Works are well under way on the conservation treatment of the fourth and final surviving volume of notary Placido Abela at the Notarial Archives in Valletta.
These documents recall a time when land was sold for the founding of Valletta; and this restoration was sponsored by GasanMamo Insurance as part of its ongoing commitments towards the Notarial Archive Foundation (NAF) and the preservation of Malta’s paper heritage.
“GasanMamo has been proudly supporting the Notarial Archives throughout various initiatives since 2013. Most recently, we have ‘adopted’ a notary, Placido Abela, and are collaborating with the NAF towards the restoration of his final volume. We’re delighted to have been able to contribute towards Malta’s legacy with the preservation of the first three volumes,” said Julian Mamo, managing director at GasanMamo Insurance.
The works of Abela are especially of interest to GasanMamo, a company renown to give back to the community, as his works detail the records of selling of various plots of lands on Xebb Ir-Ras (colloquially known as Sceberras Peninsula), the eventual site of Valletta.
“Thanks to this scheme we are recognising the efforts being done by the private sector in continuing to increase the awareness and the importance to restore and conserve our heritage,” said Minister of Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici recently during the presentation of the fourth volume.
“We thought to consolidate the resources at the Government Notary’s Office, which saw the introduction of a new building that is being restored, and an increase in the allocation of scholarships for the preservation of books and 25 per cent paper, hence to ensure that more manuscripts and volumes about our past may be available,” said Bonnici.
The conservation process of such ancient manuscripts requires several specialist techniques, including extensive paper repair, consolidation and strengthening of any leaves which may have been corroded by ink, and the replacement of a binding system which is less likely to cause acidic damage over time to the pages contained within. The fragility of such documents should not be understated, as it is estimated that around a hundred volumes of Abela’s works have already been lost.
“At GasanMamo, we take a particular interest in preserving Malta’s history, culture and traditions. Rather than simply giving back – it’s about leaving a sense of self to our children. It’s about the legacy, the history,” added Mamo.