Malta : general plan for the arrangement of the National Archaeological Museum of Valletta

Abstract

On 23 October, I began consultations with the officials of the Antiquities Department with a view to defining the exact p.1rpos.-a of my mission. On the basis of the general programme drawn up in advance by the local authorities, it was decided that my task would be to study a preliminary plan tor the transfer of the National Archaeological Museum from its present building (Auberge de Provence) to the new building assigned to It (Auberge d' Italie). During the next few days, accompanied by Professor F. S. Mallia and Professor Zammit, I carried out a number of investigations with a view to obtaining the necessary investigations for the study of the various problems pertaining to my mission. These included: (1) visits to the Museum in its present building; (2) visits to all the other State Museums; (3) visits to all the archaeological sites; (4) inspection of the Museum's existing equipment; (5) inspection of the new building assigned to the Museum, and completion of the graphic surveys of this new building; (6) study and determination of the general chronological and topographical arrangement of the Museum; (7) study and determination of the equipment to be provided for the new building; (8) preliminary study of the work to be done in order to adapt the Auberge d'Italie" to its future uses; (9) a rough preliminary study of the layout of the Museum in the new building. After I had completed these investigations in full agreement with the local authorities, the programme of activities for my stay in Malta was drawn up. The Under-Secretary for Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Education asked me to include in my report to Unesco a suffeciently detailed plan for the execution of the project.