Romanticism in the 19th century : a history of neo-gothic in Malta

Abstract

During the last century, Architecture was very strongly grafted into the religious beliefs and prejudices of the time and it is against a particular socio-cultural background that this study is made. Architectural history, like any other history, entails not only a criticism of the major events or prominent works which characterize a period, but also an account of the social, cultural, and political factors which determined the architectural forms embodying the aspirations of the nation. The scope of this dissertation is to develop in some detail a critical historical analysis of the major Gothic works built during the second half of the 19th century, the circumstances which led to their erection, the reaction to their aesthetic, and its relationship to the social and intellectual environment and the political climate of the time.