The importance of documentation and the conservation of St Mary Magdalene church, Valletta

Abstract

A historic building is a symbol of our cultural identity, it tells us about who we are and about the past that has formed us and our environment. It is irreplaceable and precious to us and to future generations. This may be said of St Mary Magdalene Church, Merchants Street Valletta; the church, which is a fine example of baroque architecture, is unfortunately very much neglected and in need of conservation. All stone monuments are affected by the forces of nature, general wear and tear and possible alterations which may result in their irretrievable loss. St Mary Magdalene Church is no exception. A look at the facade quickly reveals that we ought to stop the process of decline if we are to preserve the church. Moreover the fact that the church has not been maintained for a number of years coupled with the fact that it is presently being used as a work shop to build and house carnival floats, makes its conservation all the more urgently required. The scope of this study is twofold: to highlight the importance of thorough investigations about a building before any conservation work is attempted; and then to carry out some initial studies in relation to St Mary Magdalene Church in order to emphasis the need of conservation for this church. By way of introduction, in chapter 1, I consider the history of conservation and the need of documentation as the initial phase of any conservation project as required by various international standards. In chapter 2, I briefly describe some of the more important methods of documentation. Chapter 3 is dedicated to the historical documentation. Chapter 4 focuses on an architectural description of the church and includes my findings and observations. This is followed by the conclusion.