The Great Siege Monument ( mt, Il-Monument tal-Assedju l-Kbir), also known as the Monument to the Fallen of the Great Siege, is a monument commemorating the

Great Siege of Malta The Great Siege of Malta ( Maltese: ''L-Assedju l-Kbir'') occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May to 13 September ...

located in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...

, Malta. It consists of three bronze figures symbolizing Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization, standing on top of a granite base. The monument is the work of the sculptor

Antonio Sciortino Antonio Sciortino (Ħaż-Żebbuġ; 25 January 1879 – 10 August 1947) was a Malta, Maltese artist, considered Malta’s foremost sculpture, sculptor of the twentieth century. His career unfolded almost entirely in Rome, where he resided from 190 ...

, and it was inaugurated on 8 May 1927.

History

The Great Siege Monument was sculpted by

in 1926, while he was in Rome. It was then cast in bronze using the lost-wax method, and the monument was inaugurated in Valletta on 8 May 1927. During the inauguration, Chief Justice

Arturo Mercieca Sir Arturo Mercieca (14 June 1878 – 31 July 1969) was a Maltese judge and served as Chief Justice of Malta between 1924 and 1940. He is also the founder of the oldest extant students' union in Europe, Malta's national University Students' C ...

delivered his speech in

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

, while the priest, philosopher and poet Anastasio Cuschieri delivered a speech in Maltese, both in the presence of the British Lieutenant-Governor, Sir

Thomas Alexander Vans Best Sir Thomas Alexander Vans Best, (8 October 1870 – 24 November 1941) was a British colonial administrator. He was born the son of Dr Alexander Vans Best of Aberdeen, previously a Staff Surgeon in the Bengal Army. Thomas Vans Best joined the C ...

. This illustrated the language question and the political tension of the time. The monument is located in Great Siege Square ( mt, Misraħ l-Assedju l-Kbir) along Valletta's main road, Republic Street ( mt, Triq ir-Repubblika) by the side of

Saint John's Co-Cathedral St John's Co-Cathedral ( mt, Kon-Katidral ta' San Ġwann) is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Ma ...

. The monument originally faced

Auberge d'Auvergne The Auberge d'Auvergne ( mt, Berġa ta' Alvernja) was an auberge in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the 16th century to house knights of the Order of Saint John from the langue of Auvergne. It became a courthouse in the 19th century, and it ...

, which was replaced by the Courts of Justice building in the 1960s after the original building had been severely damaged in World War II. The Great Siege Monument appeared on three Maltese stamps issued in 1956, 1962 and 1972. It also featured on the Maltese 50 cent coin that was minted from 1972 until it was replaced in 1986. The monument was restored between August and September 2010. It is listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...

. Since October 2017, the monument has been used as a makeshift memorial to journalist

Daphne Caruana Galizia Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia (; 26 August 1964 – 16 October 2017) was a Maltese writer, journalist, blogger and anti-corruption activist, who reported on political events in Malta. In particular, she focused on investigative journalism, repor ...

by members of her family and anti-government protesters. For a while the tributes were removed on a daily basis by Government employees. In 2020, a court decision found that the then Minister for Justice

Owen Bonnici Owen Bonnici (born 24 May 1980) is a Maltese politician who is currently serving as the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government. He previously served as Pariamentary Secretary for Justice, Minister for Justice, Cultu ...

's orders to repeatedly clear the memorial were a violation of protestors' human rights for the

freedom of expression Freedom of speech is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or a community to articulate their opinions and ideas without fear of retaliation, censorship, or legal sanction. The right to freedom of expression has been recogni ...

Description

Camera_dei_deputati_Aula_Palazzo_Montecitorio_Roma

The Great Siege Monument is considered to be a work of

Neoclassical sculpture Neoclassicism (also spelled Neo-classicism) was a Western cultural movement in the decorative and visual arts, literature, theatre, music, and architecture that drew inspiration from the art and culture of classical antiquity. Neoclassicism was ...

, exhibiting powerful simple lines which hint at Sciortino's avant-garde style. It has been called "one of the most emblematic sculptures on the island". The statue consists of three bronze figures set on top of a granite base. The positioning of the figures relates closely to

Davide Calandra Davide Calandra (21 October 1856 – 8 September 1915) was an Italian sculptor and cabinet maker. Biography Davide Calandra was born in Turin into a wealthy family. His father, besides his professional activities of lawyer and hydraulic enginee ...

's relief ''La Glorificazione della Dinastia Sabauda'' at the

Palazzo Montecitorio The Palazzo Montecitorio () is a palace in Rome and the seat of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Italian Parliament. History The palace's name derives from the slight hill on which it is built, which was claimed to be the ''Mons ...

in Rome. The three figures are said to be allegorical representations of Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization. The male figure in the centre is described as Fortitude or Valour, and he is portrayed bare-chested and wearing a three-pointed crown and some armour, while holding a sword and a shield. There is a female figure on either side, with Faith on the left and Civilization on the right. Faith holds a

papal tiara The papal tiara is a crown that was worn by popes of the Catholic Church from as early as the 8th century to the mid-20th. It was last used by Pope Paul VI in 1963 and only at the beginning of his reign. The name "tiara" refers to the entire h ...

, while Civilization holds a mask of

Minerva Minerva (; ett, Menrva) is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic war. From the second century BC onward, the Roma ...

, the Roman goddess of Wisdom.

References

External links

{{Valletta Buildings and structures in Valletta Monuments and memorials in Malta Bronze sculptures in Malta Neoclassical sculptures 1926 sculptures Buildings and structures completed in 1927 1927 establishments in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands