Around 800 manuscripts dating from 1786 to the end of the 19th century, covering the works of 16 architects, have been donated to the National Archives.
Architect André Zammit, who was born in Gozo in 1930 and died on May 14, 2020, discovered the collection in a loft at an old family house in Lija in around 1990.
The records cover the careers of architects Michele Cachia (1760 -1839), Francesco (1755 – 1820) and Giovanni Sammut (1784 – 1841), and Giuseppe (1812 – 1859) and Francesco Zammit (1844 – 1917) as well as works by Saverio (1740 – 1799), Pietro (1774 – 1803), Salvatore (1777 – 1830), Giuseppe (1741 – 1841) and Gaetano Xerri (1783 – 1853), Pasquale (1738 – 1817) and Vincenzo Sammut (1782 – 1850), Paolo (1792 – date unknown) and Alfred Zammit (1892 – 1970).
The collection includes sketches and notes of houses or fields for calculation and valuation or partition requested by owners, heirs or the courts, agrimensore course notes and school copybooks.
It also reflects the broader political context, for example the twilight of the Order of St John’s stay in Malta and the revolution against the French in 1798, where Michele Cachia played a key role and established the British administration.
Addressing a news conference at the National Archives in Rabat where the manuscripts were formally donated to the State, National Heritage Minister Owen Bonnici described the donation as one “of great importance” as it will “keep history as an integral part of our country's life”.
He thanked Zammit’s widow Victoria for the donation and workers at the archives for their work and dedication. National archivist Charles Farrugia said such donations offered materials that shed light on a specific type of architecture and the work of various Maltese architects. During the conference, the last of a series of three exhibitions from the European Digital Treasures was also inaugurated.
This exhibition, on the theme “Technology” is being held as part of the European Digital Treasures project, a project co-financed by the Creative Europe program of the European Union.
The project includes a consortium of five national archives (Malta, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Norway), ICARUS (International Center for Archival Research, Austria) and the Munster University of Technology (Ireland).