Great Siege Monument
Great Siege Monument | |
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Maltese: Il-Monument tal-Assedju l-Kbir | |
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Artist | Antonio Sciortino |
Completion date | 8 May 1927 |
Medium | Bronze |
Movement | Neoclassical |
Location | Valletta, Malta |
35°53′52.9″N 14°30′45.1″E / 35.898028°N 14.512528°ECoordinates: 35°53′52.9″N 14°30′45.1″E / 35.898028°N 14.512528°E |
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, 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.
History
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.[2] 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)[2] along Valletta's main road, Republic Street (Maltese: Triq ir-Repubblika) by the side of Saint John's Co-Cathedral.[3] The monument originally faced Auberge d'Auvergne,[4] which was replaced by the Courts of Justice building in the 1960s after the original building had been severely damaged in World War II.[3]
The Great Siege Monument appeared on three Maltese stamps issued in 1956, 1962 and 1972.[5] It also featured on the 50 cents coin of the Maltese pound that was first minted in 1972 and was used for general circulation until it was replaced in 1986.[6]
The monument was restored between August[7] and September 2010.[3][8] It is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[2]
Since October 2017, the monument has been used as a makeshift memorial to the murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.[9][10]
Description
The Great Siege Monument is considered to be a work of Neoclassical sculpture,[2] 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.[4][2] 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, and Civilization.[4] The male figure in the centre is Fortitude (or Valour),[11] 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 godless of Wisdom.[2]
References
- 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.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Great Siege Monument" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 September 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Great Siege monument restored". Times of Malta. 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
- 1 2 3 https://books.google.com.mt/books?id=RH1oAAAAMAAJ&dq=searchwithinvolume&q=Law
- ↑ The JB Catalogue of Malta Stamps and Postal History (22 ed.). Sliema: Sliema Stamp Shop Publishers. 2014. pp. 18, 20, 31.
- ↑ Said Malta Coin & Banknote Catalogue 2010. Valletta: Said International Ltd. 2010. p. 114. ISBN 9789990943269.
- ↑ "FimBank sponsors restoration of Great Siege monument". Times of Malta. 5 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
- ↑ "Restored Great Siege Monument unveiled". The Malta Independent. 7 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2017.
- ↑ "Candles for Daphne Caruana Galizia at Valletta memorial". Malta Today. 16 January 2018. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ "The Great Siege Monument in Valletta". Din l-Art Ħelwa. 6 October 2011. Archived from the original on 29 March 2017.