Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1489031
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 DECEMBER 2022 8 COMMERCIAL Another successful PA initiative sees traditional balconies restored around Marsamxett area Many people associate the Planning Authority (PA) only with building permits and development regulations, which happens to be only one side of its work. The PA also actively works to improve our urban landscapes by promoting best practices, building aesthetics, and preserving historical architecture AMONGST other initiatives in the field, the PA has recently successfully concluded all works on the Valletta Marsamxett Grant Scheme. This scheme of- fered residents living within the Marsamxett area of Valletta the one-time opportunity to get ful- ly funded for works associated with restoring or replacing their open or timber balconies, facade apertures, railings, wrought iron grills and corbels. Profes- sional fees and the costs of any scaffolding during work were al- so being covered by the scheme. It is not coincidental that in this initiative, the PA has fo- cused on the historic Valletta quarter of Marsamxett. Long steeped in history, this place suf- fered the brunt of many wars, including AXIS bombings in the Second World War. Falling out- side the commercial heart of the capital, Marsamxett had seen little investment in its buildings for many years, so it ticked all the boxes as a quarter in need of attention. This quarter goes back hun- dreds of years to a time long before the building of the 'new capital' - so it longed for some much-needed TLC. What's in a name? Many times, you can tell a lot from a place name. Formerly known as 'Marsa-Muschetto', it became known as Marsamxett in the lo- cal vernacular. The place's name consists of two words, namely 'Marsa', which in Siculo-Arabic means a 'harbour' and 'Musche- to', which in Sicilian means a musket, that's a muzzle-loaded long gun used in the 16th cen- tury. Over the past years, the Plan- ning Authority has been at the forefront in providing financial grants to assist property owners in restoring the façade of their residences – including the tra- ditional balcony – or as it pop- ularly referred to in the Maltese language, 'il-Gallarija'. The Maltese closed wooden balcony is one of the most tradi- tional elements within our his- toric urban landscape and a vital and influential feature within the local streetscape. One can see comparable balconies in Spain, Italy, Tunisia and elsewhere in Europe. However, some histori- ans think that the local origins of the wooden clad 'gallarija' may be from the late Middle Ages, when the Siculo-Arabs, with their strong North African in- fluence, ruled our islands. The 'Muxrabija' window (made of wood or stone) is another ele- ment considered the closed bal- cony's predecessor and traces its origins to the Arab period. It was only through the in- creased availability and afforda- bility of wood in the local mar- ket, sometime in the early 17th century, that the popularity of the closed wooden balcony propagated and grew in num- bers, most especially among the well-to-do in Valletta, the Three Cities and palazzo owners in the towns and villages. During the 19th century, under British rule, increased importation and greater affordability of wood made it easier for the masses to afford a closed wooden balcony. This helped create a new type of craft 'guild'; that of the wooden balcony carpenter. With its proximity to Sicily, it is no surprise that many build- ing facades carry so many things in common with those found across the short stretch of sea to the north. Baroque architecture, amongst other styles, can often