A Walk through History: the Del Monte Gate, Valletta

A graduate from the University of Malta in Archaeology and Anthropology and holding a Master’s degree in Baroque Studies, Christian Mifsud was active as a fieldwork archaeologist and has also worked on major national sites and World Heritage Sites whilst working with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. His ongoing PhD studies focus on urban development of the sixteenth century Malta; with key research interests including early modern archaeology, urban development, documentation methods and 3D reconstruction techniques for archaeological and historic sites.

Synopsis

Sponsored by the Alfred Mizzi Foundation. The Del Monte Gate was Valletta’s main entrance and a focal space for anyone visiting the city. Over time, the gate and its environs evolved, transformed and changed according to the city’s necessities. With the final transformation in 1884, the Del Monte Gate was replaced with a modern entrance adequate for those visiting the city as well as fit for military purpose of the time. It is however this last intervention which completely reconfigured the zone and irrevocably changed not only the historic fabric but the experience of arriving in the city. This study recreates the spaces through the means of a 3D virtual model. The reconstruction is based on a wide range of sources, including cartography, military plans, archival descriptions, paintings, photographs and also archaeological remains. The gate is recreated at the stage before it was demolished in 1884. It is the 3D reconstruction process itself which has provided additional information about the various transformations of the gate, allowing for new hypotheses about its development. With the help of the 3D virtual model, this study aims to present illustrations of the gate’s environs, contextualising the sources and providing a better understanding of this lost historical space.

Speaker: Christian Mifsud