Fratture, dispute, alleanze, gerarchie: Dinamiche professionali nel cantiere maltese (sec. XVII-XVIII)

Abstract

The year 1530 propelled the Maltese community towards significant political, social and cultural ruptures. The impact on the architectural context was immediate and long-lasting. The frequent arrival of technicians from outside the island, primarily entrusted with the task of fortifying the archipelago, sustained repeated ruptures within the internal balance of Malta’s building community. Even if the contribution of external technicians continuously accelerated the renewal of languages and techniques, their presence in the restricted professional community could be perceived as cumbersome. Many times, this generated contested relationships between the most prominent personalities. Starting from the analysis of some significant cases that trace the history of Maltese architecture in the modern age, this contribution attempts to outline the relationship between local masters and external technicians summoned by the Order, highlighting the strategies of professional integration, frictions, and disputes. Observing the evolutions and innovations in the architectural project from the point of view of the men who produced them, this study will try to highlight those traumas and ruptures experienced both by those arriving from outside the archipelago and those who had to welcome and accept these foreign competitors. The aim is to obtain a better understanding to help explain how design choices can be interpreted in terms of fractures.