Wignacourt Aqueduct

The Wignacourt Aqueduct (Maltese: L-Akwedott ta' Wignacourt) is a 17th-century aqueduct in Malta, which was carried on arches running through Attard, Balzan, Birkirkara, Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera. The watercourse was built by the Order of Saint John from 1610 to carry water from Dingli and Rabat to the capital Valletta. The aqueduct was inaugurated on 21 April 1615 and it remained in use until the 20th century. It is named after Alof de Wignacourt, the Grand Master who partially financed its building.

History

In 1566, the capital city of Valletta was founded on the Sciberras Peninsula, which did not have a good water supply. Rainwater collected within the city was not enough to meet the needs of its population. Water had to be carted from springs to the city, but this became difficult by the end of the 16th century, when the city had become the largest settlement in Malta.^[1] At the time, there were also fears of an Ottoman attack on Malta,^[2] so a steady water supply to the capital was a priority for the military authorities in the case of a siege.^[3]

Wignacourt Aqueduct at Mrieħel

The first attempts to build an aqueduct to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the capital were made in 1596. That year, Grand Master Grand Master Martin Garzez brought in the Jesuit Padre Giacomo to design the watercourse. His design was accepted and work was begun, but construction was suspended soon afterwards due to financial reasons.^[3]

In 1610, works on the aqueduct continued under the direction of another Jesuit called Padre Natale Tomasucci. By this time, Garzez had died and was succeeded as Grand Master by Alof de Wignacourt. Eventually, the Boolognese hydraulic expert Bontadino de Bontadini took over the project, and he designed a new watercourse with water being carried through underwater pipes, and over stone arches when there were depressions in the ground.^[4] Bontadini was assisted by a Maltese capomastro Giovanni Attard and several other engineers.^[3] 600 local workers were employed in the construction of the aqueduct, which took five years to complete, being inaugurated on 21 April 1615. The aqueduct was named after Grand Master Wignacourt, who had donated most of the funds for its construction.^[5]

The aqueduct was improved by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1780.^[6] On 4 September 1798, in the early stages of the Maltese uprising against the French, insurgents ambushed French soldiers near the aqueduct at Mrieħel, in the limits of Birkirkara.^[7]

In 1907, there was a proposal to construct buildings on top of the aqueduct, with its arches effectively serving as an arcade. The Office of the Public Works drew up plans for these buildings, but eventually nothing materialized.^[8]

Between 2004 and 2005, the aqueduct's surviving arches were restored and a lighting system was installed, at a total cost of Lm 140,000.^[9][10] Some of the arches are in need of restoration once again, mainly due to pollution since a major road is now located along the aqueduct.^[11]

Various sections of the aqueduct are listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.^{[12][13][14][15]}

Architecture

Wignacourt Aqueduct at Mdina Road in Birkirkara

The aqueduct ran from the springs in Rabat and Dingli to the countryside near Attard through underwater pipes. From Attard onwards, the ground level was irregular so stone arches were constructed where there were depressions.^[4] The arches begin at present-day Peter Paul Rubens Street (Maltese: Triq Peter Paul Rubens) in Attard, and are initially quite small.^[12] They continue through Mdina Road (Maltese: Triq l-Imdina) in Balzan and Birkirkara, and the size of the arches gradually increases as the ground level drops.^[13][14] At Fleur-de-Lys, the aqueduct crossed the road, and a triumphal arch was built to commemorate the project. The arches then continue through St. Joseph High Road (Maltese: Triq il-Kbira San Ġużepp) in Santa Venera,^[15] until they stop at a small tower known as it-Turretta (the Turret). From this tower, water continued its journey to Ħamrun, Blata l-Bajda, Floriana and Valletta through underground pipes once again. Water inspection towers were also built at Ħamrun and Floriana.^[6]

Wignacourt Arch

The reconstructed Wignacourt Arch

The triumphal archway at the boundary between Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera was known as the Wignacourt Arch or the Fleur-de-Lys Gate. It had three doorways, and it was adorned with Wignacourt's coat of arms and three sculpted fleurs-de-lis, the heraldic symbols of Wignacourt. The suburb of Fleur-de-Lys got its name from this arch, and fleurs-de-lis are featured on the flags and coat of arms of both Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera.^[5]

The arch was demolished in 1944, and a roundabout was later built on its site. The construction of a replica of the arch was approved in 2012.^[16] The local councils of Santa Venera and Birkirkara, as well as the Fleur-de-Lys Administrative Committee disagreed on what the arch's name should be, and eventually agreed in 2014 that it should be called "The Wignacourt Arch Known As The Fleur-de-Lys Gate".^[17] The arch was built in 2015, and it is now almost complete.^[18]

Water inspection towers

Santa Venera

Tower of St. Joseph at Santa Venera

The first inspection tower of the Wignacourt Aqueduct is located in present day Santa Venera. It is called the Tower of St. Joseph (Italian: Torre di San Giuseppe), but it is commonly known as it-Turretta in Maltese or the Torretta in Italian. The turret is linked to the aqueduct's arches, and it has two floors with a buttressed lower level, giving it the resemblance of a coastal watchtower such as the De Redin towers. It is not clear if the present structure is the original one, since the original designs of the aqueduct show a slightly different tower.^[2] The tower had the following inscription:^[19]

QUAM SUBTERRANEIS SESE DUCTIBUS
INFERENTEM HOC LOCO AMITTIS AQUAM
EADEM URBE MEDIA PULCHERRIMO
SESE FONTE COMPERIES EFFERENTEM.
INGENIO MIRO BONTADINI DE BONTADINIS BONON.

Ħamrun

The second water inspection tower was built on the hill of St. Nicholas in Ħamrun, and it is known as il-Monument tat-Tromba.^[20] It has a round shape, and water originally flowed through an open tank in the tower. The tower contains Wignacourt's coat of arms and a commemorative inscription which reads:^[19]

VT SPIRITVS IN AQVIS
SIC SPIRITVS AB AQVIS.
(meaning As there is life in water, life started from water)

The tower still exists, but it is in a dilapidated state and it is surrounded by modern houses.^[6]

In 1780, when the aqueduct was improved by De Rohan, a commemorative obelisk was erected some distance away from the tower. It is now found in a private backyard. It has a coat of arms which was damaged in World War II,^[21] and an inscription which means:^[22]

Emmanuel De Rohan made this aqueduct stronger for the collection of water, with a newer one better built by the kind hearted Prince for the health of his people in the year 1780.

Floriana

Wignacourt Water Tower at Floriana

The third and final water inspection tower was built in Floriana, and it became known as the Wignacourt Water Tower. It is a round structure supported by pilasters, and it also contains a fountain and a horse trough. The top of the tower contains a sculpted fleur-de-lis, and it is also decorated with the coat of arms of the Order of St. John and the personal arms of Wignacourt.^[23] Below the coats of arms is the following inscription:^[19]

TURRICULA ORNATUM LILIIS CAPUT EFFERO VT VRBE
INSPICIAM FONTEM VIVIFICANTIS AQUÆ.
BONTADINO DE BONTADINIS, BONOM. AQUÆ BONON AQÆ DUCTORE MDCXV.

Commemorations

The 400th anniversary of the aqueduct was commemorated on 21 April 2015. A ceremony was held in Valletta, with schoolchildren carrying water from City Gate to St. George's Square, where a re-enactment of the inauguration of the aqueduct was held.^[24]

The anniversary was also commemorated by a silver coin minted by the Central Bank of Malta. The coin shows the aqueduct on the reverse and Grand Master Wignacourt on the obverse.^[25]

MaltaPost also issued a set of two stamps on 21 April 2015. The stamps show Wignacourt Arch and the Wignacourt Water Tower in Fleur-de-Lys and Floriana respectively.^[26]

Further reading

• "The Water Supply of the Maltese Islands" (PDF). Archivum Melitense (Malta Historical and Scientific Society) VII (1): 1–9. 1922. 

See also

• Gozo Aqueduct

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wignacourt Aqueduct.