Saint James Cavalier ( mt, Kavallier ta' San Ġakbu) is a 16th-century
cavalier
The term Cavalier () was first used by Roundheads as a term of abuse for the wealthier royalist supporters of King Charles I and his son Charles II of England during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration (1642 – ). It ...
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
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 ...
, which was built by the
Order of St John. It overlooks St James' Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the
Valletta Land Front. St James was one of nine planned cavaliers in the city, although eventually only two were built, the other one being the identical
Saint John's Cavalier
Saint John's Cavalier ( mt, Kavallier ta' San Ġwann) is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta, Malta, which was built by the Order of St. John. It overlooks St. John's Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front ...
. It was designed by the Italian military engineer
Francesco Laparelli
Francesco Laparelli da Cortona (5 April 1521 – 20 October 1570) was an Italian architect. He was an assistant of Michelangelo, and later was sent by the Pope to supervise the construction of Valletta in Malta.
Early career
Laparelli was bor ...
, while its construction was overseen by his Maltese assistant
Girolamo Cassar
Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta ...
. St James Cavalier never saw use in any military conflict, but it played a role during the
Rising of the Priests in 1775.
The cavalier is located in Castille Square, close to
Auberge de Castille
The Auberge de Castille ( mt, Berġa ta' Kastilja) is an auberge in Valletta, Malta. The auberge is located at Castile Place, close to Saint James Cavalier, the Malta Stock Exchange, and the Upper Barrakka Gardens. It sits at the highest poin ...
, the
Central Bank of Malta
The Central Bank of Malta ( mt, Bank Ċentrali ta’ Malta) is the central bank of the Republic of Malta. It was established on 17 April 1968. In May 2004, when Malta joined the European Union, it became an integral part of the European Syste ...
, the
Parliament House, the
Malta Stock Exchange
The Malta Stock Exchange ( mt, Borża ta' Malta), originally known as the Casino della Borsa, is the stock exchange of the island nation of Malta. Since being set up in 1992, the Exchange has been key to the raising of capital for the private sec ...
and the post office at Dar Annona. The cavalier was restored as part of Malta's Millennium Project, and it is now a
cultural centre
A cultural center or cultural centre is an organization, building or complex that promotes culture and arts. Cultural centers can be neighborhood community arts organizations, private facilities, government-sponsored, or activist-run.
Asia
* Cen ...
known as Spazju Kreattiv (
Maltese for ''Creative Space'').
History
Hospitaller rule
Following 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 ...
of 1565, in which the
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...
attempted to take over Malta but failed to do so, the
Order of St John decided to settle permanently on the island. The Order decided to build a new fortified city as their new capital, and it was called
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 ...
after Grand Master
Jean Parisot de Valette
Fra' Jean "Parisot" de la Valette (4 February 1495 – 21 August 1568) was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568. As a Knight Hospitaller, joining the order in the ''Langue de P ...
. In order to do this, De Valette asked for financial aid from various European rulers.
Pope Pius V
Pope Pius V ( it, Pio V; 17 January 1504 – 1 May 1572), born Antonio Ghislieri (from 1518 called Michele Ghislieri, O.P.), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 8 January 1566 to his death in May 1572. He is v ...
not only helped out financially, but he also sent the Italian military engineer
Francesco Laparelli
Francesco Laparelli da Cortona (5 April 1521 – 20 October 1570) was an Italian architect. He was an assistant of Michelangelo, and later was sent by the Pope to supervise the construction of Valletta in Malta.
Early career
Laparelli was bor ...
to Malta in order to design the new capital's fortifications. Construction of the city began in March 1566, and work continued throughout the 1570s. Following Laparelli's departure from Malta and his subsequent death, construction of the city was entrusted to his Maltese assistant, the architect and military engineer
Girolamo Cassar
Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta ...
. St James Cavalier, in its early years, was often known as the ''Tower of the Cavalier'', ''Cavalier Tower'' or the variants.
![Saint James Kavallier](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Saint_James_Kavallier.jpeg)
St James Cavalier was one of the first buildings to be built in Valletta, along with the
Church of Our Lady of Victories and the rest of the fortifications.
The cavalier was built as a raised platform on which guns were placed to defend the city against attacks from the landward side, in the area where the town of
Floriana
Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana i ...
was later built. As well as prohibiting entry, St James could also threaten those who had already breached the city's defences. It was linked to
Saint John's Cavalier
Saint John's Cavalier ( mt, Kavallier ta' San Ġwann) is a 16th-century cavalier in Valletta, Malta, which was built by the Order of St. John. It overlooks St. John's Bastion, a large obtuse-angled bastion forming part of the Valletta Land Front ...
by a now-blocked underground passageway.
The cavalier was also used as a gun signalling station. Three rounds were fired every day, at sunrise, noon and sunset. The former and the latter marked the opening and closing of the city gates. Gun signals continued to be fired from the cavalier until around 1800, when they began to be fired from the nearby
Saluting Battery.
![Malta - Valletta - Pjazza Kastilja - St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7a/Malta_-_Valletta_-_Pjazza_Kastilja_-_St._James_Cavalier_01_ies.jpg)
In 1686, during the magistracy of
Gregorio Carafa
Fra Gregorio Carafa (17 March 1615 – 21 July 1690) was a nobleman from the House of Carafa and the 61st Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1680 to his death in 1690.
Early life
Carafa was born on 17 March 1615 in Castelveter ...
, a small building known as ''Dar Annona'' was grafted on the east flank of the cavalier. The building originally housed the Università dei Grani, and it is now a post office.
On 8 September 1775, St James Cavalier was captured by rebels during the
Rising of the Priests. The Order's flag was lowered and a banner of Saint Paul was raised instead.
Fort Saint Elmo
Fort Saint Elmo ( mt, Forti Sant'Iermu) is a star fort in Valletta, Malta. It stands on the seaward shore of the Sciberras Peninsula that divides Marsamxett Harbour from Grand Harbour, and commands the entrances to both harbours along with Fort ...
was also taken over by the rebels, but the Order managed to retake it after a brief exchange of fire. Soon after the fort was taken, the rebels at St James surrendered. Three of them were executed, while the others were exiled or imprisoned. The heads of the three executed men were displayed on the corners of St James Cavalier, but were removed soon after
Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc
Fra' Emmanuel Marie des Neiges de Rohan-Polduc (18 April 1725, in La Mancha, Spain – 14 July 1797, in Valletta, Malta) was a member of the wealthy and influential Rohan family of France, and Prince and 70th Grand Master of the Order of St. Joh ...
was elected Grand Master in November of the same year.
19th and 20th centuries
After taking control of Malta in the beginning of the 19th century, the British converted the cavalier into an officers' mess, a place where soldiers could socialize. Some modifications were made to the structure at this point, including replacing the ramp leading to the roof by a staircase, and increasing the number of rooms by building an arched ceiling within the ground floor room, therefore creating two stories where there had been only one. Changes were also made to help combat humidity.
Later on, two cisterns were excavated within the cavalier to store water pumped to Valletta via the
Wignacourt Aqueduct
The Wignacourt Aqueduct ( mt, L-Akwedott ta' Wignacourt) is a 17th-century aqueduct in Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the newly built capital city Valletta. The aqueduct was ...
. The cavalier stored water for the entire city.
[
In 1853, a proposal was made to demolish the cavalier to make way for a hospital, but nothing materialized.
In ]World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the building was also used as a bomb shelter, while its upper floor became a food store for the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes
The Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI ) is a company created by the British government on 9 December 1920 to run recreational establishments needed by the British Armed Forces, and to sell goods to servicemen and their families. It runs c ...
.[
In the 1970s, the Government Printing Press moved from the Grandmaster's Palace to St James, and it remained there until new premises at Marsa Industrial Estate were opened in 1996.
]
Cultural centre
In the 1990s, the Government of Malta commissioned a Master Plan for the rehabilitation of Valletta and its outskirts. The project included restoring St James Cavalier and converting it for cultural purposes.[ The restoration was undertaken by the Maltese architect Richard England.][
Throughout the course of renovation, St James has been transformed from an edifice designed to prohibit entry to one which welcomes visitors. England described the task of making this change as "making it possible for the building to accommodate new needs in a way that, while respecting the past, accepts the concept of change, without fear." However, the work was the cause of much controversy and was deemed unsatisfactory by many Maltese, partly resulting in the halting of other planned projects in Valletta and the decision to use celebrated architects (including ]Renzo Piano
Renzo Piano (; born 14 September 1937) is an Italian architect. His notable buildings include the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris (with Richard Rogers, 1977), The Shard in London (2012), the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City (20 ...
) rather than Richard England. The other projects started in 2008 when works commenced on the City Gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway.
Uses
City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...
, the site of the former opera house, the new parliament building and the rest of the area around the city's entrance.
One of the biggest challenges that Prof. England faced was that of increasing accessibility in a building created to repel invaders. This necessitated major structural intervention and very difficult decisions about which areas should, and must, undergo such drastic intervention.
This task was carried off with great aplomb in the conversion of the two water cisterns, one into St James' spectacular theatre space and the other into the atrium. A stunning, unifying space which provides access to the upper galleries. the design nonetheless incorporate glass panels and a marvelous awareness of space that allows the visitor to read the historical narrative told by the wells.
The work was carried out in collaboration with the restoration expert Michael Ellul. With and emphasis that firmly discouraged the use of replica and imitation. Hence anything that looks 16th century is 16th century and anything that looks contemporary is contemporary. The national heritage organization Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna did protest against the removal of a rare World War Two gas shelter and other historical remains from the British period.
This theme is particularly obvious on the ground floor. In the Music Room, the British-installed ceiling has been removed, and the room restored to its original state. The gift shop, on the other hand, is split. In other halls partial removal of the ceiling has allowed both periods to be represented in this modern interpretation of a deeply historical building.
Restoration of the cavalier was complete by the end of summer 2000, and it opened to the public as St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity on 22 September of that year, with an exhibition entitled ''Art in Malta Today''.[ The cavalier now houses a small theatre, a cinema, music rooms and art galleries. Since it was opened it has welcomed over a million visitors. In August 2015, the cavalier was re-branded as Spazju Kreattiv ( Maltese for ''Creative Space''). Its artistic director is Toni Sant.] Various exhibitions and other cultural events are regularly held there including a yearly festival by the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology
The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) ( mt, Il-Kulleġġ Malti tal-Arti, Xjenza u Teknoloġija) is a vocational education and training institution in Malta.
Established in 2001, MCAST offers 180 full-time and over 300 part-tim ...
.
The cavalier is scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on the .
Architecture
St James Cavalier is a large casemate
A casemate is a fortified gun emplacement or armored structure from which artillery, guns are fired, in a fortification, warship, or armoured fighting vehicle.Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary
When referring to Ancient history, antiquity, th ...
d artillery platform having a pentagonal plan. The structure was not designed with aesthetics in mind, highlighting its purely utilitarian military function.[ Despite the impression of size given by the external aspect of the building, half of the structure was filled with compressed earth and the rest consisted of series of sparse chambers and a ramp by which cannons could reach the roof.
The cavalier occupies the rear face of St James' Bastion, and it was meant to be able to fire over the bastion's main parapet, without interfering with its fire. A number of ]gunpowder magazine
A gunpowder magazine is a magazine (building) designed to store the explosive gunpowder in wooden barrels for safety. Gunpowder, until superseded, was a universal explosive used in the military and for civil engineering: both applications requ ...
s are located to the rear of the structure.[
]
Further reading
*
*
References
External links
Spazju Kreattiv, St James Cavalier
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Valletta
Hospitaller fortifications in Malta
Limestone buildings in Malta
16th-century fortifications
Maltese culture
Theatres in Malta
Cinemas in Malta
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands