Hundreds of years of historical records are unveiling a new picture of life in Malta over the last 600 years.

Restorers at the Notarial Archives in Valletta are piecing together, page by page and fragment by fragment, fascinating accounts of day-to-day life on the island and its surrounding shores.

Records stretch along some two kilometres of shelving and it is estimated that there is over 100 years of restoration work to be covered. However, the last 16 months have seen huge progress by volunteers who have a passion for saving this beautiful and crucial store of Malta’s history.

“If it weren’t for volunteers from HSBC Malta, we wouldn’t have made the progress we have,” Notarial Archives resources council member Joan Abela said.

“In fact, it was HSBC Malta Foundation’s €100,000 donation that set the ball rolling to conserve these important historical documents. Their action created a positive ripple effect.”

HSBC Malta staff members regularly volunteer to lend a helping hand to the project’s paper conservators. Last year, over 150 volunteered, while another 100 helped the previous year. Meanwhile, the archives’ digitisation project, currently under way, will ensure the long-term preservation of the documents while significantly improving public access to a wealth of notarial information.

This is part of the Notarial Archives Resources Council’s drive to turn this important repository of documents into a leading centre for both Maltese and Mediterranean historical study.