All about Maltese houses

The Maltese house, and everything that has to do with architectural features, can be found in a new book to be launched shortly, appropriately entitled Id-dar Maltija.

The author, Salvator Mousù, said he wrote the book in Maltese because he wanted to capture and immortalise several idioms and information about every aspect one can think of when speaking about Maltese houses.

"One of the things that struck me most when conducting research and speaking to old people about various aspects of Maltese houses is that nothing was wasted when houses were built. Every scrap of stone that was quarried was put to use in some way or other," Mr Mousù said.

Stone for houses was usually quarried from the site and the actual quarrying made way for the kantina (the basement). A system of grills from the kantina to the courtyard ensured there was ventilation, keeping the house cooler in summer and warmer in winter.

"The kantina served a lot of purposes. It saved the costs of transport as stone was used very close to where it was quarried. It played an important part in the ventilation of the house, prevented rising damp and provided a fresh storage place.

"Old timers used to say that stone got offended when carried over long distances and that's when problems with weathering started. Of course, there is no scientific proof about this but it does show that our forefathers had a certain respect for the stone," Mr Mousù said.

The author also discussed the etymology of some words associated with homes. He argues that the word gallarija, used for balconies, originated from the word gallery, used for an exhibition hall, after a long balcony built at the Grand Master's Palace probably reminded people of a gallery.

"One has to recall it was the British who made the Maltese timber balcony what it is now. Wood was very costly during the time of the knights and it became more affordable under British rule," Mr Mousù said.

The book is divided into 27 short chapters which deal with all sorts of concepts from the villeġġjatura (summer house) to niches and heraldic arms on houses. The drawings, plates and photos were all done by the author.

"It is rather ironic that interest in the Maltese house was rekindled by foreigners who started buying houses of character in alleys in villages and who did their best to preserve their characteristics. I hope this book will serve as a springboard for research into the various facets I wrote about," he said.