Royal Opera House, Valletta
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The Valletta Royal Opera House was an opera house and performing arts venue in Valletta, Malta. It was designed by English architect Edward Middleton Barry and was erected in 1866. In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged by fire but was eventually restored by 1877. The theatre, Valletta's most imposing landmark, was bombed to the ground during World War II in 1942. It was used as one of the first performance stages for new artists.
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[edit] History
The design of the building was entrusted to Edward Middleton Barry, the architect of Covent Garden Theatre. The original plans had to be altered due to the fact that the sloping streets on the sides of the theater hadn’t been taken into consideration. This resulted in a terrace being added on the side of Strada Reale (Republic Street).
The building of the 206 feet by 112 feet site started in 1862, after what was the Casa della Giornata was demolished. After four years, the Opera House, with a seating capacity of 1095 and 200 standing, was ready for the official opening on October 9, 1866.
The theatre was not to last long; on May 25, 1873, a mere six years after its opening, it was brought to a premature end by a fire. The exterior of the theatre was undamaged but the interior stonework was calcified by the intense heat.
It was decided to rebuild the theatre, and after the issuing of tenders for the work and a lot of arguing whether the front had to be changed or not, the theatre was ready. On October 11, 1877, after nearly four and a half years from the fire, the theatre reopened with a performance of Verdi's Aida.
Some 65 years later, tragedy struck the Royal Opera House again:
"On the evening of Tuesday, April 7, 1942 the theatre was devastated by Luftwaffe bombers. The next morning a people hardened by aerial bombing inspected the remains of their national theatre.... The portico and the auditorium were a heap of stones, the roof a gaping hole of twisted girders. The rear end starting half way from the colonnade was however intact. ... In 1946 German prisoners-of-war in Malta reportedly offered to rebuild the theatre for a nominal charge. The Government declined to accept the offer, bowing to Union pressure for job protection at a time of massive unemployment and emigration."[1]
Although the bomb site was cleared of much of the rubble and all of the remaining decorative sculpture, rebuilding was repeatedly postponed by successive post-War governments, in favour of reconstruction projects that were deemed to be more pressing.
In 1953, six renowned architects submitted designs for the new theatre. The Committee chose Zavellani-Rossi's project and recommended its acceptance by Government subject to certain alterations. The project ground to a halt on Labour's re-election, contending that it was not in a position to spend so much money on a theatre when so many other projects needed attention. Although a provision of 280,000 pounds for the reconstruction of the theatre had been made in the 1955-56 budget, these were never used. By 1957 the project had been shelved and after 1961 all references to the theatre in the country's development plans were omitted.
[edit] Recently
After more than sixty years, the derelict bomb site of the Royal Opera House remains unchanged, although recently, government announced a proposal to redevelop the site for a dedicated House of Parliament. At present, the Chamber of Representatives (Kamra tar-Rappreżentanti) is located in the former Armoury of the Magisterial (Grand Master's) Palace in the centre of Valletta. Its anachronistic, 1970s Scandinavian design, at the heart of an otherwise magnificent Baroque palace, has been a constant source of much controversy. Other proposals for the site of the former Opera House include a performance arts centre, a shopping centre, and an artisans' gallery.
Government appears reluctant to make a decision on this project, as virtually every re-development proposal has been opposed by large sectors of the general public. Celebrated Italian architect Renzo Piano, and Richard England, a local Maltese architect of considerable renown, have both submitted designs for the redevelopment of the Opera House site, but each such proposal was found to be controversial.
Currently the area is being used as a temporary, open-air performance space.
[edit] References
- ^ Joseph Bonnici and Michael Cassar, The Royal Opera House - Malta (Gutenberg Press, 1990), at 79.
