The Casino Notabile, formerly also known as Point de Vue, is a former clubhouse located at Saqqajja Hill, outside the walls of Mdina,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

. It is a small, ornate building, which was built in around 1887–88 to designs of

Webster Paulson Webster Paulson (11 December 1837 – 16 August 1887) was an English civil engineer who is known for his work in Malta in the late 19th century. Life and career Born in Lincolnshire, he attended the Grammar School in Grantham before masterin ...

. It was in a dilapidated state and in danger of collapsing until being restored in 2016.

History

In 1886, a group of noblemen from Mdina commissioned the British architect

to design a clubhouse which was to be built on Saqqajja Hill. The proposed design was submitted by October 1886, and the building was completed sometime before August 1888. Paulson died on 16 August 1887, while the building was still under construction, making the Casino Notabile his last work. The clubhouse was constructed on the site of a belvedere, and it overlooks a wash house which was built in the late 18th century. Due to its location on the

crest Crest or CREST may refer to: Buildings *The Crest (Huntington, New York), a historic house in Suffolk County, New York *"The Crest", an alternate name for 63 Wall Street, in Manhattan, New York *Crest Castle (Château Du Crest), Jussy, Switzerla ...

of a

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; ), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. Often one or more sides ...

, overlooking an unobstructed view, it was also known as ''Point de Vue''. By the beginning of the 21st century, the building was abandoned and in a state of disrepair. In 2008, wooden planks were propped up against its façade in order to prevent it from collapsing. The foundations were also unstable since it was constructed on top of a clay base. The local councils of both Rabat and Mdina lobbied to the government for its restoration. Works on the building were delayed since the Restoration Directorate was focusing on restoring the

fortifications of Mdina The fortifications of Mdina ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Imdina) are a series of defensive walls which surround the former capital city of Mdina, Malta. The city was founded as Maleth by the Phoenicians in around the 8th century BC, and it later became pa ...

, and the site was deemed to be stable after being monitored. By 2012, the wooden beams had been replaced by scaffolding. The restoration work and consolidation of the foundations was approved in 2015, and the work was carried out in 2016. The restoration cost around €200,000. Rabat-Mdina whereabouts 02

The Casino Notabile is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument.

Architecture

The Casino Notabile is a flamboyant building with an eclectic design. Paulson was probably influenced by the works of French Beaux-Arts architects, and the building's design reflects the architecture of the '' Belle Époque'' era found in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

and

Nice Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...

. The Casino is a small structure consisting of three rooms, along with an open terrace and a front porch, constructed out of local

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

. The Casino contains a bust of the Governor, which is the work of the Sicilian sculptor

Giuseppe Valenti Giuseppe Valenti was a Sicilian sculptor who was active in the late 19th century. Valenti was born in Palermo, he was the son of , who was also a sculptor and wood carver. His work includes a seated statue of Saint Publius at St Paul's Cathe ...

. The latter might have also sculpted the intricate carvings of the building's exterior.

References

External links

{{Mdina Mdina Buildings and structures completed in 1888 Limestone buildings in Malta