An exhibition on Capitano Francesco Laparelli da Cortona, who designed the fortifications of Valletta and its street plan, opens in the museum of the city of Cortona and its prestigious Academia Etrusca on 22 August. This is indeed very interesting news given that some months ago the Government of Malta announced its intention to restore Valletta’s magnificent fortifications and more recently engaged Renzo Piano to prepare a proposal to embellish the city with a new principal entrance leading to the main street flanked by a new parliament house and an open air theatre for the performing arts.

The initiative of the Accademia Etrusca and the City Council of Cortona follows the presentation made to the Accademia by Contessa Costanza Laparelli Pitti Magi Diligenti, a direct descendant of Francesco Laparelli, of a number of his original plans. The generous donation includes four original plans of Valletta by Laparelli and his manuscript map of Malta. Laparelli’s plans have not been exhibited since the 1960s.

The Accademia and the City Council are marking this important acquisition by holding an exhibition on the life of Laparelli and the star exhibits will be the Valletta plans presented in the context of the Great Siege of 1565, which of course led directly to the Order’s decision to build the new city. It is understood that the display will include original engravings from the collections of the Bibliotheca Nazionale Centrale of Florence and superb photographs taken by Daniel Cilia of the recently restored famous frescos of the Great Siege by Perez d’Aleccio in the former Magisterial Palace in Valletta and of the city itself. Additionally, the exhibition includes important materials relating to the Laparelli family and to Francesco Laparelli’s work in Cortona: in particular the bell tower of the cathedral and on the Fortezza del Girifalco built high above the city to dominate it. The fortress is being restored. Very little is known about Laparelli’s life and his background in Cortona

While they are of course of immense importance as regards urban history and fortification, Laparelli’s plans are central to Maltese history because of the impact that the building of Valletta had on the development of Malta and on Maltese society and culture.

This is an opportunity to see the famous plans and to learn something about the extraordinary man who designed Valletta and supervised the first five years or so of the building of the capital city. Prominent members of the Order of St John will be present at the opening ceremony, besides academics, other experts and of course many other invited dignitaries including the Ambassador of Malta to Italy. The Grandmaster of the Order will visit the exhibition some time in September.

Roger Vella Bonavita

WESTERN AUSTRALIA