Ruby Tuesday - Little Red Door

After a long absence from Ruby Tuesday I decided to participate with this photo of a little red door belonging to an old house. It makes me wonder whether our ancestors were trying to save on wood or whether they were just vertically challenged.

For more Ruby Tuesday participants go here.

St George’s Square

St  George’s square in Valletta (formerly know as the Main Guard) is one of the most important open spaces in the capital city. In the past the square was used for the changing of the guard parade. When this ceremony stopped taking place at the end of British rule in Malta, it was turned into a car park. It was difficult to appreciate the beauty of this square, flanked on one side by the Grand Master’s Palace (which now houses the Maltese Parliament), when it was full of cars. Thankfully, the square has been restored and now serves as an attraction in the heart of our capital city.  If it is splendid by day, by night it is quite magical, with a gorgeous water, music and light show which only serves to enhance the surrounding magnificent architecture.

 

Valletta in Sepia (2) – Abandoned and Derelict

This is a house in Merchants’ Street. It has been abandoned and forgotten as have many beautiful buildings in Valletta. Many of these houses are huge and cost a fortune to maintain. Not many people can afford to live on such a grand scale any more. So most  of these houses, or perhaps I should say mansions, now rot away slowly before our eyes. Shops have been opened on the ground floor of many of them but it seems that the upper storeys are left to fall into disrepair. It is a shame because these stately houses boast of some very beautiful Baroque architecture. My hope is that one day private or public funds will be donated to restore these buildings to their former glory. Meanwhile, I will continue to gaze in awe at their crumbling facades and imagine them as they used to be whilst freezing them forever in this moment in time with my camera.

Valletta in Sepia (1) – St John’s Courtyard

The foundation stone of Valletta was laid in 1566 on what was then known as the Sceberras Peninsula. Surrounded by water on three sides, Valletta was in a key position to defend the entrance to the Grand Harbour. The plan for the new fortified city was drawn up by Grand Master La Vallette, the hero of the great siege of 1565.

Valletta is a gem of Baroque architecture and, as such, lends itself to some spectacular photos of palaces, auberges, fortifications and churches. In colour, Valletta is beautiful, but I think (and this is just my opinion) that it is in sepia that the true beauty of this small city can best be appreciated. At least, when I find myself wandering its streets with a camera in my hand, I find myself shooting in sepia, hoping to do justice to its grandeur and most times finding myself overwhelmed by it.

So I have decided to start a series of posts entitled ‘Valletta in Sepia’ to share some of the gems this city has to offer with you. Today’s shots are of the back courtyard of St John’s Co-cathedral.

Manoel Island and its Fort

Manoel Island is situated in the Sliema Creek and is connected to the mainland by means of a small bridge. It was originally known as l’Isola del Vescovo (the Bishop’s Island ). In 1726 Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena paid for the construction of a fort as a defence of western Valletta. The fort was designed by Chevalier Francois de Mondion and was built in the Baroque style. It has a large central Place d’Armes encircled by two tiers of arched barracks and a chapel dedicated to St Anthony of Padua. During WW2 the chapel was virtually destroyed from a direct hit by Luftwaffe bombers in March 1942.

Apart from the fort, an isolation hospital (Lazzaretto) had been built on the island in 1643 by Grandmaster Jean Paul Lascaris in an attempt to control the influx of plague and cholera from visiting ships.

I first visited Fort Manoel about 12 years ago. The fort, the chapel and the surrounding fortifications were in a state of disrepair. It felt eerie to be walking around the ruins of once-proud buildings. There was a sense of desolation about the place - time, war and vandals had taken their toll on the beautiful symmetry of the buildings.

In 2006 the fort was entrusted to MIDI, a development firm that is carrying out extensive restoration and renovation in the fort and its surroundings. A few weeks ago, an open weekend was held for the public to appreciate the work that has been carried out and to be able to, once again, admire the military architecture of this fort.

     

Ruby Tuesday: Balcony

Today's entry ties up with my previous post. This is a balcony in Mdina. Our buildings are mostly made of limestone and red contrasts really well with it. This is especially true of older buildings because as the limestone ages it turns a honey yellow so red doors, windows and balconies act as a perfect foil.

This balcony is somewhat different in that the lattice work on it is quite unusual and is not a common feature of Maltese balconies.

For more Ruby Tuesdays from around the world go over to Mary the Teach at Work of the Poet.

The Silent City

If Malta had a crown, then Mdina would be its jewel. Situated on hill, it has seen its fair share of invading armies and battles. Yet its walls have withstood the test of time and today it passes its days silently dreaming of its past.

Mdina was the capital city of Malta until the construction of Valletta in 1566. Its narrow streets are lined with medieval buildings amongst which are interspersed various palaces from the Baroque era.

Unearthed remains indicate that Mdina has been inhabited since Punic times and was the chief city of Malta during the Roman era, when it was much larger and incorporated a large part of the neighbouring city of Rabat within its walls. During the Arab conquest of Malta, Mdina was reduced to its current size, but continued to maintain its status as the capital city of the island. It was during this time that the city was fortified with high bastion walls and a dry moat.

When Malta was handed over to the Knights of St John in 1530, the nobility residing in Mdina handed the keys of the city to Grand Master L’Isle Adam. Being a sea-faring Order, the Knights preferred to reside in the maritime city of Birgu where they could be close to their ships. After the Great Siege of 1566, Grand Master La Vallette laid the foundation stone of the new capital city, Valletta. Following this, Mdina faced a period of decline which was made worse by an earthquake in 1693 which destroyed many buildings of the old city including the Gothic cathedral. In later years various palaces and buildings were constructed by the Knights who tried to instill new life into the now almost deserted city. However it never quite recaptured the vibe of its heyday. Its inhabitants dwindled from 4000 in the middle ages to around 400 in the present day.

By day, Mdina is thronged with tourists. By night, it belongs to the ghosts of the past.

It has endured much and has emerged unscathed. In an age when everything is continuously changing, it has remained constant, its beauty undiminished, its mystery unsolved. Perhaps one day it will break the silence and tell us its story. Perhaps one day it will tell us the names of the people that walked its streets hundreds of years ago. But I think that we will have to be content to use our imagination and make up stories about its past. Because, like a proper lady, Mdina knows that its charm lies in revealing almost nothing about itself and so it beckons the intrigued visitor, inviting him to discover her charms. But, like the ladies of old, it remains aloof and discreet, sheltered behind its high walls and smiling secretly in the knowledge that it will endure long after the mortals that walk through the streets are no more.