Great Siege Monument

Last updated
Great Siege Monument
Maltese: Il-Monument tal-Assedju l-Kbir
Great Siege Monument - Valletta.jpg
The monument in 2017
Artist Antonio Sciortino
Completion date8 May 1927 (1927-05-08)
Medium Bronze
Movement Neoclassical
Location Valletta, Malta
Coordinates 35°53′52.9″N14°30′45.1″E / 35.898028°N 14.512528°E / 35.898028; 14.512528

The Great Siege Monument (Maltese : Il-Monument tal-Assedju l-Kbir), also known as the Monument to the Fallen of the Great Siege, [1] is a monument commemorating the Great Siege of Malta located in Valletta, Malta. It consists of three bronze figures symbolizing Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization, standing on top of a granite base. The monument is the work of the sculptor Antonio Sciortino, and it was inaugurated on 8 May 1927. [2]

Contents

History

Memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia at the base of the monument in November 2017 Memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia.jpg
Memorial to Daphne Caruana Galizia at the base of the monument in November 2017

The Great Siege Monument was sculpted by Antonio Sciortino in 1926, while he was in Rome. It was then cast in bronze using the lost-wax method, and the monument was inaugurated in Valletta on 8 May 1927. [3] During the inauguration, Chief Justice Arturo Mercieca delivered his speech in Italian, while the priest, philosopher and poet Anastasio Cuschieri delivered a speech in Maltese, both in the presence of the British Lieutenant-Governor, Sir Thomas Alexander Vans Best. This illustrated the language question and the political tension of the time. [1]

The monument is located in Great Siege Square (Maltese : Misraħ l-Assedju l-Kbir) [3] along Valletta's main road, Republic Street (Maltese : Triq ir-Repubblika) by the side of Saint John's Co-Cathedral. [4] The monument originally faced Auberge d'Auvergne, [5] which was replaced by the Courts of Justice building in the 1960s after the original building had been severely damaged in World War II. [4]

The Great Siege Monument appeared on three Maltese stamps issued in 1956, 1962 and 1972. [6] It also featured on the Maltese 50 cent coin that was minted from 1972 until it was replaced in 1986. [7]

The monument was restored between August [8] and September 2010. [4] [9] It is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. [3]

Since October 2017, the monument has been used as a makeshift memorial to journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia by members of her family and anti-government protesters. [10] [11] For a while the tributes were removed on a daily basis by Government employees. [12] In 2020, a court decision found that the then Minister for Justice Owen Bonnici's orders to repeatedly clear the memorial were a violation of protestors' human rights for the freedom of expression. [13]

Description

The three figures from left to right: Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization Valletta, Malta (6621314253).jpg
The three figures from left to right: Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization
Parliamentary chamber of the Palazzo Montecitorio, with La Glorificazione della Dinastia Sabauda at the top. The three figures in the centre of the relief resemble the positioning of the Great Siege Monument figures Camera dei deputati Aula Palazzo Montecitorio Roma.jpg
Parliamentary chamber of the Palazzo Montecitorio, with La Glorificazione della Dinastia Sabauda at the top. The three figures in the centre of the relief resemble the positioning of the Great Siege Monument figures

The Great Siege Monument is considered to be a work of Neoclassical sculpture, [3] exhibiting powerful simple lines which hint at Sciortino's avant-garde style. It has been called "one of the most emblematic sculptures on the island". [1] The statue consists of three bronze figures set on top of a granite base. [5] [3] The positioning of the figures relates closely to Davide Calandra's relief La Glorificazione della Dinastia Sabauda at the Palazzo Montecitorio in Rome. [1]

The three figures are said to be allegorical representations of Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization. [5] The male figure in the centre is described as Fortitude [3] or Valour, [14] and he is portrayed bare-chested and wearing a three-pointed crown and some armour, while holding a sword and a shield. There is a female figure on either side, with Faith on the left and Civilization on the right. Faith holds a papal tiara, while Civilization holds a mask of Minerva, the Roman goddess of Wisdom. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giuseppe Calì</span> Maltese painter

Giuseppe Calì was a Maltese painter of Italian descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Muscat</span> Former Prime Minister of Malta

Joseph Muscat is a Maltese politician who served as the 13th prime minister of Malta from 2013 to 2020 and leader of the Labour Party from 2008 to 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tritons' Fountain</span> Public fountain, Floriana, Malta

The Tritons’ Fountain is a fountain located in Floriana, Malta. It consists of three bronze Tritons holding up a large basin, balanced on a concentric base built out of concrete and clad in 730 tons of travertine slabs. The fountain is one of Malta's most important Modernist landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antonio Sciortino</span> Maltese sculptor

Antonio Sciortino was a Maltese artist, considered Malta’s foremost sculptor of the twentieth century. His career unfolded almost entirely in Rome, where he resided from 1900 till 1936. Despite his stable residence in Rome, Sciortino maintained strong connections with Malta, where he was commissioned several public monuments, and where its bronzes where later acquired by the Fine Arts Museum.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valletta Waterfront</span> Wharf, stores in Floriana, Malta

The Valletta Waterfront, is a promenade in Floriana, Malta, mainly featuring three prominent buildings: a church in the middle, the Pinto Stores or the Pinto Wharf on the left, and the Forni Stores or the Forni Shopping Complex on the right. The buildings were originally stores and warehouses, built in the 18th century, and the design is attributed to Andrea Belli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Caruana</span> Maltese lawyer and philosopher

Giovanni Caruana was a Maltese lawyer and minor philosopher. He was mostly interested in the philosophy of law and in political economy. At least two portraits of Caruana exist, both by the renowned early 20th century Maltese artist Edward Caruana Dingli. Both were displayed at an exhibition on Caruana Dingli at the National Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta, Malta, in 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halfpenny Yellow</span> First postage stamp issued by the Crown Colony of Malta

The Halfpenny Yellow is the first postage stamp issued by the Crown Colony of Malta. Depicting Queen Victoria, it was only valid for local postage and it was originally issued on 1 December 1860. It was the only stamp issued by Malta for two and a half decades, and during this period various reprints were made with differences in colour shade, perforation and watermark. When control of Malta's postal service was transferred to the island's colonial government on 1 January 1885, the stamp was withdrawn and it was replaced by a set of definitive stamps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Bonnici</span> Maltese politician

Owen Bonnici is a Maltese politician who is currently serving as the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malta Postal Museum</span> Postal museum in Malta, VLT

The Malta Postal Museum is a postal museum in Valletta, Malta. It is run by the postal operator MaltaPost, and it was inaugurated on 17 June 2016. The museum is housed in a restored 20th-century townhouse in the centre of Valletta, close to the Grandmaster's Palace and the Church of Our Lady of Damascus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emanuele Luigi Galizia</span> Maltese architect and civil engineer

Emanuele Luigi Galizia was a Maltese architect and civil engineer, who designed many public buildings and several churches. He is regarded as "the principal Maltese architect throughout the second half of the nineteenth century".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daphne Caruana Galizia</span> Maltese journalist and blogger (1964–2017)

Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese writer, journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist, who reported on political events in Malta and was known internationally for her investigation of the Panama Papers, and subsequent assassination by car bomb. In particular, she focused on investigative journalism, reporting on government corruption, nepotism, patronage, and allegations of money laundering, links between Malta's online gambling industry and organized crime, Malta's citizenship-by-investment scheme, and payments from the government of Azerbaijan. Caruana Galizia's national and international reputation was built on her regular reporting of misconduct by Maltese politicians and politically exposed persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monument to Sir Alexander Ball</span> Monument in the form of a temple in Valletta, Malta

The Monument to Sir Alexander Ball is a neoclassical monument in the Lower Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, Malta. It was built in 1810 as a memorial to Sir Alexander Ball, a British admiral who was the first Civil Commissioner of Malta. Attributed to the architect Giorgio Pullicino, the monument is in the form of an ancient Greek temple.

The 2019–20 Maltese Premier League was the 105th season of the Maltese Premier League, the top-flight league football in Malta. The fixtures were announced on 2 July 2019; the season started on 23 August 2019 and was scheduled to conclude on 25 April 2020. Valletta were the defending champions, having won their 25th title the previous season.

Yorgen Fenech is a Maltese businessman whose main interests are casinos and hotels in Malta. He was head of the Tumas Group and director of the Maltese-Azerbaijan-German company ElectroGas Malta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Malta political crisis</span>

A political and institutional crisis within the Republic of Malta followed the uncovering of alleged links between government officials and the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Minister for Tourism Konrad Mizzi resigned following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech in connection with the murder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019–2020 Maltese protests</span> 2019 protest movement started in Malta

The 2019–2020 Maltese protests started in Valletta and other urban centres of Malta on 20 November 2019, mainly calling for resignations after alleged political links to the assassination of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia surfaced following the arrest of businessman Yorgen Fenech. The protesters also targeted government corruption and the lack of action on money laundering. The protests consisted of demonstrations, marches, sit-ins, and civil disobedience and have been unprecedented in Malta's political history since its independence from the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Abela</span> Prime Minister of Malta

Robert Abela is a Maltese lawyer and politician who has served as prime minister of Malta and leader of the Malta Labour Party since 2020. The son of former President George Abela, he was elected to Parliament in 2017. Abela was sworn in as prime minister following the resignation of Joseph Muscat on 13 January 2020.

<i>Les Gavroches</i> Maltese Impressionist sculpture

Les Gavroches is a bronze sculpture by Antonio Sciortino, depicting Parisian street children inspired by Gavroche from the 1862 Victor Hugo novel Les Misérables. The statue was cast in 1904, and for most of the 20th century it was displayed at the Upper Barrakka Gardens in Valletta, Malta. In 2000, the statue was restored and transferred to the National Museum of Fine Arts in the same city, and a replica was placed at the Upper Barrakka.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Muscat, Mark Geoffrey (2016). "The Influence of Art Deco and Italian Futurism". Maltese Architecture 1900–1970: Progress and Innovations. Valletta: Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti. p. 43. ISBN   9789990932065.
  2. ↑ Meilak, Daniel. "David versus Goliath and the Apotheosis of Malta: Romanticising the Siege of Malta during the Rise of Nationalism (1860-1939)". Melita Historica. XVII (1): 140–172. Archived from the original on 2019-06-06. Retrieved 2019-08-17.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Great Siege Monument" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 January 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Great Siege monument restored". Times of Malta . 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 Nelson, Nina (1978). Malta. London: Batsford. ISBN   0-7134-0941-X.
  6. ↑ The JB Catalogue of Malta Stamps and Postal History (22 ed.). Sliema: Sliema Stamp Shop Publishers. 2014. pp. 18, 20, 31.
  7. ↑ Said Malta Coin & Banknote Catalogue 2010. Valletta: Said International Ltd. 2010. p. 114. ISBN   9789990943269.
  8. ↑ "FimBank sponsors restoration of Great Siege monument". Times of Malta . 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
  9. ↑ "Restored Great Siege Monument unveiled". The Malta Independent . 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
  10. ↑ "Candles for Daphne Caruana Galizia at Valletta memorial". Malta Today . 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018.
  11. ↑ Xuereb, Matthew (11 February 2018). "Valletta mayor says council has no power to decide on Caruana Galizia memorial". Times of Malta . Archived from the original on 12 February 2018.
  12. ↑ Bonnici, Julian (2 December 2019). "Daphne Caruana Galizia Memorial Cleared Yet Again Less Than 24 Hours After Thousands Gathered In Valletta Calling For Immediate Resignations". Lovin Malta.
  13. ↑ Borg, Jacob (1 February 2020). "'Minister's breach of rights is a throwback to Lorry Sant'". Times of Malta . Archived from the original on 25 May 2020.
  14. ↑ "The Great Siege Monument in Valletta". Din l-Art Ħelwa . 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017.

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Great Siege Monument at Wikimedia Commons

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.