Defining and safeguarding the Maltese village

Abstract

The Maltese village is a living embodiment of Maltese cultural identity, collective memory and local traditions. It has been shaped over centuries by the religious and social structures, and evolving needs of its inhabitants. It is a cultural landscape; a product of space, people and time. However, it has been changing at a rapid pace, which has accelerated since the attainment of independence, with increased and insensitive development, urban sprawl, and socio-economic changes. This has arguably begun to erode its character and spirit of place over time. In order to understand how it is being impacted, it is essential to have a more holistic understanding of its tangible and intangible qualities and values. Using a mixed methods approach, this study aims to identify what constitutes the Maltese village beyond just the physical form, demonstrating how the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The study identifies planning policies, exploring their positive or negative impacts on Maltese villages. Furthermore, it will identify the values that were formed over time around the idea of the archetypal Maltese village which is obtained through the exploration of artworks, photography and literary works. This process showed recurring themes which allowed the capturing of both the tangible and intangible character-defining elements of the Maltese village. Using art-based research provides a sensory, atmospheric and emotional facet to the study which would not have been possible to gather from research of literature alone. A case study village was carefully selected, to explore its evolution and employ character assessment methods from the research. Finally, the matter of how well the Maltese village was safeguarded was discussed, exploring recurring matters observed in Maltese villages. Through this study it became apparent how there is a disconnect between the growing appreciation toward the Maltese village, and the protection it is receiving, resulting in a rather elusive condition on the ground where the village core is relatively well protected, but its relationship with the context is not being respected. Alternative ways how development can be addressed are explored and was discussed.