Whenever I see a picture of a woman wearing the ghonnella/faldetta I am thankful that its use has died down completely. How did women, especially in the hot summer months, or when carrying babies or coping with toddlers, manage their busy lives with this cumbersome piece of clothing? There is one good thing about it however, it must have been great to cover up Michelin tyres and general fat. Still, I would rather live without it.
This issue starts with an article by sound artist and creative musician Renzo Spiteri: The Shaping of Sound: Auditory explorations in Maltese prehistoric sites. In this well-illustrated article the author reflects on sound and the acoustic environment and his own personal engagement with sound environments, listening and ecology, particularly as experienced in the prehistoric sites around the Maltese islands.
Following this, Giovanni Bonello (editor of Treasures and much admired by lovers of history) gives us a 10-page illustrated article: The Enigmas of the Maltese Ghonnella. He writes: "For centuries, the ghonnella constituted the distinctive Maltese female attire; eyecatching and unique, common to gentry and peasant alike, they were the more obvious trademark of Maltese femininity."
Judge Bonello is a knowledgeable and thorough researcher and he must have spent many hours pouring over primary sources and books and magazines to put together this long and interesting article.
He concludes that the origins of the ghonnella or faldetta lie in Sicily. But of course, that is not all.
Three newly minted graduates - Andrei Azzopardi, Andrea Depasquale and Nicola von Brockdorff - give us a study: The Establishment of the Augustinian Convent in Rabat. They survey the complex architectural history of a convent which marks a new beginning in the presence of Augustinian monks on the island. The article is illustrated with several plans. They write: "The church dedicated to St Mark the Evangelist and the adjoining Augustinian convent in Rabat are the culmination of a series of interventions carried out over the years, which together have created a unique architectural complex outside the walls of Mdina. Starting with the donation of a derelict site to the Augustinian monks in 1555, all the subsequent interventions that were carried out to accommodate the necessities of the religious community weave together different artistic and architectural currents spanning several centuries." The architect behind the project is our talented Girolamo Cassar. The authors trace the acquisition of land over the years by the Augustinians.
Throughout the years the monks feared that, due to the fact that it was said that Mdina was at a military disadvantage due to the Augustinian complex being close to the fortifications that they would have to give up their complex and move elsewhere but by "some fortunate twist of fate" this was everted.
The Augustinians certainly were a dynamic group who were keen to continue to expand and make the necessary changes to their complex.
Having read this article I now look at St Mark's church in Rabat with different eyes.
In another long and well illustrated article the well known photographer Kevin Casha turns the spotlight on the Cianco family of photographers and their legacy on the art of photography in 20th century Malta. Mr Casha has written the seminal book History of Maltese Photography and its Protagonists and is very much involved in the study of local vintage photography. This is an excellent and fascinating read about a gifted and determined photographer, John Cianco about whom Professor Margaret Harker (Photography of Malta 1840-1990) wrote: "At one time he paid £20 to learn hand colouring of photographs from Giglio (a photographer in Rome) in one lesson. He was able to correct facial deficiencies by retouching the negatives. He could even add a jacket if required."
And now we have Photoshop.
Cristina Meli gives us an informative article about the Notarial Archives in Valletta which are the source of so much information while veteran writer and researcher Thomas Freller, is the author of an extensive article about Treasure Hunters, Scholars, and Pilgrims in Subterranean Malta: Descriptions of Maltese catacombs and caves in the Baroque age. Professor Freller tells us that "The Malta-born advocate Antonio Bosio (1575-1629) was a pioneer in the study of catacombs and particularly of the Roman catacombs."
This article opens up a whole world of subterranean Malta in which treasure hunters and collectors came here in order to plunder our subterranean heritage. This is a fascinating read. "The pious pilgrim Johann Balthasar Merzger, who later founded the Catholic Hospital in Heidelberg, discovered 'several dead corpses' in the catacombs he visited while on the Island. He reports that most of Malta is undercut by catacombs, caves and labyrinths: '... as in times of old the Hamaliter (sic) and the Arabians because of the heat have preferred to live underground...'.
This is my favourite article in this issue, all new stuff for me, and yes, now that summer is here I would love to live in a cave underground. Any offers?
This is a very generous issue of Treasures. In the series My Favourite Object Paul Pullicino writes about a poster of the SS Gleneagles Steam Communication between Malta and Gozo which is in his collection and which reminds him of his adventurous grandfather.
Alfred Zahra de Domenico, another avid Melitensia collector writes about A Wartime Leaflet printed during the Second World War by Progress Press and which was dropped over Sicily during the invasion of 1943.
Emmanuel Chetcuti an independent researcher with a keen interest in travel narratives concerning Malta writes about The Maltese Calesse: A nineteenth-century 'earthy meteor'. Another fascinating and well-illustrated contribution.
There are two books reviews one by Dr Paul Xuereb, the other by Prof. Mario Buhagiar. Also an extensive Cultural Review by Cecilia Xuereb and Calendar Highlights - upcoming events happening around Malta and Gozo over the next few months.
Let me be vulgar and state that yes: Treasures is worth every penny. Apart from all this there is also an insert - a print of of a wedding group in Malta in early 20th century by photographer Thomas Fenech. Everyone, but everyone is wearing a hat.
I do so admire the writers who love what they are doing and do it so well, spending long hours in archives and libraries to give us the result of their research.
[email protected]