Vincent Camilleri, Birkirkara
A monument to De Valette
Although Malta has a good number of monuments to historical figures, heroes, artists, men of letters and other personalities, we do not have a single monument to Jean Parisot de Valette, the hero of the Great Siege of 1565 and the founder of our capital city, Valletta.
It is a shame that De Valette's memory has been neglected for so long. However, now that government is embarking on plans to rehabilitate Valletta, it should give this matter some priority and erect a monument to the Grand Master with the support of the local council, cultural associations and, of course, the public.
May I suggest that an ad hoc committee be immediately set up to make the public aware of the importance of such a monument, to open bank accounts for the public to contribute to the monument, to choose an artist to design and build the monument or to hold a competition among Maltese artists, and to find a suitable location for the monument.
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M. Sammut
Feb 16th 2010, 20:28
Vincet Camilleri mill-ftit kliem li stqarrejt nemmen li inti ragel li tassew gharaft l-hwejjeg li jaghtuk sens ta' identita' u jaghzluk min-nazzjonalitajiet shah.Jiena naqbel perfettament mal-proposta tieghek u jiena bhala studenta dejjem meta stajt xerridt din ix-xewqa. Skuzani izda jiena ma narax il-ghala Frangisku Lapparelli jisthoqqlu monument. kieku gie u ghamel il-pjanti taghna b'xejn u ma qaghadx jigbor il-flus mil-maltin u l-ordni kienu zgur jigglorifikawh l-ordni stess b'xi monument anki meta l-flus kienu neccessarji ghal affarijiet ohra.Nahseb triq imsejha ghalih hija bizzejjed(filfatt tiga tezisti wahda) It-tieni nett ,ftit fatti dwar l-istorjatal-istorja. Ma kinux l-maltin l-maggoranza dakinhar tal-assedju bi 4,000,izda suldati ohrajn ewropej u kavallieri bi 5,000. Imissna din ir-rebha naraw l-ewwel bis-sahha ta' min tassew irrbahnieha u min jisthoqqlu l-glorja tassew. Mhux nahseb li-monument ghall-maltin hi xi idea hazina,izda huwa bizzejjed r-rigal li hallewlna dawn l-istess kavallieri biex illum jaghmlulna sinjuri fit-turizmu u fl-istorja?Billi nittollerra l-opinjoni taghkom jiena stqarrejt l-fehma tieghi.
victor pulis
Feb 7th 2010, 11:52
Shouldn't the original architect of Valletta Francesco Laparelli have a monument in the city he designed? Is there at least a street named after him in the city?
Furthermore, Sir Christopher Wren's epitaph in St.Paul's cathedral in london ' if you seek his memorial look around you' holds true for Grand Master de Valette although we have made a mess of his city.
Anthony Mizzi
Feb 7th 2010, 11:00
Make it on wheels so there will be no difficulties in shifting should it suffer the fate of monuments like te Sette Giunjo Monument which have a habit at being moved about at the whims of the arrogance in power in their bid to re-write history .
It could also be easily shifted when the water sprouts are turned on.....
lgalea
Feb 7th 2010, 10:53
Valletta is itself a monument to him Vincent.
How about a monument to the Maltese people who lost their lives during the Great Siege?