International charters on heritage management and conservation to which Malta is a signatory State, recommend that the restoration of a historic space be as close as possible to its authentic concept.

This was the Valletta Rehabilitation Project design brief when plans where being drawn up for St George’s Square. Over the past years the square has been used as a parking lot, with the occasional clear-outs for State occasions and the square temporarily becomes a parade ground. The historical context of the surrounding buildings is thus short-lived and far too soon the square is once again turned into a parking lot.

Misrah San Gorg, or better known as Palace Square, is one of the main open spaces in Valletta and is surrounded by the Grand Master’s Palace, the Order’s Treasury (now the Casino Maltese) the Knights’ Chancellery (also known as Main Guard by the British Services), Hotel de Verdelin and Casa delle Colombe, as well as the two De Rohan fountains.

All these buildings/monuments/features have been listed Grade 1 of national/universal significance as per Article 46 of the Development Planning Act. The square itself has not yet been proposed for scheduling owing to the automatic inferred protection as a setting defined by the significant buildings mentioned above.

Unfortunately, a misconception exists on the way the Grand Master’s Palace married with the square in front of it. From a historical study carried out by VRP executive co-ordinator Arch. Claude Borg, Valletta’s few open spaces in this otherwise grid-like town, could only be found in front of the palatial Auberges scattered across Valletta.

Thus, to restore back this authenticity, it was decided that the square should be read as a square again and Republic Street’s paving had to stop at the junction with Old Theatre Street. This was the reason why the plans had been changed from that originally published under permit number PA 5067/03.

Apart from this decision, which has been justified through historical documentation, the restoration of this monumental space focuses on paving and the re-interpretation of historical features.

According to various engravings, paintings and other literary sources, two monuments adorned St George’s Square in the late 16th century. One monument was a central fountain erected by Grand Master Wignacourt, which was apparently replaced by another fountain in the mid-1700s. This later fountain is today in St Philip’s Garden, Floriana.

Another monument depicted in the early sources is a column, crowned with the statue of a wolf, which was the symbol of Grand Master Verdala (1582-1595) who had erected this monument and was indeed probably responsible for the construction of the square.

In the submitted Mepa application one can see a re-interpretation of the central fountain in the form of water jets. The decision to adopt this unobtrusive water feature was primarily due to the parades that take place in the square, and thus the flexibility of turning the square into a true parade ground for these State events. The proposed project also incorporates a series of recessed floor lights as well as steel bollards that physically make access to the square inaccessible from Old Theatre Street and Archbishop Street. The original lava paving in the upper part of Old Theatre Street is to be replicated in the lower part.

Also, the original hardstone paving in front of the Main Guard will be retained as well as the hardstone steps that form part of the De Rohan fountains. Any original paving (even if found during the works) will be preserved and restored and the rest of the paving is to be a harmonious mix of lava, porfido and hardstone.

It is of great satisfaction to know, as chairperson of the Rehabilitation Committees, that the Grand Master’s Palace will not only be restored internally, as announced by the Prime Minister last week, but also externally through the beautifying of an open space that once was and is still meant to be.

Ms Musumeci is the

chairperson of the Rehabilitation Committees