Female cloistered monasteries in Malta : issues and challenges in safeguarding living religious heritage in the event of secularisation

Abstract

This dissertation is born out of concern for the dwindling cloistered communities residing within Maltese monasteries of high heritage value and the implications this might have, among other concerns, on the spaces of significance they inhabit. Since it is understood that the significance of living religious heritage is intrinsic to the living element, the aim of this study is to anticipate the discourse of abandonment of sites and instead to focus on preemptive measures that envisage identifying and safeguarding the accumulated significance of a living heritage site at risk, by valorizing the central role of their core communities. The methodology adopted for the purpose of this study tested the combination of a ‘living heritage approach’ designed to prioritise the ‘living dimension’ with a ‘value-based assessment’ that constitutes common practice in matters relating to decision-making in heritage management. Anthropological-ethnographic methods, such as semi-structured interviews with a selection of cloistered nuns, together with observational, phenomenological and historical approaches were incorporated within the research. This study also proposed a methodology for numerically quantifying ‘current use of space’ in an attempt to tangibly portray the extent of risk that these living heritage monuments are facing due to diminishing use by their communities. This research reaffirmed the importance of the ‘theory of continuity’ as central to the definition of living religious heritage. It also introduced a method of applying this central concept and using it as a measure for quantifying risk, resulting in a numerical value for the current use of monasteries, thus enabling the classification of risk and outlining urgency. From the qualitative research applied, recommendations for best practice were established. Furthermore, an understanding of the shift in values once the community becomes dispersed was obtained. This study also tested the initial application of preemptive measures intended at highlighting elements of the intangible that will become obsolete to memory.