Mistra Gate ( mt, Bieb tal-Mistra) is an ornate

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

way in the limits of

St. Paul's Bay St. Paul's Bay ( mt, San Pawl il-Baħar) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, sixteen kilometres () northwest of the capital Valletta. Saint Paul's Bay is the largest town in the Northern Region and the seat of the Northern Regional Comm ...

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 was built in 1760 as the entrance to a large estate belonging to the

Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi The Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, often simply known as the Monte di Redenzione, was a Maltese institution set up to finance the redemption of Maltese people enslaved by Ottomans or Barbary pirates. It was founded in 1607 by Grand Master ...

. The gate was extensively restored in 1937 and again in the 1990s.

History

The Mistra Gate was built in 1760 as the main gateway to a large estate which belonged to the

, an institution which had been set up by Alof de Wignacourt in 1607 in order to redeem Christian slaves in Muslim territories. The estate had been bequeathed to the Monte di Redenzione by the noblewoman Caterina Vitale in 1619, and it included the land on which

Selmun Palace Selmun Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz ta' Selmun), also known as Selmun Tower, is a villa on the Selmun Peninsula in Mellieħa, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Monte della Redenzione degli Schiavi, funded by the Monte di Pietà. The palace ...

was later built. Mistra Gate Monte di Pietà

The Mistra Gate is built in the

Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

style, and it is decorated with the coats of arms of Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, the Monte di Redenzione, Balì Claudius de Montagne de Lafeuliere and Balì Carlo Maria Olgiati. A farmhouse which was also part of the estate is located close to the gate. In addition, a marker indicating the limits of the property belonging to the Monte di Redenzione can also be found nearby. The estate became government property in 1798, when the funds of the Monte di Redenzione were transferred to the state during the

French occupation of Malta The French occupation of Malta lasted from 1798 to 1800. It was established when the Order of Saint John surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte following the French landing in June 1798. In Malta, the French established a constitutional tradition in M ...

Restorations

In 1937, the gate was restored by the Public Works Department and the Museums Department. Throughout this restoration, the gate was completely rebuilt, and a new timber door was affixed. The gate deteriorated greatly throughout the 20th century. In 1995 and 1996, students from the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

surveyed the gate. Since the gate's façade was inclined outwards, it was decided to dismantle and rebuild the gate. The door was replaced once again, and new wooden beams were installed. This restoration was carried out by the NGO

Din l-Art Ħelwa () is a non-governmental and non-profit, voluntary organisation founded in 1965 by Maltese Judge Maurice Caruana Curran to safeguard Malta's cultural heritage and natural environment. Since its foundation, Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous ...

and was sponsored by the Corinthia Group of Companies. It was completed in 1998. The gate is located close to the Mistra Bridge. Today, the gate is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument by the

Malta Environment and Planning Authority The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA, mt, L-Awtorità ta' Malta dwar l-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar) was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning ...

. The nearby farmhouse and property marker are scheduled as Grade 2.

References

{{reflist Gates in Malta St. Paul's Bay Baroque architecture in Malta Buildings and structures completed in 1760 Limestone buildings in Malta

History

Restorations

Further reading

References