Last November Jillian Mallia from GuideMeMalta.com shared what she called a sneak peek into the new Caravaggio Centre extension of the St John's Co-Cathedral Museum in Valletta, which at that time was said to be almost ready to be revealed to the public.
Almost six months have now passed and the extension has not yet been opened to the public.
The extension would provide an easy access to the Oratory of the Beheading and Caravaggio's masterpiece, including the St Jerome, to those visitors who maybe would not want to have to go found the church first before making it to the Oratory. It replaces a bank and some shops.
But there is much more than meets the eye. The museum has been closed for many years now and there's no end in sight.
I have been following the evolution of the museum's upgrading for many years now, as can be witnessed by the many articles, interviews, etc that I have written. I have also climbed ladders with a former ambassador to Malta to see at close quarters the restoration of one of the side chapels. I have also covered part of the complicated Mepa procedure.
After so many years, it is my considered opinion that the whole project is now hopelessly late, with consequent cost overruns. As I will explain, the serious building work still has to begin and this is, in its own way, a boon for the construction of a huge windowless box will overpower all the controversies on building development we have in Malta now, worse than Db, worse than the Gasan Towers, etc.
The delay proves, in my opinion, that the Foundation has bitten more than it could chew and the gigantism in the concept is now irreversible. They have no alternative but to plough on. Fortunately, the funds are unlimited.
On the 30th April, The Shift News carried an article that said there is no end in sight for the €10m museum extension. This project was meant to be ready in time for the European Capital of Culture - Valletta 2018. Part of the funds were to have come from the EU and three years after the deadline, the article said, the project remains in its initial stages.
The Shift asked for more details but the Foundation, through the CEO, Cynthia de Giorgio, replied that the project is 'progressing' and a press conference will be held 'shortly'.
So far, no press conference has been held.
Sources close to the Foundation told The Shift that the museum project is practically stalled and no one has a clue as to what is going on.
But in the meantime Architectural Project, the company that is commissioned with the project, has been giving out more details on its own Facebook page.
It would seem that part at least of the delay was caused by investigations on the empty space on the Merchants Street side which we remember covered by what we would be told was the graveyard of the Knights who died in the Great Siege. That was why they used to be solemnly blessed every 7th September.
Coming to think of it, there are some serious objections to this version. First of all, Valletta did not exist during the Great Siege. And as far as we know, those who died were buried in Birgu.
Nevertheless, when initial excavations were carried out in this space, small pieces of bone continued to be found. The area had suffered a bomb hit during the last war.
Then further studies found that the space originally was a quarry. This created a huge problem because even the structures on the Merchants Street side needed a firmer base let alone this huge box (think of a coffin) to house the tapestries. It would seem that no exploratory excavation has been carried out.
So the latest idea is to sink piles into the space occupied by the former quarry. Then the surprise: some 116 piles will be needed. Those who live\work in the area will start to experience the digging in the coming days, it's said.
Once the big box is built, there will be a circular staircase on the corner with St Lucia Street and people will come up in the centre of the Tapestry Chamber. There will also be a state-of-the-art lift.
Apart from these architectural considerations, whispered controversies are ongoing. One such controversy regards the composition of the Foundation's board, made up of three Monsignors on the church side and three nominees on the government side which includes failed election candidates, Malta's ambassador to the Vatican and a chief of staff of a minister. None have expertise on driving such a complex project - and it shows.
Another controversy surrounds the CEO who has been a centralising figure for many years.
This museum project has been at the centre of controversy for many years - remember how it almost toppled the Gonzi government? - and it kept getting bigger and bigger.
Both the State and the Church seem unwilling to intrude on the Foundation's autonomy but at the end they will inevitably be tarred by whatever happens, both if the project is carried out and even more if it continues to stall.
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