Amnesia by design : building and rebuilding in a Mediterranean small island-state

Abstract

The Republic of Malta is a small island-state in the central Mediterranean, 90 km south of Sicily. Three basic characteristics define the conditions that make it an interesting case of contestation over space, place, heritage and memory. First, it is an extremely small country, with a land area of 316 sq. km, mostly accounted for by the two main islands of Malta and Gozo. Second, the islands have been inhabited for most of the past eight millennia, resulting in a rich archaeological and architectural patrimony across the archipelago. Third, Malta’s population is currently estimated at around half a million inhabitants, making it one of the most densely populated territories on Earth. Taken together, these three factors have resulted in a situation where space and land use are hotly contested issues and where, inevitably, the protection of cultural heritage is also under severe pressures and bitterly contested. This chapter is divided into three parts. It will first trace the evolution of some key developments leading up to the situation today. The present-day pressures that the construction industry is creating on cultural heritage, how these are being managed and the consequences for the historic environment are then examined. Some of the underlying dynamics, discourses and other factors that are determining decisions today are then discussed.