Book explores Ta' Braxia multifaith garden cemetery

Abstract

Accompanying the 2017 book launch by Conrad Thake and Jessica Buhagiar, this article tells the history of Ta' Braxia, a 19th century multifaith cemetery located in Pietà. As per Sir William Reid of the British colonial government, the gardencemetery was designed by renowned Maltese architect and civil engineer Emanuele Luigi Galizia. Next, Micallef highlights the challenges Ta' Braxia posed on the island’s religio-political context. Various oppositions and complications were raised by Malta’s Roman Catholic establishment during the planning and construction parts of the project: opposing its multi-faith interment and for being one of the first extra-mural cemeteries to be established in the island. Despite these setbacks, the cemetery along with a multitude of diverse iconographical symbolism continued to expand - making the grounds an important part of Malta’s cultural tourism and heritage today. The article develops by exploring the stories behind a few notable monuments and the prominent personalities associated to them. One of them the distinctive landmark of the Lady Hamilton Gordon memorial chapel built by John Loughborough Pearson between 1893-1894. Micallef’s writing also informs us of the ongoing restoration work at Ta' Braxia, for damages that occurred over time including the aerial bombings of WW2. Featuring images.