An Agenda sign has gone up where the landmark Sapienza's stood for decades.
Sapienza's was opened by Paul Sapienza in 1903 in St Mark Street, near the present ferry terminal to Sliema. As was the trend in those days, it was a bazaar, offering stationery and newspapers, books - mostly text books - as well as printing services.
"Shops in those days were not specialised the way they are today," James Sapienza said. "That only came when bazaars opened in the villages and shops in Valletta had to entice clients with a specific offering. There were only a few dozen students at the university in Valletta in those days so the shop could not survive off text books alone!"
The business ticked over comfortably but when the tram was introduced in the late 1920s, it moved activity from the harbour up to Kingsway, as Republic Street was then known. Paul knew that the business needed a boost and over the course of a year, he wrote to his son, an engineer who had made a successful life for himself in Australia. He eventually persuaded him to return, and the shop moved to Kingsway, in premises that it eventually bought in the 1980s.
"He was very enterprising and somewhat cocky," James recalled. "He started to bring in the British newspapers and his boy used to hand deliver them to Governor Strickland."
Books were still a sideline and remained so until after the war. Louis Sapienza, the grandson of the founder, took over in 1964, inspired by his brother Tony, a Jesuit who had a degree in librarianship and who had set up the Malta Library Association.
Working with Paul Xuereb, Fr Tony was instrumental in equipping the university library when this moved to Tal-Qroqq and Sapienza's become its supplier.
"It was an exciting and busy time. I can remember my father typing away all day, stopping only to go to the Post Office to pick up consignments," James recalled.
"Books became the backbone of the company and it was only a matter of time before we shed all the other aspects. The printing press was sold to the General Workers' Union and we stopped selling newspapers and stationery. By then other business were opening up who offered these services." By the 1980s, Louis' sons James, Mark and Brian had been brought into the business.
"We worked very closely together. That is the way in which our father had brought us up," James said.
"He was a very gentle man. He always encouraged rather than criticised." By the time Louis died in 2005, there were already seven children in the next generation. The time had come for the business to move on...
Sapienza's was opened by Paul Sapienza in 1903 in St Mark Street, near the present ferry terminal to Sliema. As was the trend in those days, it was a bazaar, offering stationery and newspapers, books - mostly text books - as well as printing services.
"Shops in those days were not specialised the way they are today," James Sapienza said. "That only came when bazaars opened in the villages and shops in Valletta had to entice clients with a specific offering. There were only a few dozen students at the university in Valletta in those days so the shop could not survive off text books alone!"
The business ticked over comfortably but when the tram was introduced in the late 1920s, it moved activity from the harbour up to Kingsway, as Republic Street was then known. Paul knew that the business needed a boost and over the course of a year, he wrote to his son, an engineer who had made a successful life for himself in Australia. He eventually persuaded him to return, and the shop moved to Kingsway, in premises that it eventually bought in the 1980s.
"He was very enterprising and somewhat cocky," James recalled. "He started to bring in the British newspapers and his boy used to hand deliver them to Governor Strickland."
Books were still a sideline and remained so until after the war. Louis Sapienza, the grandson of the founder, took over in 1964, inspired by his brother Tony, a Jesuit who had a degree in librarianship and who had set up the Malta Library Association.
Working with Paul Xuereb, Fr Tony was instrumental in equipping the university library when this moved to Tal-Qroqq and Sapienza's become its supplier.
"It was an exciting and busy time. I can remember my father typing away all day, stopping only to go to the Post Office to pick up consignments," James recalled.
"Books became the backbone of the company and it was only a matter of time before we shed all the other aspects. The printing press was sold to the General Workers' Union and we stopped selling newspapers and stationery. By then other business were opening up who offered these services." By the 1980s, Louis' sons James, Mark and Brian had been brought into the business.
"We worked very closely together. That is the way in which our father had brought us up," James said.
"He was a very gentle man. He always encouraged rather than criticised." By the time Louis died in 2005, there were already seven children in the next generation. The time had come for the business to move on...