Letters to the editor – December 15, 2024

Pignatelli family connection

With reference to the very interesting article by Giovanni Bonello on ‘The Pignatelli and Malta – two femicides and other stories’ (November 17), I would like to add another instance of connection with the Pignatelli family with Malta.

The Maltese sculptor Antonio Sciortino had left a plaster cast of a portrait of ‘Princess Pignatelli’ to the National Museum. According to Helene Buhagiar, it was created in 1926. In a private collection I found a photo of the plastiline model of this lady’s portrait.

Beatrice Molyneau

I wrote to the Pignatelli family in 2015 because I wanted more information about her. They gently wrote back and told me she was Beatrice Molyneau, born in Texas in 1906, married Prince Antonio Pignatelli Aragona Cortes in 1926, after which she moved to Rome.

The date of her marriage tallies with that given by Buhagiar for the execution of the portrait.

Beatrice had two children, Giuseppe and Maria Gloria. Later, she divorced and married the brother of the Lord of Jersey. She died in 1962. From a pictorial point of view, one should appreciate in this plastiline model how the curve of the eyebrow is echoed in the fold of the lapel of the blouse and in the lock of hair between the crown and the forehead. Somewhere in the Pignatelli family there must be a marble or bronze version of this plastiline model by the foremost Maltese sculptor of the first half of the 20th century.

More information on this portrait is found in my book, The Lost Album, Antonio Sciortino, Malta 2015, editor, George Cassar, (Kite Publications).

Gerald Bugeja – Rabat

School of excellence

I refer to the article ‘San Andrea School: Nurturing a child today to inspire their tomorrow’ (December 1) and would like to share my experience at this school.

When I was a student at San Andrea, I was very strongly encouraged by my teachers to pursue a university education. In addition, I have good memories of my teachers teaching me very important life skills that I continued using throughout my education and life. My teachers inspired me to reach new heights, goals and dreams.

There I learned to continue striving to learn and further my education as far as possible.

The most important lesson I got from San Andrea was to face challenges in life with resilience and determination.

San Andrea is indeed a school of excellence, which encourages the student to learn and contribute to the community. I will never forget some teachers that I still have a positive relation with till this day and have become part of my life every step of the way.

Notably, the learning of the Maltese language was a very challenging experience for me but that was an important time in my life. Coming from a mixed international family background, learning Maltese for me was not easy but became very rewarding for me when I began to use it in daily life.

San Andrea is indeed a school that is very positive in terms of education and developing students to be responsible future citizens. So, I would like to thank the school and the teachers for making me the person I am today.

Thank you very much for your encouragement and lifelong lessons.

Mark Galea – Sliema