This visa is given to students once they collect ten different stamps in their passport during visits to ten different Heritage Malta sites and museums. Two adults may accompany each student for this special occasion, Heritage Malta says.

Four sessions will be available at 9:15 am, 10:15 am, 11:15 am and 12:15 pm, for a maximum of ten children per each session. Each session will be divided into two parts: starting with a short tour of the site of San Pawl Milqi, followed by an activity related to bee-keeping and honey making techniques.

Heritage Malta emphasises that anybody allergic to bees should not participate, due to the presence of bees on site. At the same time, participants are recommended not to wear open shoes, heavy perfume and gel. The activity related to the bees will be only for the 10 children wearing protective clothing. No adults or small children will be allowed near, for safety reasons.

The site of San Pawl Milqi gets its name from the small chapel of San Pawl Milqi that replaced the 15th century chapel of St Paul Bindichi in the mid-17th century, both of which were built on the remains of a Roman villa. This villa is traditionally connected with the house of Publius, and therefore the place where St Paul was welcomed by the First Citizen.

Although the event is free of charge and is open only to Heritage Malta Passport Visa holders, tickets have to be booked. Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis from all Heritage Malta sites and museums. No tickets will be available on-site and admission is subject to presenting pre-issued tickets, together with the Heritage Malta Passport and Visa.

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The lecture will cover over 150 years of curating the collections and how a collection of 1,700 specimens has managed to reach a 10,000 figure.

In addition, the event will focus on some specimens and a number of donations, the taxidermists who prepared the specimens and the curators and ornithologists who studied Maltese birds.

Participants will learn about the role of the collections in the museum as tangible records, as comparative and prime source material for scientists making use of genetic studies, as well as aids to police investigations. Moreover, the talk will include the future of these collections, including their digitisation and their accessibility on the internet.

Admission to this event is free of charge.

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Mr Barthet studied at the “Liceo Umberto Primo” in Valletta and he began his art studies at the Malta School of Art, under the supervision of the artist Edward Caruana Dingli. In addition, he attended Giuseppe Calleja’s “Scuola del Nudo” at Old Mint Street.

Barthet was a prolific artist with the ability to diversify into still-life, landscape, and other genres, according to Heritage Malta. After that, he gained his new portraiture style during his studies in England at the “Academy of Arts” in Bath.

One of his most famous portraits is the one of Marì tal-Bajd, which represents a woman portrayed in her heavily veined and gnarled hands and in her expressive face which captures also a dignified look in her eyes. The painting is part of the National Collection and can be viewed at the national-community art museum MUŻA. Furthermore, Mr Barthet is known for his abstract rooftops paintings and for his ability to integrate painting and sculpture.

Admission to the event is free of charge.

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The three sites will extend their opening hours for this occasion and, during the Birgu candlelight event on Saturday, people will see Fort St Angelo lighting up with traditional torches (fjakkoli) while reenactors will attend the Sunday events.

In addition, the area of Fort St Angelo administered by the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is going to open to the public during the evenings of Friday and Saturday. People will also be able to access the three cultural sites with a combined €3 ticket.

Activities planned for Friday:

• 18.00hrs – Guided tour of the Inquisitor’s Palace (in English)
• 18.00hrs – Guided tour of Fort St Angelo (in Maltese)
• 19.00hrs and 20.30hrs – Discussing the French Blockade (1798 – 1800) at the Malta Maritime Museum
• 21.00hrs – Guided tour of the Inquisitor’s Palace (in Maltese)
• 21.00hrs – Guided tour of Fort St Angelo (in English)

Activities planned for Saturday:

• Fort St Angelo lit up with fjakkoli
• 18.00hrs – Guided tour of the Inquisitor’s Palace (in Maltese)
• 19.00hrs and 20.30hrs – Discussing the French Blockade (1798 – 1800) at the Malta Maritime Museum
• 20.00hrs – Guided tour of Fort St Angelo (in Maltese)
• 22.00hrs – Guided tour of Fort St Angelo (in English)

Activities planned for Sunday:

• 09.30hrs – Guided tour of the Inquisitor’s Palace (in Maltese)
• 10.00 to 16.00hrs – Re-enactments: Aspects of the Castrum Maris in 1400 at Fort St Angelo
• 12.00hrs – Guided tour of the Inquisitor’s Palace (in English)

The extended opening times are as follows:

• Friday 11th October from 09.00 till 23.00hrs (last admission at 22.30hrs)
• Saturday 12th October from 09.00 till mid-night (last admission at 23.30hrs)
• Sunday 13th October from 09.00 till 18.00hrs (last admission at 17.30hrs)

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Heritage Malta’s Underwater Cultural Heritage Unit (UCHU) was involved in the production Episode 6: Island Under Siege, which focusses on narratives that took place in 1940 when Axis powers attacked Malta. Heritage Malta says that the support of UCHU was “fundamental” in its contribution of the underwater sequences which will make the episode “more intriguing”.

“National Geographic’s productions are in line with UCHU’s outreach campaign at informing the general public about the importance of the underwater cultural heritage. By teaming up with National Geographic, Heritage Malta has facilitated the sharing of Malta’s cultural heritage with an international audience,” said Heritage Malta’s Acting CEO, Noel Zammit.

Heritage Malta established UCHU to create a department that was specifically responsible to identify a number of underwater sites so they could be studied, protected and made accessible to all in a controlled and managed way, the press statement says.

Heritage Malta is also working on establishing underwater archaeological parks off the shore of the Maltese Islands, which would carry many benefits, according to HM, such as enhancing the protection of the archipelago’s “unparallelled and precious underwater” cultural resources. Additionally, such sites can further enhance the tourism package the island nation can offer to divers, as Malta has embarked on its way to becoming a market leader in the field of deep water wreck diving, the press statement stresses.

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The green area is situated above the Abbatija tad-Dejr Catacombs, which represents the main reason why interested parties need to sign an accord with specific rules, Heritage Malta says. The agreement is valid for one year starting from the date of signing and the renewal is annual, according to the agency’s discretion.

The HM believes that its initiative can be of “great benefit for all the community” because it provides space for recreational gardening or food production, as well as and because green areas are always important for the environment, the press statement says.

People who are interested are asked to request a copy of the agreement plus an attached plan by email, by 14 October at noon, the latest.

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“Autumnal equinox”, as the Encyclopaedia Britannica says, happens when the Sun is exactly above the Equator and day-time and night-time are of equal length. Usually, the September equinox happens anytime on 21-24 September, due to the differences between the tropical and the calendar year. The spring equinox — or vernal equinox as the Encyclopaedia Britannica entry calls it — falls around 20-21 March.

A bit more than one month after the autumn equinox, on 27 October, the daylight saving time ends, which means that clocks are set back one hour at 3:00 am to 2:00 am. The resetting of the clocks, currently, happens twice a year. Although the European Union is drifting towards scrapping the DST and the majority of the Maltese public appears to be in favour of keeping to permanent summertime, it is still uncertain whether this very tradition will come to an end.

Due to the size of the venue, the tickets available for the HM tours are limited and the cost is €25 on online orders or on-site, while HM members only need to pay €15.

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The agency notes that the new website will be easier to use and will focus on providing access to the most important information.

Furthermore, each museum and each site has a page that provides updated details about opening days and hours and information about the admission fees. Moreover, most of these pages include a location map, 360 degrees views of the site, photos and a video which shows a taste of the attractions.

In addition, the new website opens a window on Heritage Malta’s various conservation labs and the Diagnostic Science Laboratories.

Other sections of the website provide updated news related to the agency and a calendar of activities listing all exhibitions and events, which can be booked online.

Noel Zammit, Heritage Malta Acting Chief Executive Officer said that it was a “significant achievement” for the agency to have changed its website. He explained that although the website still provides information about Heritage Malta and its work, in reality, it is mostly a visitor-centric website since it was created around the interests and needs of its users.

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Mr German is a former Chief Petty Officer of Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) St Angelo and one of the last individuals who left the shore establishment on 31 March 1979.

He will be back at the fort after more than 40 years, in order to honour his experience which involved carrying out guided tours to VIPs that included foreign prime ministers and presidents, a descendant of Grand Master de Valette and Fra Angelo De Mojana Di Cologna, Grand Master of the Order of St John, as the press release sent to BM says.

During the 19th century, the Fort St Angelo was run by the British Army and solidified as the main guardian of the Grand Harbour, with constant change in its artillery and it was taken over by the British Royal Navy in 1906 and used as a shore establishment. On 31 March 1979, it was the last place vacated by British Forces on Malta.

Furthermore, the tour will focus on the various structures and buildings within the Fort and their use by the Royal Navy until 1979. After that, the site curator will guide visitors around the current exhibition “Behind Closed Doors: Fort St Angelo & the Royal Navy 1906-1979”.

The post Heritage Malta celebrates Fort St Angelo first appeared on The Malta Business Weekly.

The mural is part of the Gabriel Caruana Collection, which was dismantled from the Delimara power station to make way for the new gas-fired power station, and the artwork was donated to HM to remain part of the art collection of the country.

The €8,000 restoration project was run by energy services provider Enemalta. The company says it wanted to ensure that the artwork was received in their best condition, as the HM press release says.

“Thanks to this donation, we are further strengthening Caruana’s legacy as one of our local modern art pioneers. While also commemorating this great artist, we are also reinforcing the cultural and artistic platform for local talent and for local artists to increase professionalisation within the sector,” said Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici.

“We want to invest further in our growing cultural and creative sector, a sector that has been increasingly strengthened and is performing to high expectations,” he added.

“Heritage Malta shall be issuing a number of calls in the coming weeks for artistic installations and exhibitions in line with MUŻA’s programming for the coming years. This will give the opportunity to the local artistic community to exhibit and showcase their work,” said Noel Zammit, Acting CEO of Heritage Malta.

“This forms part of Heritage Malta’s strategy to bring MUŻA in line with its mission – that of being an art and community museum,” added Mr Zammit.

Gabriel Caruana (1929 – 2018) was a renowned artist in the field of sculpture, painting, and ceramics. He was one of the pioneers of modern art, expressing himself in innovative sculptures in wood, papier-mâché, objects trouvés, paintings and ceramic art, the Maltese government’s Department of Information (DOI) says in a press statement.

During his career spanning over 60 years, he received several recognitions including the Medal for Artistic Achievement (1999), the Premju Għarfien Kulturali (2003), and a gold medal by the Malta Society for Arts (2014) for his contribution as an artist and art educator.

“Caruana has been key to make contemporary art more accessible to the public. In 1990, he succeeded to convert an old mill in Birkirkara into a centre for modern art and together with Mary Rose Caruana, he founded the Mill Art, Culture and Crafts Centre which seeks to promote local artists,” the DOI press release says commemorating the artist.

EDITORIAL NOTE: The present story has been updated with additional information about Gabriel Caruana’s career.

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