written by Warren Bugeja
When Villa Guardamangia, home to Princess Elizabeth between 1949 and 1951, was entrusted to Heritage Malta in 2020, it was in a very sorry state.
Firstly, emergency structural consolidation measures urgently needed seeing to. Sections of the façade of the former summer palace, for instance, were in danger of imminent collapse and required propping up. Next, a detailed architectural survey of the entire property was conducted to assess what needs replacing and what can be salvaged and repaired. Scientists embarked on collecting a whole year of environmental data from the villa so as to guide future decisions. Meanwhile, tonnes of inert waste and building debris were cleared out. A Ground Penetrating Radar survey of the whole site led to the discovery of a large underground cistern in the garden, whilst students from the University College London submitted a preliminary report on the structural condition of the building.
More recently, painting conservators have uncovered schemes of painted wall decorations on most internal spaces, which are being analysed prior to conservation as part of an ongoing, in-depth research study of the history of the Grade 2 listed building and its past occupants.
The paintings are the subject of a one-minute feature part of a thrice-weekly series produced by the newly launched HM TV, a Heritage Malta in-house project. Watch the feature here on https://www.facebook.com/HeritageMalta/videos/471400331707488
The short features, uploaded to Heritage Malta’s social media every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 19:00 hrs, aim to showcase the various behind-the-scenes work that goes on at Heritage Malta, which the public doesn’t often get to see.
‘Treasure to Meet You’
On Tuesday, 4th October, at 19:00hrs, HMTV will also premiere the first episode in a new weekly series entitled ‘Treasure to Meet You’ on its Heritage Malta Facebook page.
For each of these 3–5-minute features, which will be uploaded in both English and Maltese versions, we asked our team of enthusiastic curators to select their favourite artefact or feature from the National Collection and to explain why they feel especially connected to it. Besides revealing why each selection is culturally significant, curators will illustrate the political, social and economic context in which it was created.
‘Treasure to Meet You’ provides an opportunity for the public to meet our dedicated, often invisible, professionals who play a significant role in how visitors to our museums and sites experience what they see.
Watch the trailer here on https://youtu.be/OpgId-N2b20
Up Next
Press Releases | 29th September 2022