Memoranda and details of the mode of building houses, & c. in the Island of Malta

Abstract

The Island of Malta is formed of a calcareous rock more or less indurated, affording an excellent building material, but varying very much in quality. The nature of the rock, being in general very compact, permits of its being quarried in large blocks, which, being easily worked, affords great facilities for employing it in every description of building, from the most ornamental to the plainest and most simple in its construction. No particular style of architecture is observable: in the different cities may be seen almost every variety of building, from the large and magnificent hotels of the knights to the small and simple house of the tradesman, all presenting an appearance of great beauty and neatness, arising from the whiteness of the stone. The Malta stone, as a building material, varies very much in quality; some of it stands exposure to the atmosphere remarkably well; the other and softer quality decomposes very rapidly but this is of little consequence, as houses and walls are so easily new faced with stone of a better quality, and which has been more generally employed since the English have been in possession of the island. Both the hard and soft qualities are easily worked, and after being dressed by the mason present a beautiful appearance. [Excerpt]