Monday, 6th July 2009

The Valletta plans (3)

Victor E. Ragonesi, Sliema

Hands off Valletta and its original entrance; everybody.

Valletta is the second city in Europe with all its roads parallel, north/south/east/west. The first city with parallel roads in Europe was part of Turin, in northern Italy.

Nobody has the right to desecrate Malta's capital.

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Comments

Guze Xerri (on 6/7/09)

I rather liked the Col. Thompson city gate of 1853.
It was a sad occasion when it was demolished in 1964, I remember that so well along with the fine independence ceremonies of September 1964.
It seems like it all happened yesterday.

john Samut-Tagliaferro (on 6/7/09)

@Michael Vella. Kingsgate did NOT incorporate the original Porta San Giorgio.

Karl Consiglio (on 6/7/09)

This letter is funny, first it tells us to keep our hands off Valletta's original entrance, then instead of expanding on that subject, Mr Ragonesi randomly goes on to talk about Valletta's parallel roads. What do the parallel roads have to do with the Renzo Piano project? I think Mr Ragonesi is just grumbling for the sake of it.

jcmicallef (on 6/7/09)

Looking at old pics of Kingsgate, the old one did not look very nice either. Rather, it was more like an intrusion in the bastions. Now I think that Piano's design starts to make sense. The only good thing about the current 'gate' is its Italian influence.

Charles Sammut (on 6/7/09)

@ Michael A. Vella How exactly does a breach in the bastions, the building over of an open space, obliterating of the view of St James' Cavalier and sticking some poles and panels in the Opera House ruins give Valletta back its soul? What it's going to give is some EUR 4 million in fees to Piano.

J Martinelli (on 6/7/09)

Can Dr. Ragonesi clarify which part of Renzo Piano's plan desecrates Malta's capital? I can't imagine Dr. Ragonesi wants to preserve the crumbling excuse of a city gate which is in place now and which hardly survived four decades as a result of poor planning and poor workmanship?

C Borg (on 6/7/09)

Spot on Mr Vella. I only want to add, that Dr Rogenesi was actually a minister of the same cabinet of the 1960's

Michael A. Vella (on 6/7/09)

What 'original entrance' , Dr Ragonesi?
Perhaps Dr Ragonesi may wish to let us all know what his standpoint was in the early 1960s when the real desecration took place, that is, when the complete obliteration of Kingsgate - constructed in the 19th century, but incorporating the original Porta S. Giorgio of a much earlier date - and the dynamiting of huge sectors of flanking curtain walls and solid rock were executed to make room for the architecural monstrosity and bleak vacant space that for the past four decades have [dis]graced the main entrance to the city.

The Piano project will go a long way to giving Valletta back its soul.