Representationofarchitectsand

buildingprojectsinseicentoand

settecentolocalart,Malta

byChristineKunkler

Content

Introduction

1. GrandMasterNicolasCotoner(GrandMaster1663-80)

2. GrandMasterAntónioManoeldeVilhena(1663–1736,GrandMaster:1722-36)

3. Portraits in the Curia: a) Franciscus Rosignoli b) Unknown portrait- Andrea

Belli?

4. PortraitofTeresaDebonoatStGeorge,Qormi(1732-1829)

5. GiuseppeBonnici,architect(1707-1779)

6. GiovanniBarbara,architect(1642-1828)

7. PortraitofCosmanaNavarra,Rabat(patronessofthearts,ca.1600–1687)

Conclusion

Bibliography

Appendix

Introduction

This paperwill havemore the character of a catalogue than that of a coherent paper

where usually one thought is leading into the other in order to make an overall

statementonsomesubjectmatter.

Thepaper´sobjectisrathermodestasitisnomorethanjustthestartingpointofan

investigation. It isbasedontheassumptionthatoriginalworksofart, i.e.paintingsor

sculptures, can help to lead to the clarification of open questions concerning the

historicalunderstandingofbuildings,architecturalplansandthebiographyofarchitects

when written evidence from archives and other sources remain rather thin. Malta

possessesanumberofdisseminated,oftenhidden-awayartworkswhichshowfigures,

i.e. either architects, commissioners, benefactors or donators of architecture with a

building,maporanarchitecturalstructure.

RominaDeliahasalreadyresearchedsomeof thepaintings,whichare listed in this

paper,withregardstotheirformalorstylisticevidenceinherBAdissertation.1Also,as

theemphasisisonartworksoftheBaroqueperiodinMalta,someoftheseartworks-if

theyareofagoodqualityorbyafamousartist,havebeenpublishedforthissolereason

incatalogues,monographsorgeneralbookson theBaroque inMalta. Inanexhibition

entitled“BaroquearchitectureinMalta”curatedbyDr.ConradThakeandJ.Azzopardiat

Mdina Cathedral Museum2, there was a first attempt to actually collect and exhibit

works,documentsandphotographsthatreferredtothetopicofbaroquearchitecturein

Malta.

This paper, however, will raise questions as to possible relationships between the

portraitsandthedepictedarchitecturalobjectswiththeprospectofencouragingfurther

research about the relationships between buildings and architects that hitherto have

1RominaDalia,SecularportraitsoftheMalteseNobility,GentryandProminentPersonalities(1600-1800),FacultyofArts,BA(Hons.)dissertation,20052“BaroquearchitectureinMalta:anexhibitionorganizedbytheInternationalInstituteforBaroqueStudies,UniversityofMalta,incollaborationwiththeCathedralMuseum,Mdina:anexhibitionopenedbyRev.Prof.PeterSerracinoInglott,RectoroftheUniversityofMalta,CathedralMuseum,Mdina,Malta,8June-8July1995”.TheexactlistofexhibitsisavailableinpaperformattheMelitensia.

beenneglectedorweresimplyunknown:Werethosepiecesofarchitectureandfigures

that people of the past thought worth being painted future projects that were later

discardedandneverbuilt,ordothese imagesshowprouddepictionsofbuildingsthat

once existed, but have nowdisappeared- or are they still visible today? These are all

questionthatoncebeingaskedfutureresearchcanstepintoandtrytoshedlighton.

1. GrandMasterNicolasCotoner(1608-1680GrandMaster:1663-1680)

Fig1.PortraitofGrandMasterNicolasCotoner,oils on canvas, ca.200x300 cm (estimated), both author and year of creation unknown,GrandMaster´sPalace(corridor),VallettaFig.2DetailofFig.1Fig.3 “Engraving by Francesco Collignon , showing Count Vernada´s proposal to extend the CottoneraLinesrightuptoFortRicasoli”(quotefromSpiteri,op.cit.413)

NicolasCotonerwasGrandMaster of theOrder of St. John from1663until 1680 and

succeededhisbrotherRafaelwhowasGrandMasterbetween1660and1663.Tradition

hasit3thatitisNicolasCottoner´sportraitintheGrandMaster´sPalacethatshowshim

seatedwearingablackrobewiththeGrandCrossandablackhat.Twopagesstandto

3Thecoatofarmsofthetwobrothersisalmostidentical.Butitwason2ndApril1670-sounderthereignofNicolasthattheCottoneralinefortificationswereapprovedof.MedericoBlondelsupervisedtheexecutionoftheenceinte.videStephenSpiteri,FortressesoftheCross,.HospitallerMilitaryArchitecture(1136-1798),AHeritageInterpretationServicesPublication,Malta,1994,413.Spiterimentionsthefollowingsource:A.O.M.6554,f.119,A.O.M.6551,f.45

theleftandrightsideofhischair.ProudlyhepointstoamapoftheGrandHarbourof

VallettawheretheCottonerafortificationsarehighlighted.

As Spiteri4describes, Nicolas Cotoner felt an urge to promote further fortification

structuresaround theGreatHarbourafter the fallofCandia to theTurks in1670and

summonedAntontioMaurizioValpergatotakeuppreviousplansofFirenzuolainorder

tostrengthentheenceintesoftheSanSalvatoreandSta.Margheritaheights,aswellas

thefrontlinesofSengleaandVittoriosa.NicolasCotoneralsoplannednewfortifications

onGallow´spoint.

Fig.4CottoneraLines,Spiteri,op.cit.417

Unfortunately, both year of creation and the painter himself are unknown. Still it

bearstestimonytotheprideofthesitterwhoobviouslywishedtoberememberedfor

nothing but his endeavor to protect Malta from a potential invasion of the Ottoman

Turks.Theorderhadtofinancethebuildingofthefortificationsfromitsownresources

coming from taxation and theOrder´s income inFrance.Theywerenot supportedby

donations fromotherEuropeancourts this timeaspreviouslyafter theGreatSiegeof

1565.

4Ibid.

2. Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena (1663 –1736, Grand Master:

1722-36)

Fig.5EnricoRegnaud,GrandMasterVilhena,Portrait,oiloncanvas,157x230cm,yearofcreation

unknown,SanAntonPalace,Attard

Fig.6detailofFig.5showingplanofMdina

Fig.7andFig.8belowdetailofMdina,Spiteri,op.cit.

GrandMaster Vilhena is known for various building projects. In Floriana he is

remembered as the founder of the city and he had Manoel theatre built at

Valletta.Healso famous forhis interventionsatMdina.Hemusthaveregarded

thisprojecttobethatimportantasheproudlyshowsamapoftheCitywithhis

alterationsmarkedinthem(Fig.5and6).Asitisonlyapainting,noteverything

is clearly visible. In this painting he refrained from being shown in his later

pomp,so theemphasis isallonhimbeing themajorcommissionerofworksof

architectureatMdina.Hehadthelocationofcitygateschangedslightlyinorder

to give the city a Baroque style entrance with the possibility of a straight

processional route through a triumphal arch into the city during celebrations

(1724). His architect Charles Francois de Mondion built a large stone bridge

leading over the ditch directly into the city thereby rejecting the former,

comparatively intrinsicmedieval plan. He also built Vilhena Palace just behind

themain city gate.Thesewereallmeasurements taken to enhance theOrder´s

presenceatMdina,whichtraditionallywasinthehandsofthebishopofMalta.

Fig.9-12detailsofGrandMasterVilhena´srococoFuneraryMonument(bronze)byMassimiliano

Soldani Benziat at St. John´s Co Cathedral, Valletta showing Grand Master Vilhena is being

presented theplansofFortManoel.5Fig12 probably showsa cupidwitharchitectural tools .A

femaleallegorical figureholdingawayamirror intowhichaserpentbites thatwrigglesaround

herarmprobablymeanstosymbolicallychaseawayevil.

5QuentinJ.Hughes,ConradThake,DanielCilia,Malta:theBaroqueIsland,SantaVenera,MidseaBooks,2003

Between 1723 and 1755, Vilhena had Fort Manoel built on Manoel Island,

Marsamxett,whereuntilthattimeonlyaLazzarettoforquarantinepurposeswasin

place. The Funerary monument at St.John´s CoCathedral features Grand Master

Vilhenainacentralposition.HeisshowntheplansofFortManoel.Themonumentis

the most prestigious rococo monument in Malta and it is supposed to have been

commissioned by Vilhena during his life time.6He obviously wanted to have been

rememberedasthebuilderofFortManoelwhilehisarchitect,CharlesFrancoisde

Mondionmightbe theonewho ispresentinghis ideaswithgreat gesturesand

movementinthisextraordinaryhighrelief.

3 PortraitsintheCuria:

a)FranciscusRosignoli

In the corridor to the right, almost opposing the entranceof theCuria at Floriana7,

thereisaplaquewithaLatininscriptionandaportraitbeneath(seebelow).8

6DominicCutajar,WolfDieterBarz(transl.),GeschichteundKunstwerkederJohanneskathedralezuVallettaMalta,M.J.PublicationsLtd.&ArteNuovaLtd.1999(1993,engl.1989),54-67ItisalsoknowasCasaManresaorCasadellaMadonnadellaManresa,videEmmanuelS.Tonna,FinalFocusonFloriana.ACollectionofEssays,Malta1979,638The1995catalogueoftheMdinaCathedralexhibtionliststhispaintingasfollows:“PadreRossignoliS.J.FounderofCasaManresa“

Fig.13PlaquewithLatininscription,CasaManresa

Insomeplacestheinscriptioncannotbeeasilydeciphered,someabbreviationsarenot

completelyclear9,inpartsitisgrammaticallydoubtfulandtowardstheendthetextis

almostunreadable.Itprobablyreadsasfollows:

P.FRANCISCUSROSIGNOLINOUARENSISS.I.INHANCINSULAMVENIT20.AUG1740ET

AD MAIOREM PIETATIS CULTURAM PIAM HANC EXORNUM DOMU EXCITARE

EAMQ[UE]D. CALCEDONU M.10CORPORE ET PRAESIDIO MUNERI CURAVIT VERBIS

OPERIBUSETSERMONEETARUS(?)PRINCIPUMDELICIAEPOPULIPARENSETVERE

X(?)APLES(?)SACRUMISTUR(?)OIOBE(?)EXPLEVIT…(?)

PadreFranciscusRosignoli fromNovara[Piedmontregion],S.I. [Societyof Jesus/

Jesuits]cametothisislandon20August1740andwouldstimulate-foragreater

religiousculture-thispiousdecorationofthehouse,alsothroughtherelicsof[St.]

Calcedonius, and bring strength with words, works and sermons and in the

countryside, he caused great happiness in the people (?), andwithholy truthhe

fulfilledhisoffice…(translation:own)

ApparentlytheJesuitFrancescoRosignoli,calledbyGrandMasterDespuig,arrivedon

Maltain1740whentheCuriabuildingthatnowhouseshisportraithadnotbeenbuilt

9MostofthemcouldnotbefoundinthelistforabbreviationsinLatininscriptions:http://classics.case.edu/asgle/bookshelf/abbreviations-in-latin-inscriptions/norefm/,accessed26December201410D.andM.couldstandforGod´smartyr.

yet.11TheJesuit´sspiritualretreathadbeeninanearbyhousethatwassoonsold,asit

seemedtohavebeentoosmall.Instead,in1743,FatherRosignoliobtainedpermission

tobuilda largerhouse inFlorianawhereGrandMasterManuelVilhenahadgiven the

permission to raise a community on the suburban uninhabited grounds of Valletta

duringthetimeofhisreign(1722-36).Vilhenaisstillrememberedforbeingthefounder

of Floriana. By 1750, the newhousemust have been raised as itwas inaugurated by

BishopAlpherandeBusanon16March1751.Thiswasallegedlymarkedontheoriginal

plans forCasaManresa12whichcurrentlyhavedisappearedandneedtoberetraced.13

ThismapmusthaveshownagardenwithastonesculptureoftheGoodshepherd,which

waslaterreplacedbyanatrium.

ThechapelwithinthecuriawasadonationbyPietroInfanteofPortugal,GrandPrior

ofCratoastheLatininscription14attheChapelofOurLadyofManresaentrancepoints

out.Whether“1749”,theyeargivenintheinscription,istheyearofitsinaugurationor

the year when the building of the chapel started is not clear. The remains of St.

CalcedoniusarrivedatthechapelfromthecemeteryofPretastato,Italy,onthe20thMay,

1753,agiftfromPopeBenedictXVIwhichhadbeenrequestedbyFrancescoRosignoli.

ThelatterleftMaltathatverysameyear.

ThequestioniswhowasthearchitectofCasaManresa?FrancescoRosignoliorAndrea

Belli?

11Mostofthehistoricaccountthatfollowsrelieson:EmmanuelS.Tonna,FinalFocusonFloriana.AcollectionofEssays,Malta1979,63-6612Ibid.6413TheoriginalplansaresaidtobestillinthelibraryofCasaManresawhichontheplaniscalled“SantaCasadellaMadonnadiManresapergliEserciziSpirituali”,ibid.6414Deoinhon_remDeiparaeetSIgnaziiSeren_DPetrusInfansPortug_iaMagnusPriorCratensisAn[no]D[omi]niMDCCXLIX(InthehonorofGodandSt.Ignatius,HisHighnessPietroInfanteofPortugal,GrandPriorofCratointheyear1749)

Fig.14FrancescoRosignoliandtheplanofCasaManresa,oiloncanvas,oval form,104x134cm,yearof

creationandauthorunknown,CuriaBuilding,Floriana.

Fig. 15 Portrait of Francesco Rosignoli, 51 x 42 cm, oil on canvas, author and year unknown, Curia,

Floriana.

Fig.16and17DetailsofFig.14showingCasaManresaandtheoriginalbuildingplanwiththechapel

FatherFrancescoRosignoliwasthefirstrectorofCasaManresa.15Inhisovalportrait

heisseated,wearingablackrobeandablackhatandpointingwithhislefthandtothe

imageofCasaManresathatlooksliketheoriginalonestoreybuildingabovewhichthe

domeofthechapelrises.Onhislap,thererestsacrucifixandinhisrighthandheholds

theplanofCasaManresa.Onthedeskthereisaquillinaninkpotasifthesitterhadjust

stoppedfinishinghisdesign.

The author and year of creation remain unclear. There is a second painting in the

curiathatonlyshowsthefaceofFrancescoRosignoli(Fig.15)onadarkbackground.Itis

veryunlikely,though,thataJesuitwhowasnotknownasanarchitectandthatalsois

notknownforanybuildings inMalta,actuallydesignedtheCasaManresa.16 It isvery

probable,though,thatheinitiatedandsupervisedtheconstructionofthebuilding.Ifhe

hadbeen the architect, hewouldhavebeenmentionedas such in the inscription, but

hancexornum17domucanonlymeanthathewasinvolvedinthegeneralpromotionor

embellishment of the house. Still, also the date of the inscription is not clear- the

inscriptioncouldbeofalaterdatethanthepainting.

Theplanaccuratelyshowsthechapelinanovalshape,which,forinstance,issimilar

inplantoSanGiacomoinAugusta,designedbyFrancescodaVolterra(1592-1600).

Fig.18SanGiacomoinAugusta,designedbyFrancescodaVolterra

3b)Portraitofanunknownperson-AndreaBelli(1703-1769)18?

A former exhibition label19described the painting as follows: “Portrait of an eighteenthcenturyarchitectholdingplanoftheCasaManresa,Floriana”.Asthedesignofthebuildingis15EmmanuelFiorentino,AttheCuria:themuralintheoldrefectory,TreasuresofMaltaVol.VI,no.2(17)(Easter2000),79-8316Heis,however,listedasarchitectin:MichaelEllul,Maltese-EnglishdictionaryofarchitectureandbuildinginMalta:withbiographicalnotesonMalteseandforeignarchitectswhoworkedinMalta,Sta.Venera,MidseaBooks,200917Itshouldread:exornatam18AndreaBelliwasinvolvedinmanyseminalbuildingsinMalta,videM.Ellul,2009,15

attributedtoAndreaBellionstylisticevidencebyLeonardMahoney,20 itmightinfactbethe

casethattheportraitisthatofthearchitecthimselfandtheplansinhishandsmightindeedbe

linkedtoCasaManresathoughtheydiffergreatlyfromthoseofRosgnoli.

Fig.19 Portrait of anunknownperson (AndreaBelli?), 53,2 x66,1 cm, oil on canvas,Authorunknown,Curia,Floriana.Theimagedoesnotshowtypicaltoolsofanarchitect.Itcouldequallyportrayanotary.

Fig.20andFig.21detailsofFig.19. PointAshowsheavyoverpaint.Underneath thereseemtobe twolinesofhandwriting.Fig21seemstobealateraddition

Itishighlyrecommendabletohavethispainting(Fig.19)cleanedandrestoredasitis

very likely to shed light on the rather obscure history of Casa Manresa. There is a

19ProbablytheoneatMdinaCathedralMuseum,1995GiovanniBonello,ArtinMalta:discoveriesandrecoveriesFondazzjoniPatrimonjuMalti,199920LeonardMahoney,AHistoryofMalteseArchitecturefromAncientTimesupto1800,VeritasPressZabbar,Malta,1988

A

handwriting shining through (Arrow A, Fig.20) and the plan of probably the church

seemstobepaintedoveranotherstructure(Fig.21).

4. PortraitofTeresaDebonoatStGeorge,Qormi(1732-1829)21

Fig.22/23

Fig.22-4PortraitofTeresaDebono,oilsoncanvas,72x120cm,Authorandyearofexecutionunknown,St.GeargeparishChurchMuseum,Qormi

SomeremarksshouldbemadeonthepaintingthatshowsTeresadebonoatSt.Gearge

ParishMuseum.

Theinscriptionreadsasfollows

TERESA DEBONO EX HAC CIVIT:PINTO OPT. MERITA EST HAC EFFIGIES QUA UT

TEMPLUM HOC AD DEI GLORIA ET S.GEORGII MARTYRIS HONOREM DICATUM

EXORNANDUM CURAVIT. HOC PIETATIS MONUMENTO POSTERMEMORIA.RELICTO

DI….CLAUSITSUOREMUM22…..AN18….ATAT….

21Thepaintingwasincludedherenotbecauseitas17thor18thcenturycontribution,butbecauseitwasincludedinthecataloguementionedinfootnoteNo.2ofthe1995exhibitioninwhichshewasreferredtoasthe“benefactressoftheSt.GeorgeParishChurch”.Thisremarkgivestheimpressionthatshegrantedalargesumforthebuildingofthechurchwhichcannotbethecaseasherdonationwasprobablynotmadebeforetheearly19thcenturyandhasnotmuchtodowitharchitecture.22Theboldlettersarenottranslated.“Clausit”means“Itwasshutup”or“locked”and“suoremum“probablyreads“supremum“

ThisisTeresaDebonofromthiscommunity:thispaintingwaspaintedbecause

ofhermeritthatshetookcareof(caredfor)theembellishment(promotion)of

thistemple(church)forthegloryofGodandinhonorofSt.GeorgetheMartyr.

This is to rememberhermonumentofpiety for latergenerations…Theyear

18...23.(translationown)

ItisclearfromthisinscriptionthatTeresaDebonohereisnottheoriginalbenefactress

ofStGeorgeParishChurch24oranykindofparticulararchitectureandtheportraitwas

probablyexecutedaround1820/29,asitdepictsherasanelderlyladyrestingonachair

and looking directly at the viewers. Her features are rendered realistically, but the

painting is of a mediocre quality as proportions of the human figure are not well

observed and the painting is not executed with care in all parts, especially in the

background,whichonlyhintsatthechurchfaçade.

5. GiuseppeBonnici,architect(1707-1779)

23Thelowerpartseemstohavebeendamagedoroverpainted.Halfoftheinscriptionismissing.24Thechurchwasfinishedinthelatterhalfofthe17thcentury.ThelateradditionofthedomedesignisgenerallymadetoLorenzoGafa.ThechurchfaçadewhichweseeinthebackgroundisattributedtoVittorioCassar.

Fig.25and26(detail)GiuseppeBonnici, 95,5x74,5,oiloncanvas,Authorandyearofcreationunknown,howeverasignaturemightbeunderthepaint,MuseumofFineArts,Valletta,Inv.No.5431

AccordingtoSandroDebono,curatoroftheNationalMuseumofFineArtsinValletta,

thispaintingshowsthearchitectGiuseppeBonniciinapowderedwig,typicallyforthe

early half andmid18th century, anddressed in theuniformof a capomastrowith the

threepointedcrossoftheOrderofSaintJohn,soindicatingthatthesitterofthisportrait

wasadonato.Hewasalsoamilitaryarchitectaswellashavingbeeninvolvedinchurch

building such as St. Publius Floriana, the Parish church of Zejtun25and St. Augustine,

Valletta (1765), Valletta, the church of the Immaculate Conception, Cospicua, St.

Bartholomew,Tarxien(1764),ParishchurchofNadur,Gozoaswellasinthedesignand

buildingoftheCustomhouseatValletta(1774).26

GiuseppeBonnici´s (Fig.25)portrait isanattribution tohim.Heholds twoplans in

his hands that show a fortification design on the upper half of the plan, perhaps the

Crownworks of Floriana, andon the lowerhalf, the churchdesign of St. Publius27 at

Floriana. Florianawas extended and enlarged between 2 August 1733 and 1768, but

modified in the late 18th century, so that we cannot really see what it looked like

originally.Theoldoriginalplanshavedisappearedintoprivatehandsafterauctionsales

acoupleofyearsago.28

Itmustbestated that thechurchplan isa lateradditionas itwaspaintedover the

fortificationstructuresthatarenotshowninfull.Itwouldbeinterestingtoseewhatthe

complete fortification structureunderneath looked like.Thepersonwhowaspainting

over it must have had a great interest to have Giuseppe Bonnici remembered as the

architect of either Zejtun29or Floriana- both churches have a similar layout, perhaps

basedon the ideaof theVignola churchplanof St. Gesù inRomewhich also shows a

longitudinal Latin crossdesignwith three aisle andan apse at the east endwithonly

littleemphasisonthetransept.(Fig.27-29)

25enlargementandperhapsthefacade,1760/70ies26M.Ellul,2009,2227E.Tonna,1979,17-2028accordingtoArchbishopPaul29suggestedbyGiuliaPrivitelli,TheParishChurchofSt.CatherineofAlexandriainZejtun:AnArchitecturalAppraisal,2013,64-69

Fig.27mapofSt.Gesù,RomeFig.27mapofZujtunparishchurch30Fig.28seeFig.26

6. GiovanniBarbara,architect(1642-1828)

Fig.29GiovanniBarbarawithmapandcoatofarms:76x103cm,oiloncanvasLijaParishChurch,

Sacristy

Fig.30PlanshowingLijaParishChurch31

30ibid.49(extract)

At the Sacristy of Lija Parish church, there is a portrait of the Lija church

architectGiovanniBarbara(Fig.29)identifiablebythecoatofarmsonthelower

right. An inscription also tells us that he was by then 87 years old. However

comparingtheLijaparishchurchplanwiththeplanheholds inhishand,there

seemstobe littleresemblance.Perhaps,hewasthetutorofGiuseppeBonnici32

andhadbeen involved in the churchplanningofZejtun, for it is to this church

planthattheonehepresentsproudlyisveryclose.

ThereisafurtherpaintingofanarchitectbythenameofG.Barbaraholdinga

pairofcompasses(Fig.31).Thecoatofarmsinthepaintingisbarelyvisible.One

wouldneedtoidentifyitbeforeconfirmingthatthisyoungarchitectalsoshows

GiovanniBarabrifromLija.Hisfather,astonemason,carriedthesamenameand

therewasafurtherG.Barbara,aMasterMasonbythenameofGuljuBarbarawho

build the chapels of St Andrew and St. Nicholas at Tarxien Parish in 1621.

Furthermore there is GiuseppeBarbara, theMastermason of the priory of the

DomenicansinRabat(1588).33

31GiovanniBonello,ArtinMalta:discoveriesandrecoveries,FondazzjoniPatrimonjuMalti,199932http://de.scribd.com/doc/12982353/The-Fortifications-of-Valletta-Malta-a-senior-school-project,accessed15November201433Ellul,12

Fig.31PortraitofGiovanniBarbara,inscriptionofnameinupperleftcorner(Fig.32),Authorand

Yearofcreationunknown,MuseumofFineArts,Valletta,Inv.No.3115-6.

7. PortraitofCosmanaNavarra,Rabat(patronessofthearts,ca.1600–1687)

CosmanaNavarrawasagreatbenefactressandpatronessoftheartsandisremembered

intwopaintings.34HerportraitattheWignacourtMuseumdepictsherholdingthemap

oftheParishChurchofSt.Paul´sShipwreckinRabat.After1653,herfundsprovidedfor

thebuildingofthechurchbyF.BonamiciandLorenzoGafaandmanyworksofart.35

34videRominaDalia,2005,p.62-4fordatesandreferences:The1735portraitwillnotbediscussedhereasitisposthumous.35Ibid.62

Fig.32CosmanaNavarrawithplananhercoatofarms,oiloncanvas,ca.126x204cm,AuthorandYearofcreationunknown,WignacourtCollegiateMuseum,Rabatanddetails(Fig.33and34)

Theinscriptiononherpaintingreadsasfollows:

COSMANA EFFIGIES NAVARRA CERNITUR ISTA. QUA MAGNO PAULO CONSTRUXIT

NOBILEFASTUM36.

CosmanaNavarraisseen(orcanbeseen)inthispainting.This ladynoblybuilt

forthegreatPaul.

Theplanshowsthetranseptalarmsforwhichshealsopaidin1683.37Theimageinthe

backgroundshowsapartofthecemeteryclosebythechurchforwhichshehadanew

crosserected.

36lastwordunreadable37R.Dalia,2005,63

Conclusion

As thisbrief outline shows,much study still needs tobeundertaken tounderstand

more of this precious historical knowledge that lies hidden in paintings that describe

certain relationships between architects, ground plans of architecture, buildings and

buildingprocessesinMaltaduringtheBaroqueperiod.

It would be important that companies specialized in conservation and restoration

accompanythisprocessofresearch,asitwillbenecessarytodiscovermoreinformation

that isconcealedunderheavyoverpaint.TheAppendixwillalso list some images that

needfurtherinvestigationandcouldalsobeinterestingforthatsubject.Asitwasclear

rightfromthebeginning,thispaperisonlyastartingpointforfurtherresearchcreating

anawarenessforpossibilitiesandinterestinglinksbetweenarchitectureandpaintings

atatimewhenphotographyhadnotbeeninventedyet.

Bibliography

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Appendix

BishopAlpherandeBusan,parishchurchofZebbug,Sacristy:Itshowsabuildinginthebackgroundthat

is allegedly inMdina- but it couldbe anotherbuilding- theCuria perhaps?Noneof thesebuilding look

exactlylikeit.

StefanoErardi ,LadyofPortoSalvo,ChurchofPortoSalvo, Senglea. It shows theGrandHarborwith its

fortificationsprobablyasitlookedatthetimeofitscreation..

YoungchaplainprobablyholdingthemapofValletta.Locationunknown.PerhapsGrandMasterLabinias

Page

BishopCagliaresprobablywithabuildinginthebackground.Locationunknown.

PortraitofGiovanniCamilleri(byFrancescoZahra)-perhapsheholdsaplan(publishedbyKeith

Sciberras,BaroquepaintinginMalta,Valletta,MidseaBooks,2009,fig.347)

GentlemanwithplanofMalta,http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/paintings/antoine-de-favray-portrait-

of-a-gentleman-5075074-details.aspx,accessed14November2014

MattiaPreti,OurLadyofthePillar,lunette,St.Johns;ThedetailshowsSt.Jameswithadetailedchurchplan.CoulditbethatthisisMattiaPretishowinghisowndesignfor“OurLadyofPilar”,Valletta?Itwasbuiltin1670anddestroyedin1693;thenrebuiltbyCarapecchia.