In 2009, an exhibition was held at the Auberge de Castille, in Valletta of Luigi Maria Ugolini’s archaeological work in Malta between the late 1920s and 1933-34.
The exhibition included a huge blow-up mounting of a black and white photograph taken by Ugolini himself or by his photographic assistant, Igino Epicoco. This featured a man seated on Malta’s largest stone, a boulder of over 20 tons at Ħaġar Qim’s main temple, dating back to around 3000 BC.
The man seen seated at the corner of this huge stone is my late father, Albert E. Vassallo of Valletta (1887-1976), then aged 47. As an architect he worked closely with Ugolini at Ħaġar Qim and at the Tarxien temples.
It is understandable that, at the time the exhibition was mounted, the promoters did not have this knowledge available. Nor was this noted at the informative and well set out modern visitor centre set up under Reuben Grima in Ħaġar Qim since 2009.
But, to set the record straight, I thought it should be made public knowledge.
My late father kept this photograph – that had been presented to him by Ugolini himself or his assistant – in his architectural office in Valletta and, later, in the family album until 1986. This photo subsequently went astray. But now we have a new detailed copy thanks to this exhibition.
In 1917, my father had traced Ħal Ginwi temple or prehistoric settlement, southeast of Żejtun during Albert V. Laferla’s archaeological excavations. It is located about one kilometre from the Tas-Silġ multiple temples (A. V. Laferla, Archivium Melitense 1917, at the National Library, Valletta).
My father’s Vassallo’s uncles – Nicola (first two ground plans of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum with Antonio Doublet, October 1909) and Filippo (large colour plans of the complete Ħaġar Qim temple complex for A. A. Caruana, published in Malta 1880, printed in London - Albert Ganado 2009) – were both archaeological artists. Filippo Vassallo (1831-1897) had drawn other archaeological sites, including, probably, Ġgantija tower or temples in Gozo.
A second exhibition and presentation of Ugolini’s major Malta work, Malta, Origini della Civiltà Mediterranea, Rome 1934, including various photographs and plates, has just been held at the Auberge de Castille, in Valletta. Hence, the subject has become archaeologically very relevant once again.