Wignacourt Arch

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Wignacourt Arch
L-Arkata ta' Wignacourt
File:Wignacourt Arch 2016-05-08.jpg
The reconstructed Wignacourt Arch
Alternative names Fleur-de-Lys Gate
General information
Status Reconstructed
Type Ornamental arch
Architectural style Baroque
Location Fleur-de-Lys (Birkirkara) and Santa Venera, Malta
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Named for Alof de Wignacourt
Completed 1615 (original)
November 2015 (replica)
Inaugurated 28 April 2016 (replica)
Destroyed 18 April 1943 – 12 February 1944 (original)
Cost €280,000 (replica)
Technical details
Material Limestone
Design and construction
Architect Bontadino de Bontadini

The Wignacourt Arch (Maltese: L-Arkata ta' Wignacourt), also known as the Fleur-De-Lys Gate (Maltese: Il-Bieb ta' Fleur-De-Lys) and officially called The Wignacourt Arch known as the Fleur-De-Lys Gate (Maltese: L-Arkata ta' Wignacourt magħrufa bħala l-Bieb ta' Fleur-De-Lys), is an ornamental arch located on the boundary between Fleur-de-Lys (a suburb of Birkirkara) and Santa Venera, Malta. The arch was originally built in 1615 as part of the Wignacourt Aqueduct, but it was destroyed between 1943 and 1944. A replica of the arch was constructed in 2015, being inaugurated on 28 April 2016.

Original arch

The Wignacourt Aqueduct was constructed between 1610 and 1615 to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the Maltese capital Valletta. It was named after Alof de Wignacourt, the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, who partially financed its construction.

The aqueduct was carried through underground pipes or over a series of stone arches where there were depressions in the ground level. To commemorate the construction of the aqueduct, the Wignacourt Arch was constructed at an area where the aqueduct crossed the road leading from Valletta to Mdina. The Baroque[1] archway had a large arch in the centre, and a smaller arch on either side. It was decorated with three fleurs-de-lis, a relief of Wignacourt's coat of arms, and two marble plaques with Latin inscriptions. The plaque on the side facing Santa Venera read:[2][3]

File:Wignacourt Arch plaque 2016-03-26.jpg
Plaque on the Santa Venera-facing side

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

HAC VALLETTA TENUS FUNCTUM JACUISSE CADAVER
VISA EST NUNC LATICIS SPIRITUS INTUS ALIT
INCUBUIT PRIMUS OLIM CEU SPIRITUS UNDIS
SPIRITUS ENIXA SIC MODO FERTUR AQUA

(meaning So far Valletta lay as a corpse. Today the spirit of water has brought life to her. The primordial spirit floated on water. Now water has been drawn to her and that spirit reappears.)
File:Wignacourt Arch plaque 2016-02-21.jpg
Plaque on the Birkirkara-facing side

The plaque on the side facing Birkirkara read:[3]

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

FRI. ALOPHIO DE WIGNACOURT
MAGNO MAGISTRO
VALLETTAM URBEM
ET ARCEM DULCISSIMIS AQUIS
VIVIFICANTI AETERNA SALUS
REN. IN 1739

(meaning Fra Alof de Wignacourt, Grand Master. Valletta city and citadel, the sweetest waters revive eternal salvation. Renovated in 1739.)
File:Wignacourt Arch coat of arms 2015-11-28.jpg
Coat of arms of Alof de Wignacourt on the reconstructed arch

The area around the arch remained rural until the early 20th century. A tram used to pass near the arch between 1905 and 1929.[4] After World War II, the suburb of Fleur-de-Lys developed in the area, and it got its name from the heraldic symbols on the arch.[2]

Destruction

On 18 April 1943, a Royal Air Force breakdown lorry heading to the airfield at Ta' Qali hit the arch and severely damaged its Santa Venera-facing façade. The central arch was dismantled by military personnel under the supervision of the Public Works Department about two months later. The arch was completely destroyed on 12 February 1944, when a Royal Army Service Corps truck hit the remaining parts of the structure.[5] A roundabout with a fountain was later built on the site of the arch.[6] Some arches of the aqueduct were demolished in order to widen the road and make way for this roundabout.[4]

The arch's two marble plaques reportedly survived its destruction.[7]

Reconstruction

230px
230px
Reconstruction of the arch in August (top) and November 2015 (bottom)

The surviving arches of the Wignacourt Aqueduct were restored between 2004 and 2005. The chairman of the Bank of Valletta, whose headquarters is located close to the arch, promised to build a replica of the arch but initially nothing materialized.[6]

In 2012, the Fleur-de-Lys Administrative Committee and the Birkirkara Local Council announced that they were planning to rebuild the arch to the same dimensions of the original.[7] The plans were approved by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in October of the same year,[8] but they were placed on hold since a tender appeal had to be sorted out.[9] In April 2013, the tender was awarded to Vaults Ltd instead of V&C Contractors who had originally won the tender.[10] The replica arch cost €280,000 to build, and €100,000 of these were donated by the Bank of Valletta. €40,000 were taken from the Good Causes Fund, while the remaining €140,000 were paid by the Birkirkara Local Council.[11]

While preparations were being made for rebuilding the arch, a dispute arose between the Birkirkara and Santa Venera Local Councils on what to call the arch. The former said that it should be called Fleur-de-Lys Gate, while the latter insisted on using the name Wignacourt Arch. In September 2013, the Santa Venera council took the Birkirkara council to court and accused it of causing "historical damage" by calling the arch with an incorrect name.[12] The councils agreed on using the name The Wignacourt Arch known as the Fleur-de-Lys Gate in August 2014.[13]

Reconstruction of the arch began on 1 August 2014,[10] but works stopped soon afterwards after part of the original arch's foundations were found.[13] Reconstruction continued in January 2015,[11] and it was complete by the end of November 2015.[14] Some finishing touches were made in February 2016, including the installation of two marble plaques. The arch was inaugurated on 28 April 2016 by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and mayor of Birkirkara Joanne Debono Grech.[15]

File:Wignacourt Arch plaque 2016-05-11.jpg
Plaque commemorating the reconstruction

A plaque with the coat of arms of Birkirkara and the following inscription was installed to commemorate the reconstruction:

<templatestyles src="Template:Blockquote/styles.css" />

IL-KUNSILL LOKALI
TA' BIRKIRKARA

IL-PRIM MINISTRU
JOSEPH MUSCAT,
FLIMKIEN MAS-SINDKU, IS-SINJURA
JOANNE DEBONO GRECH,
INAWGURAW DIN L-ARKATA TA'
WIGNACOURT MAGĦRUFA
BĦALA L-BIEB TA' FLEUR DE LYS

ILLUM 28 TA' APRIL 2016

(meaning Birkirkara Local Council. Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, together with the mayor, Mrs. Joanne Debono Grech, inaugurated the Wignacourt Arch known as the Fleur-De-Lys Gate, today 28 April 2016.)

Commemorations

In 2015, the Central Bank of Malta minted a €10 silver coin, and MaltaPost issued a set of two stamps to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the Wignacourt Aqueduct. The Wignacourt Arch is depicted on the coin and one of the stamps.[16][17]

Further reading

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References

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Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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