To those thousands of people who live across the water of Marsamxett harbour, in Tignè Point, Sliema, Gżira, Ta’ Xbiex, Msida and beyond, and especially to all those approaching Valletta from the sea, St John’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral is a universally recognised Valletta landmark.
With the bell tower and its spire rising to over 60 metres from the ground, it is a historic landmark in the Valletta heritage landscape. To imagine Valletta’s skyline without the spire of the Pro-Cathedral is just as inconceivable as imagining St Mark’s Square in Venice, another World Heritage City, without its historic campanile.
But this is exactly what could happen to Valletta’s skyline. To put it bluntly, parts of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral are unstable and could be at risk of falling down. This could be the cathedral’s fate if steps are not taken to restore this vital part of Malta’s rich cultural heritage.
Valletta’s skyline must be saved. A campaign has been launched to raise €3 million to safeguard this iconic building which is so redolent of Malta’s history of the last 200 years, a Grade 1 building of local stone, of great importance to Malta’s heritage and an intrinsic part of Valletta’s architectural landscape.
The cathedral pays homage to St Paul, the spiritual father of the Maltese, and is deeply symbolic of two centuries of close Anglo-Maltese relations. Its unique and historic identity is complementary to and in harmony with the Archdiocese of Malta, walking together in faith and enjoying warm ecumenical ties. The Bishop of Gozo’s recent dedication of the whole of one Sunday’s offerings in aid of the restoration appeal was a marvellous and generous gesture of solidarity.
At the base of the altar in the cathedral there is an inscription. It records the generosity of the editor of one of Britain’s pre-eminent magazines, The Spectator, in 1947 and states: “Towards the cost of the altar, the editor of The Spectator raised the sum of £2,000 as a memorial to those who fought in the Battle of Malta 1940–1943.” £2,000 in 1947 is the equivalent of about £75,000 (almost €87,000) today.
The Spectator’s memorial joins many others that mark this great cathedral. It houses the memorials of all units of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force on the oak commemorative panels around the sanctuary who fell in Malta in World War II. A Merchant Navy memorial is located on the north wall and a submariners’ memorial plaque is situated outside, on the northwest wall of the cathedral facing Manoel Island, which once hosted the Mediterranean Fleet’s submarine base.
Remarkably, the cathedral survived World War II in Valletta – the most bombed city in Europe – unscathed. It stands today to bear testimony to the valour of those who fought alongside the Maltese to defend Malta against the Axis forces of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy.
An appeal has been launched to raise the sum needed for restoration and repair of the cathedral by November 2019
Today, the cathedral plays an important part in the Valletta community. It is a much-loved place for a wide variety of musical concerts and recitals, where established local musicians and visiting artists have the opportunity to make both sacred and profane music. The cathedral has a long tradition of using its magnificent 17th century organ (reputedly played by George Handel for the first performance of his Messiah) for the benefit of young people in teaching, practising and examining. It is one of the major venues of the highly-acclaimed Valletta International Baroque Festival and an important contributor to Malta’s tourism.
But this historic and handsome cathedral, built between 1839 and 1844 on the initiative of the Queen Dowager Adelaide, widow of King William IV and aunt to Queen Victoria, is in peril. The need for action is pressing. An appeal has been launched to raise the sum needed for restoration and repair of the cathedral by November 2019, the 175th anniversary of its construction.
The cathedral has been here before. It had a dramatic and near fatal collapse in 1841. Richard Lankasheer, the first architect entrusted with the design and supervision of the new church, a cabinet maker by profession, had very limited experience in large construction projects. His lack of understanding of Maltese building methods and, in particular, the properties of the local limestone, proved to be his undoing. Within two years “cracks, splits and crushings” began to undermine the fabric of the building.
His reputation lay in tatters. He could not come to terms with his failure and he died suddenly, perhaps by his own hand, in March 1841. Shortly after his death, the serious structural defects found meant that all construction had to be suspended. Fortunately, the arrival of the Admiralty architect, William Scamp, who had been employed as clerk of works to Sir James Wyattville when remodelling Windsor Castle, meant he was able to make a number of changes to Lankasheer’s original design and work on the church resumed within eight months of his death.
Today’s cathedral is Scamp’s masterpiece. The building is designed in a neo-classical architectural style with a grand temple portico incorporating Ionic columns. An array of eight Corinthian columns embellish its interior, providing an understated but dignified grandeur.
The Restoration Appeal Committee which has been formed to save the cathedral has just launched the “Save Valletta’s Skyline” appeal. There are four reasons why it hopes that, in the spirit of the then editor of The Spectator 70 years ago, there will be a positive response from readers in Malta, Britain and beyond who remember this handsome cathedral with great affection and value its outstanding place in Malta’s cultural heritage.
The first reason as we celebrate Easter – and for those living in Valletta and across the water who hear the peal of the cathedral’s six bells cast by the famous Whitehall Bell Foundry in 1845 – is the very raison d’être of our Christian churches and cathedrals: faith and worship. Faith and worship remind us that the overriding spiritual role of the cathedral is to allow people to go to pray – an experience which is enhanced by the intercession of the glorious music and the quality of the preaching which is enjoyed there regularly. It reminds us that all are welcome at the Lord’s table.
The second reason is historical. It is to do with the shared Anglo-Maltese history of the last 200 years. The cathedral is a permanent memorial to all those members of the Allied Forces who died in Malta during two world wars.
The third is aesthetic. It is a true Victorian work of art, which embraces a distinctive architecture in a country renowned for its outstanding baroque churches. It has an unmistakable and singular personality, both awe-inspiring and uplifting with its impressive neo-classical grand temple-front portico, its soaring Ionic and Corinthian columns and its beautifully plain, English understated interior.
And the fourth reason is a deep love of Malta’s cultural heritage. This is the crucial dimension that embodies all the others: faith and worship, history and aesthetics. The cathedral is a universally recognised Valletta landmark.
Valletta’s skyline must be saved. Any reader who wishes to make a donation or to find out more about the Save Valletta’s Skyline restoration appeal campaign may do so by visiting the website http://savethecathedral.com , or by writing to christopherwicker@orange.fr.