The nightly rambling dreams still knock on morning doors to open wide. Distorted views and misty recollections project stories of old Sa Maison. The truth is hidden in learned minds of authors fragmented by the march of time. Even newspapers are not immune to human hazards. However, it is not often that mistakes in the Times of Malta escape the vigilant eye of the editor.
I write with reference to the photograph on page 5 (May 3). It was supposed to show the whereabouts of the new contemporary arts museum. These, so called ‘whereabouts’ are far from being accurate. Even explanatory details boggle the mind.
The Ospizio is in Balzunetta, the northern district of Floriana. The photo shows the unique arch that separates the old Ospizio and Sa Maison gardens. The Garden of Repose is nowhere near to the inaccessible part of Sa Maison garden. Nor is Hay Wharf within reach of Sa Maison and less so of the Ospizio.
The passage underneath the arch was made impassable because the gardeners had dumped garden residue there. In short, the new contemporary arts museum needs directions, if not cultural and historical knowledge of the whereabouts of both Sa Maison garden and more so of the Ospizio.
Between the years 1856 and 1903, Lintorn Barracks in Floriana were the billets of several British regiments. They had camping facilities in Sa Maison, and were also in charge of tending the garden. They did more. They immortalised their stay by carving their regimental crests and other relics in stone. The lower part of the bastions was practically all defaced.
The elements, thefts and vandalism played havoc with these testimonials. Worst of all, Sa Maison remained open to the public but not well attended. Between 1901 and 1903 the garden fell into neglect.
The skewed arch is attributed to the workmanship of Giovanni Barbara. He was reputed to have worked for Pietro Paolo Floriani in the building of the Floriana fortifications.
The important opening pierces the San Salvatore counterguard that reinforced the Bastion of Provence. This arch spans over a space of 30 feet. It is unique because it is a skewed arch. It is oblique in form. It was made impassable as a means of security. Part of its edge was damaged by a wartime bomb and never repaired.
In fact the damage was allowed to deteriorate. The arch made possible the entrance to the lower end of Sa Maison garden to the Ospizio and then to the Polverista Gate. This way was also of easy access to Lintorn Barracks.
Yet, the debris purposely denied access to the cellars and buildings on the other side of the arch.
As has happened so often in Malta, the pre-eminence of military power overrode all objections
The Ospizio had its own history. It was built by Floriana’s benefactor, the Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena. It was a refuge for illegitimate and stray girls. It was well decorated with a fountain. An artistic statue had disappeared overnight. This gem had embellished the far wall of the open space and its fountain.
The British military contingents, and later, the Malta Police Force had made use of the premises and spacious yard. Here they garaged their vehicles. A guard ensured a double security. It was well protected by a high wrought iron gate with its own design. It was conspicuous by its height: it was noticeable as one walked down Conservatorio Street on one’s visit to the government income tax offices.
The five different levels of the garden fell in descending order. Each revealed the changing scenes of Msida Creek and of Manoel Island. A path along the western bastion led the visitor to a conspicuously architectural feature. The watch tower stands precipitously above road level.
Below this, the evergreen pinetum slides down to road level. It was planted in 1935 and commemorated the silver jubilee of King George V. Its verdure climbs uphill all the way to the Floriana fortifications as far as Portes des Bombes.
Many conjectures add colour to several spots in Sa Maison. At one level of the terraced complex lay the ghostly remains of the villa of Lady Julia Lockwood, or the ‘milorda,’ the feminine gender of ‘my lord’. Lady Julia had transformed a mere shack into a villa. It was probably used on odd days by one of the knights. Possibly he hunted rabbits or fowl.
In its stead lies the gun emplacement. It was a British addition.
Possibly of French descent, the knight gave his small abode a French expression, Sa Maison. Not to be undone,other writers associated the small habitation with the hideout of a clan of Mażuni. The resemblance of the words mason and the Maltese word mażun was quite uncanny.
In any case Lady Julia had enough land on which to build a villa and surrounding gardens. However, to pull down a villa to plant a gun instead was ignorant madness. Possibly it was a vile British pique that was stirred by unrequited love.
The high-ranking regimental officer made advances to Lady Julia. She brushed him off in no uncertain manner. He resented her haughty attitude and did not accept her legitimate arguments and platitudes.
As has happened so often in Malta, the pre-eminence of military power overrode all objections, even though a gun could not fire inland. In short her villa had to give way to a gun emplacement. She lost all that she had worked for.
Military vindictiveness was rampart during colonial times and equally evident. Floriana lost six massive gates to make way for British intransigences or because the exigencies of the service warranted so.
It is said that the contemporary arts museum will have a pedestrian access from Hay Wharf to the Ospizio centre. The writer had an erroneous idea of directions in reaching the Ospizio from Hay Wharf.
Hay Wharf lies along the stretch of deep water quay that had provided anchorage for large yachts and ships. It lay under the bastion, exactly below, the gardjola. Reaching the top places from Hay Wharf needs stamina and bodily fitness. Only one road climbs uphill all the way. This means surviving the dangerous blind bends of the road without a pavement and the near misses of speeding traffic.
Joe Bugeja is a former lecturer at the University of Malta.