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07.05.2020 10 TOWNSCAPES More than 3,000sq.m of urban gardens in Pietà given high protection status MORE than 3000m2 of garden area in the urban conservation zone of Pi- età, together with a row of houses in Strait street Valletta have been given Grade 1 and 2 protection status by the Planning Authority, following collab- orative work carried out together with the Superintendence of Cultural Her- itage. A number of properties in Triq San- ta Monika and Telghet Gwardamanga have had the garden area surround- ing or at the back end of the property scheduled. This protection has been granted by the Planning Authority to safeguard these open spaces which are not on- ly integral to their adjoining property but also to the morphology of the Pie- tà village core area. The buildings of all the properties had been scheduled by the Authority some years back. The extensive gardens surrounding the Parish dedicated to our Lady of Lourdes have been given the highest grade of protection. Over 20 other properties in Telghet Gwardaman- ga, in the close vicinity of St. Ignatius School, which include Casa Gwarda- mangia, Villa Calypso, Dar Ida have had their gardens scheduled as Grade 2 properties. Further down the street, door num- ber 28 was scheduled as Grade 3 so that a stretch of similar houses now all have the same protection. This prop- erty forms part of five identical adja- cent houses that have the same mass- ing, rhythm, design and traditional features. They are protected for their collective value. A row of houses in Strait street Val- letta, opposite Vincenti Buildings, was also given a Grade 2 protection status. The houses, although not monu- mental in style and character, were built in 1787 by the Assembly of the Venerable Langue of Provence to in- crease their revenue. They chose to build these houses in the back garden of their Auberge which overlooked Strait Street. The Assembly appointed well-known ar- chitect Stefano Ittar to build a work- manlike structure suitable for its purpose, which was to provide urban residential units as quickly and as in- expensively as possible. The facade is adorned with a tight row of windows on the first and sec- ond floor and three staggered wooden balconies. The buildings are full of apertures mainly because Strait Street was nar- rower with natural light being limited. Although the facades are rather plain, there is a flash of the old brilliance in the carved pediments of the second floor. Today, the houses are used as one single building by the Ministry for Home Affairs and National Security. In Malta, Polish-born Architect Ste- fano Ittar is primarily known for the design of the Biblioteca in Valletta. He was commissioned by the Coun- cil of the Order of St. John after hav- ing worked and extensively contribut- ed towards Sicilian architecture. His masterpiece remains the facade of the Basilica della Collegiata in Catania. More informatiion on all the sched- uled buildings and properties in Malta and Gozo is available at www.pa.org. mt Scheduled houses in Strait Street in Valletta Scheduled Pietà gardens

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