Priceless manuscripts, plans, drawings, engravings and books on Gozo which form part of the National Library collection, are currently on show at the Exhibitions’ Hall in St Francis Square, Victoria, Gozo

The exhibition has been put up as part of the activities of Lejlet Lapsi – Notte Gozitana being held in Gozo between May 22 and 24.

The exhibition has seven sections including; administration, church matters, archaeology, history, daily life, defence and literature.

Amongst the documents on show one may view 15thcentury transactions of the Universitas, correspondence by historical figures such as De Soldanis and Archpriest Saverio Cassar as well as other documents of a historical nature.

One of the main attractions is a collection of 19th century watercolours by Charles de Brocktorff which show the Ġgantija Temples and the Xagħra Stone Circle immediately after clearance in the first decades of the nineteenth century. These watercolours, originally in the possession of the Duke of Buckingham, were acquired by the National Library in 1925. This is the first time that all the watercolours are being exhibited simultaneously .

Other exhibits include the manuscript copy of the first history of Gozo written by De Soldanis, the Cabreo Vilhena showing the property of the Order in Malta and Gozo as well as the watercolours of prehistoric monuments in Gozo from the Atlantide of Giorgio Grognet de Vasse, the renowned architect of the Mosta Rotunda.

A number of plans show various defences and proposals for the defence of Gozo during the Order’s rule as well the original plans of the St John the Baptist Hospital.

The exhibition is open daily between 8.00am and 4.30pm and on weekends from 9.00am till noon. It will remain open till May 24 May and admission is free. On Lejlet Lapsi the exhibition will remain open till midnight.

Teżori ta’ Għawdex mill-Biblioteka Nazzjonali ta’ Malta

Madwar sebgħin manuskritt, pjanti, tpinġijiet, inċiżjonijiet u kotba dwar Għawdex mill-Biblioteka Nazzjonali ta’ Malta, bħalissa jinsabu għall-wiri fis-Sala tal-Wirjiet fi Pjazza San Franġisk fir-Rabat Għawdex.

Il-wirja qed tittella’ bħala parti mill-attivitajiet li qed isiru f’Għawdex għal Lejlet Lapsi – Notte Gozitana li ser tinżamm bejn it-22 u 24 ta’ Mejju.

Id-dokumenti murija f’din il-wirja kollha għandhom relazzjoni ma’ Għawdex. Il-wirja fiha seba’ taqsimiet li jkopru l-amministrazzjoni, il-Knisja, l-arkeoloġija, l-istorja, il-ħajja ta’ kuljum, id-difiża u l-letteratura. Fost id-dokumenti għall-wiri hemm manuskritti li jaslu sas-seklu ħmistax, korrispondenza ta’ nies magħrufa bħal de Soldanis u l-Arċipriet Saver Cassar kif ukoll dokumenti oħra ta’ natura storika. Il-wirja tinkludi wkoll numru ta’ tpinġijiet li l-parti l-kbira minnhom jitrattaw dwar il-Ġgantija kif ukoll dwar fdalijiet storiċi u naturali li jinstabu f’Għawdex.

Waħda mill-attrazzjonijiet prinċipali ta’ din il-wirja hija l-kollezzjoni ta’ dsatax-il akwarella ta’ l-artist Charles de Brocktorff li juru t-Tempji tal-Ġgantija u ċ-Ċirku tax-Xagħra immedjatament wara li kienu ġew imnaddfa fil-bidu tas-seklu dsatax. Dawn l-akwarelli li oriġinarjament kienu propjeta tad-Duka ta’ Buckingham kienu ġew akkwistati mill-Biblioteka Nazzjonali fl-1925. Din il-wirja hija l-ewwel okkażjoni fejn dawn l-akwarelli qed jiġu esebiti kollha flimkien għall-pubbliku. Manuskritti oħra esebiti jinkludu l-istorja manuskritta ta’ Għawdex ta’ Agius de Soldanis, il-Kabrew Vilhena li fih ġabra ta’ propjetajiet ta’ l-Ordni f’Malta u Għawdex kif ukoll l-akwarelli ta’ monumenti preistorici f’Għawdex mill-Atlantide ta’ Giorgio Grognet de Vasse l-arkitett tar-Rotunda tal-Mosta.

Numru ta’ pjanti juru diversi fortifikazzjonijiet u proposti għal difiża aħjar tal-gżira ta’ Għawdex matul it-tmexxija ta’ l-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann kif ukoll il-pjanti oriġinali ta’ l-isptar ta’ San Ġwann Battista mibni fl-1729 fejn illum qed issir il-wirja u li din is-sena jaħbat għeluq il-280 sena mill-inawgurazzjoni tiegħu.

Il-wirja qed tittella’ bil-kollaborazzjoni sħiħa tal-Biblioteka Nazzjonali ta’ Malta

Il-wirja tiftaħ kuljum bejn it-8.00am u l-4.30pm kif ukoll nhar ta’ Sibt u Ħadd bejn id-9.00am u nofsinhar. Il-wirja ser iddum miftuħa sa l-24 ta’ Mejju u dħul huwa b’xejn. Għall-okkażjoni ta’ Lejlet Lapsi – Notte Gozitana, fit-22 u 23 ta’ Mejju, il-wirja ser iddum miftuħa sa nofs il-lejl.

Għall-okkażjoni, ġie stampat katalgu li jinkludi deskrizzjoni qasira dwar kull manuskritt esebit. Il-katalgu jista jinkiseb mill-istess sala tal-wirja.

08.05.09