Emanuele Luigi Galizia (1830-1907) : architect of the romantic movement

Abstract

The architectural scene in Malta during the course of the nineteenth century is relatively bleak and dull in stark contrast to the rich legacy of Baroque architecture bequeathed by the Order of St John ( 1530-1798). The British had inherited from the Order a vast network of fortifications, churches and palatial buildings, all of which needed to be maintained and adapted to new uses according to the circumstances of the time. With the exception of a few prestigious public buildings such as the Opera House in Valletta, the Naval Hospital in Bighi, and the construction of various military barracks for British servicemen, the nineteenth century was uneventful in terms of major architectural projects.