Paint imitating marble, bands of stone creating motifs...: here again, the decorative aspect is paramount. A few paleo-Christian sites have survived (frescoed catacombs in Rabat), but it was not until the Byzantine domination of the 6th century that true basilica churches (with a central nave and two side aisles) appeared, as in Tas-Silg, where a superb baptistery has survived. The Byzantines also built the first fortified towns, such as L-Imdina, which was eventually taken by the Arabs. The Arab presence can be seen in the urban planning of Malta's oldest cities, with their winding lanes and houses with facades that preserve privacy, with openings only to the inner courtyard. The Muslim community was extremely large in Malta, which is no doubt why the Normans, in feudal times, chose to live in harmony with it, authorizing the construction of large sites, such as the vast Muslim necropolis on the Domus Romana site. At the same time, the Normans imported their style from Europe. Alongside the Romanesque style of massive proportions and clean lines, the Normans also left evidence of the so-called "Chiaromonte" style, named after a large Norman family based in Sicily. This style, which marks a transition between Romanesque and Gothic, is characterized by zigzag moldings in a pattern known as "broken sticks" and mullioned windows with pointed arches. This Norman presence can still be seen in the fortresses and houses of Mdina and Il-Birgu.
The Knights Builders
In 1529, Charles V granted Malta as a perpetual fief to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, marking the beginning of a profound transformation of the archipelago. On their arrival, the Knights settled in Castrum Maris(Fort Saint-Ange), which they gradually reinforced and modernized with ditches and defensive bastions. Later, the entire island was fortified with a powerful wall. Fort Saint-Michel was built, and the town of Senglea (now L-Isla) grew up within its fortifications. Based on the canons of Renaissance town planning, the Knights imagined an orthogonal grid on this rocky cape, without any levelling work, hence the numerous stepped streets. This layout is also found in Valletta. Thanks to the Order's victory at the Siege of Malta, funds poured in from all over Europe, enabling the Knights to reinforce existing defenses and build new structures. Birgu was renamed Vittoriosa (the Victorious) and Senglea was renamed Invitta (the Undefeated). But Grand Master Jean de Valette saw further ahead. He wanted a new city to symbolize the power of Christianity. This was to be theHumilissima Civitas Valettae...: Valletta. Designed by Francisco Laparelli, an Italian architect and engineer, the city again followed an orthogonal plan with a grid of islets, giving pride of place to wide streets and squares, including the famous Saint-John Square, imagined to set the cathedral in perspective. Another major innovation was the creation of an Officio delle Case, which regulated the proportions of buildings, as well as their decorative treatment: everything had to be harmonized. Because Valletta is more than just a military town; it's a city of art. Rather than confine themselves to fortified buildings, the Knights dispersed the evidence of their power: cathedrals, palaces and residences, language inns and infirmaries dotted the city. The stylistic evolution of the Order of St. John is linked to the evolution of its own power. The rigor and purity of the Renaissance was followed by Mannerism, which played with codes by superimposing orders and multiplying ornamental motifs, as in the Palais des Grands Maîtres, the co-cathedral of Saint John and the Auberge d'Aragon, designed by the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar. This was followed by the exuberant Baroque style. The street was transformed into a theater, where the richly decorated interiors of the noble floors were revealed through large windows, while privacy was preserved thanks to the superb balconies that were to become one of Malta's symbols. In fact, the Knights allowed a variety of local skills to express themselves: balconies, moldings and bay windows are reminiscent of Arab architectural traditions. Civil and religious buildings, meanwhile, are adorned with decorative splendors, such as the co-cathedral, which comes to life thanks to decorations carved directly into the stone by Mattia Preti. This blend of architecture and sculpture is echoed in the works of Lorenzo Gafa, who designed the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Mdina. Baroque finds its apotheosis in the new town of Floriana, whose central axis is a wide mall adorned with fountains and statues, while plant art adorns the city everywhere. This verdant Baroque art is also on display in Valletta, notably in the Upper Barrakka gardens built on a former military fort, a veritable oasis dotted with arcades, fountains and sculptures. At the same time, the Knights continued to demonstrate their military genius through forts, bastions and curtain walls, all of which were decorated with sculptures and bas-reliefs, further conveying the notion of a city of art. Highlights include the Porte Notre-Dame, a Baroque masterpiece set within the Cottonera Lines which, together with the Margehrita Lines, form Bormla's double enclosure, Fort Saint-Elme and Fort Manoel, designed by French architect Charles-François de Mondion, heir to Vauban's art of adapting fortifications to the terrain.
British Modernity
Baroque was so firmly established in the archipelago that, until 1850, the British continued to make use of local know-how and existing facilities, particularly in the military field. But this cohabitation lasted only a short time, and the British were quick to impose their own style, reflecting their values. This was to be the neoclassical style. The aim was to create landmark buildings, such as the Royal Naval Hospital in Bighi or the Anglican Church in Valletta, and to erase all traces of the Baroque heritage, notably by taking over the teaching of architecture. The British also introduced the model of narrow plots with rear gardens, creating a succession of repetitive houses along straight streets... a pattern far removed from Maltese traditions. But this break with the past is accompanied by a welcome modernity, particularly in terms of ventilation, waterproofing and lighting. This "harshness" subsided at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th, when an astonishing eclecticism began to express itself. Sliema became one of the preferred seaside resorts of Valletta's wealthy families, who built elegant Victorian villas in a skilful blend of neo-styles, featuring bow-windows, the famous corbelled windows. The leading architect of the period was the Maltese Andrea Vassalo, responsible for the astonishing neo-Gothic house in Mdina and the Romanesque-Byzantine Ta'Pinu basilica. Many Maltese succumbed to this "neo" fashion for their villas, but always with a Maltese touch: blonde stone, roof terraces, bay windows... In the second half of the 20th century, the British presence was reflected in architecture influenced by the needs of reconstruction and the expectations of industrialization: creation of new roads, tourist urbanization and the development of housing estates with orthogonal streets and "detached" houses with front gardens reminiscent of English new towns. But, with a few exceptions, this modernization never took place at the expense of existing heritage.
Contemporary Perspectives
Since the 1980s, Malta has not escaped real estate speculation, with a proliferation of soulless projects destroying the harmony of its peaceful streets. To put a stop to this, in 2002 the government launched a vast program to protect and restore Maltese balconies. Then, in 2011, Europe helped the archipelago finance a major operation to restore its fortifications. The aim is to restore previously inaccessible areas and make them accessible to visitors. This restoration project is inseparable from two major milestones for Valletta: the 450th anniversary of its foundation in 2016 and its title as European Capital of Culture in 2018. These two events coincide with the groundbreaking of a project presented back in 2009 and designed by renowned architect Renzo Piano, which completely rethinks the entrance to Valletta. Entrance is now via the City Gate, from which a footbridge offers a bird's-eye view of the moat, which has been redesigned as a garden. A breach created in the ramparts allows the bridge to extend onto Republic Street, the city's central axis, while two huge staircases link the different levels of the fortifications. Further on, the new Parliament building will delight lovers of Brutalist architecture. Composed of two blocks balanced on slender columns, the whole gives a great impression of lightness. The ochre color of the local stone and the moucharabieh-like windows proudly bear witness to the Maltese identity. Finally, Renzo Piano also designed an open-air theater on the ruins of the former Royal Opera House. The architect's aim was to preserve the neoclassical ruins while adding more modern structures, such as the large metal porticos supporting the speakers and lighting. This dialogue between past and present is echoed in the Mercury Towers project, still under construction. This is architect Zaha Hadid's latest project. In the heart of the St. Julian district, this project brings together a 19th-century building and a 33-storey tower, with a "twist" in the middle of its structure that gives the impression that it's swaying. Malta has more than enough surprises in store for you!
