Alfred Mizzi Foundation and Notarial Archives Foundation Join to Save Maltese Carmelite Library

In February 2022, a powerful storm hit the country of Malta. Small islands situated in the Mediterranean Sea, the country endured showers of hail and rain as well as winds at the beginning of the month. The historic Carmelite library in the Carmelite prior in Valletta, suffered severe damage. Besides numerous manuscripts and books being heavily damages, the wooden structure of the library itself was heavily damaged as well.

According to published reports, the Alfred Mizzi Foundation and the Notarial Archives Foundation have joined efforts to save the library. Since February 2024, the NAF and its team of volunteers have been carefully removing the books and manuscripts from the shelves of the library. This will allow the wooden library structure to undergo the necessary restoration as well as the books.

Warranted wood conservator Josef Aquilina has been entrusted with this job. While emptying the shelves, NAF volunteers are also superficially dusting the books and making an inventory. The books are then placed in archival boxes and temporarily stored in a different area of the priory. Besides the water damage, many of the books suffer from biological and chemical damage accumulated over the years. The conservation of the books is being done under the supervision of the NAF's warranted book and paper conservators Chanelle Mifsud Briffa and Maria Borg.

Carmelite Alex Scerri, the prior of Valletta, contacted the Dean of History from the University of Malta to seek help. The NAF got involved and with their help and the volunteers, the Mizzi Foundation became involved.

The Alfred Mizzi Foundation has committed to sponsoring the preliminary works and surveys for the conservation of the wooden library structure. This will guarantee that the structure is professionally reconstructed to last for many years.

The monastery in Valletta and its library houses many items of interest. The majority of the books deal with either theology or philosophy. But there are also works on Carmelitana and Melitensia which are of particular interest because they go back to the period of the Knights of Malta in the 15th century. The holdings include 7 incunabula, books using metal type and created before the printing press was invented. They differ from manuscripts, which are documents written by hand. The oldest of these incunabula in the Carmelite library in Valetta dates from 1471.

Fr. Alex spoke about the task ahead. “Quotes are still being studied by the architect, but the cost will be thousands of Euro. The plans are to restore the main roof of the bibliotheca which has to be built again as well as the furniture. So the cost of the project will be very large.”

The Carmelite Order arrived in Malta in 1418. The Carmelites agreed to serve at a chapel and minister to the people in the area around Lunzjata (Rabat). The church and convent in Valletta were founded in 1570.

Valletta’s Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel underwent various transformations over the centuries. Damaged during the Second world War, it was rebuilt from 1958 to 1981 providing a new skyline for the city with its striking dome. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Fr Alex expressed his thanks to the Notarial Archives Foundation, The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, and the volunteers for their hard work and dedication in preserving the historic library and the patrimony of the Carmelite library. “The community and I are very grateful to all the volunteers who make the sacrifice to come each week to remove the books and make sure they are properly cared for. We are also grateful to everyone who has taken an interest in this major project so that our Carmelite heritage in Malta and especially in Valletta, dating back to 1570, will be restored and preserved for future generations.”

The Alfred Mizzi Foundation funds projects related to Maltese culture, its heritage, education, the environment and social solidarity. It promotes and assists the presentation and development and the public manifestation of Maltese heritage, including culture and the environment. The Notarial Archives Foundation is a non-governmental voluntary organization which seeks to preserve and raise awareness of the 600-year-old collection of notarial deeds of the Notarial Registers Archive. Since these records document the history of Malta, their availability to future generations is of paramount importance.

(Pictures courtesy of the Valletta Priory)