SUBTERRANEAN VALLETTA – A HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS BY ARCHITECT EDWARD SAID

Following the success of the last public lecture on Subterranean Valletta by Architect Edward Said, Din l-Art Helwa will be launching its autumn cycle of cultural talks with another presentation by Architect Said on this highly topical subject.   With the assistance of various entities, particularly the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee, Architect Edward Said has made Subterranean Valletta one of his fields of study, his university thesis publication giving a historical and descriptive analysis of his research and findings.

The presentation will aim at illustrating the subterranean dimension of our capital and world heritage city of Valletta, exploring it chronologically, and will take the audience through an underground journey starting from the time when Mount Sceberras was virgin land right up to the rediscovery of tunnels earlier this year.

Edward Said’s research has aimed at interpreting all available documentation from as many sources as possible in order to identify what actually lies beneath the streets and squares of the city, rather than give just an inventory of the different underground spaces which are believed to be a highly elaborate network of passageways, tunnels and catchment areas all with their own separate function as was necessary for a city that was planned meticulously from its onset.

Architect Edward Said, B.E. & A.(Hons), A. & C.E. graduated as an architect and civil engineer in 2005 and is currently reading a post-graduate diploma in restoration also at the University of Malta. He sits on the board of trustees of Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna.