Cathedral archives transferred

The Mdina Cathedral Archives have been transferred to 11, Villegaignon Street, Mdina.

The new archives carry the records of the Mdina Episcopal Curia, the Musical Archives and other collections which had previously been housed in the ground floor of the Cathedral Museum since it opened in 1969.

Throughout the past 35 years, scholars availed themselves of the archives and enriched Malta's history with the fruitful results of their research, the Curia said.

It said that in order to further promote this achievement and to provide more space for the museum's prestigious collections, it was deemed opportune to provide more space for the archives.

Agatha Formosa Gauci donated to the Cathedral Chapter a house at Mdina to serve as an alternative setting for the archives while enhancing the memory of her uncle - the late Archdeacon Mgr Joseph Apap Bologna.

Maltese Culture Institute president Marie Amelie Gleisez Dewavrin made a generous financial donation towards the purchase of moveable scaffolding needed to systemise the archives in the available space of their new setting.

The new premises were inaugurated yesterday with a Mass led by the Archbishop, Mgr Joseph Mercieca at the cathedral.

The Mass also marked the 302nd anniversary of the cathedral's consecration. It was followed by an organ recital by cathedral organist John Aquilina who played pieces from Vivaldi, Bach, Vierne and Boellmann.