Sculptor and Entrapreneur

The son of Gioacchino and Ċensina née Scicluna, Giovanni Battista Delia was born in Cospicua. Gio Batta Delia (he used this abbreviated format of his name throughout his life), showed a very natural early affinity to craft and design.

Delia’s approach to wood, its texture, its colours, and its responsiveness to the artist’s thoughts and efforts was one of enthusiasm, love, and long hard hours of work. He set up his first atelier in a small furniture shop in Oratory Street, Cospicua in 1901 producing highly sophisticated and artistic sculpted furniture.

In 1908 Delia opened four showrooms in St Paul Street, and a factory premises in St Ursola Street, Valletta. The firm expanded steadily employing well over 100 tradesmen. His original but very artistic styles earned him a reputation for excellence locally, and honour and recognition from abroad by way of many decorations, diplomas of merit, and medals at exhibitions in London, Rome, Paris, Turin, and other European cities. His works were praised and acquired by many famous foreign personalities, including Queen Elizabeth II.

In the 1930s Gio Batta Delia’s firm moved its showroom to Palazzo Ferreria at Strada Reale (Republic Street) and the works to Ta’ Xbiex waterfront.

A master of painting and an expert in sculpture and papier-mâché, Delia was also commissioned to produce other works of art, with the statue of The Immaculate Conception (at St Paul Shipwrecked collegiate church in Valletta) being considered as one of his major works.

Gio Batta Delia’s son, Jack, and his grandchildren, Albert and John, inherited much of his passion for fine arts, and the business now carries luxury objets d’art in ceramic and crystal glass, and is an attraction for tourists and locals.

Gio Batta married Margherita Carabott in the parish church of the Immaculate Conception, Cospicua on 19 November 1903 and they had three sons: Gioacchino (also known as ‘Jack’), Giuseppe; a priest and member of the Collegiate Church of St Paul, Ċensinu; Fr Innocenso, a Capuchin; and two daughters: Teresina and Ċensina.

He died at n. 294, St Paul’s Street, Valletta and was buried at the Addolorata Cemetery.

This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.