In a recent encounter with one of my various academic friends and tutors, we discussed the city of Valletta in the past and its various place names, such as the Due Balli, l-Arċipierku, il-Mandraġġ, il-Fossa, il-Kamrata, etc. 

Although connected to my ongoing research, the discussion was not exactly subject specific. Talk changes its course  and it then turned to the Valletta’s street names during different periods, mainly when the city was built by the Order of St John, under the French and the various changes during the British administration until their last change to Maltese and those named with a Maltese connection.

However, my friend pointed out that, in the time of the Order, some residents referred to streets by the name of a prominent member of the Order or a person of position. Others were known by some famous landmark, especially a church, auberge, a corner statue or even a particular event that occurred in the area. Some of the streets whose names are now taken for granted did not have a name either during the reign of the Order, during the French occupation or, some, during both periods.

Even today, certain Valletta residents of a particular age refer to the terraced area along Marsamxett Road, above the row of garages, as Fuq il-Blata (On the rock) or Taħt il-Kampnar tal-Ingliżi (Beneath the English bell tower). Obviously, the latter refers to the bell tower of St Paul’s Anglican Pro-Cathedral. Ħdejn l-Infirmerija (the Order’s hospital) refers to the Sacra Infermeria, which today is the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Another location has been added more recently: Ħdejn il-Qampiena, which refers to the Siege Bell War Memorial erected in 1992 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the award to Malta of the George Cross for the island’s heroic stand during World War II.

In the past, street names were usually found on the corner at about seven metres above floor level. Old lithographs and prints show they mainly consisted of a small rectangular sign painted white, with the street name in black paint. Some signs also had a painted border.

From the time of the Order, street names in Valletta, and elsewhere in Malta, were in Italian. They only changed to French during the French occupation of Malta between 1798 and 1800 and reverted back to Italian until circa 1938, when the British administration ordered that all street names were to be only in English.

Until recently, a handful of these signs of circa 1938 survived. These consisted of a wooden plaque about 20cm by 15cm with the name of the street written in black paint and in bold capital letters. After the war, many of the street names in Valletta were again painted on street corners in black paint on a white rectangle, later changed to marble slabs with the name incised and recently, glazed earthenware was introduced.

Years ago, during one of the numerous monitoring inspections around Valletta that my work required, I noticed what could be remnants of two of the early street names, one in Italian of post-1800 and the other possibly older and in French.

During the rule of the Order of St John, Old Bakery Street was known as Strada San Gio Battista. The French changed it to Rue des Fours because of the Order’s bakery and this name was kept after 1800 and became Strada Forni, later changing to Old Bakery Street. It is now Triq l-Ifran; ‘fran’ meaning bakeries.

This sign is located on the corner of Old Bakery Street and St Christopher Street. It consists of faded, partial outlines of the letters painted directly onto the stone fabric and of which Strada is still recognisable but only the ‘ni’ of Forni remains due to weathering of the stone block on which this section was painted.

The other sign is on St Christopher Street corner with Republic Street. Only the letters ‘de’ are clear and I dare speculate that it could possibly be part of the French street name ‘Rue des droits de l’homme’,or I was misled and it’s just an old advert from the days of the bars and British sailors.

The attached photos give a better explanation, including the illustration by C.F. von Brockdorff, which depicts how these old street names were displayed. I hope that urgent intervention can be made in order for these signs not to be lost, particularly due to the fast rate of development in Valletta and the renovation of façades.

Valletta has a wealth of old, painted signs, not just these street names. Many are old adverts, while others are shop names. These pertain to our industrial heritage but either due to time or the unmerciful idea of a bare-stone, rustic finish, many such signs are being lost.

Unfortunately, I doubt if our heritage laws contain any legal protection for these signs or for old graffiti.