Maltese Architecture Part 4: Unique Features
Malta has a rich history of architecture with cultural influences from around the world and, through the ages, the architecture has reflected elements drawn from Arabic, Sicilian and Baroque traditions. In the early 1990s, the Maltese Government decided to diversify the tourism industry by focusing on culture.
Due to its geographical position, Malta has historically been at the crossroads of various Mediterranean civilisations with strong British influences. Its built heritage certainly reflects these diverse cultures and some structures even predate the Pyramids of Giza. The Ġgantija Temple is a prime example of this, having been built in 3500 BC. A heavy Roman influence is evident in the decorative mosaic floors and the introduction of marble statues. A European building style also emerged when the Knights of St. John began occupying the island in 1530.
You can check out our previous articles for information on what is meant by ‘a Maltese home’: Part 1 includes, but is not limited to, houses of character and bungalows and Part 2 examines everything from palazzos to boathouses. Or perhaps you’re more interested in the variety of Maltese apartments, in which case give our Part 3 article a read where we delve into the specific types.
This article hones in on some of the more traditional architectural features found in houses of character, villas, palazzos and other historically significant buildings.
Limestone Walls
As the most abundant material in Malta, limestone makes the perfect building material. We dig into this in a past article about secret underground spaces: read here.
Limestone has been used as the primary building material for Maltese structures for centuries, and the techniques for using it have stayed mostly consistent, although the oldest properties can have far thicker walls than newer builds.
Casa Ippolito, seen in the images here and located in the Birzebbuga countryside, is a limestone ruin left vacant in the middle of fields for over 100 years. It dates back to 1664 and was built by Baron Ippolito Novantieri who lived there with his wife and five children. It has been used in archaeological studies to provide insights into how to provide modern sustainable architecture due to its natural properties of materials and ability to optimise light, thermal insulation and ventilation.
Curbsy has its very own example of a historical limestone structure in this rustic Gozo farmhouse. In the middle of the countryside, this three-bedroom home is still serving its current owners well for their farming and storing needs but it’s now on sale for €585,000.
Wooden Doors
Accented against the neutral limestone, Maltese doors display a rainbow of colours, from wine reds to deep ocean blues. It is believed that your front door is an extension of your personality and, this being said, you can imagine the array of colourful characters on the island.
As with most architectural features, there are many different types according to factors such as what street you live on and what kind of house you have. Townhouses for the upper middle classes, for example, could have doors equipped with giant brass door knockers, shoe mud scrapers, bell-pulls and be fronted with decorative wrought-iron gates.
The inventiveness of Maltese doors is popular with locals and foreigners alike. Follow #MaltaDoors on Instagram for photos and commentary on doors across the Maltese islands.
Door Knockers
In pre-medieval and early medieval times, people did not knock on doors but in fact used to scratch at them instead. Nor was it customary to lock doors at the time, not as we do in the modern world. With the passage of time, scratching was replaced with knocking and the door knocker, or ħabbata, came into being.
Door knockers have historically served as status symbols of the family who lived in the residence. A more elaborate knocker was a sign of affluence and power, whereas a simpler plain ring implied a more modest household.
Often misconstrued as dolphins, a common Maltese architectural feature is the fish door knocker. But why a fish? They date back to an old Arab custom that saw the placing of fish in front of the door, either by the door jamb or hung up. The fish signified good luck usually after a wedding or birth.
Over time, door knockers have come to be replaced with mechanical doorbells and intercoms but many people do uphold tradition and continue to commission new designs in keeping with the unique identity of Malta.
Balconies
Maltese balconies find their origins in Arab mashrabiya, an architectural element characteristic of traditional architecture in the Islamic world. The small box on the house façade, or muxrabija (meaning ‘peephole’), is where women could look out without being seen.
The image above belongs to a townhouse in Naxxar, for sale through Curbsy for €650,000. This three-bedroom home has been converted to respect the house’s heritage but has all the conveniences of a modern property like this balcony turned cosy reading nook.
Older style balconies are typically open stone with balustrades or other artistic stone shapes. Most of these central balconies are of a rectangular or a semicircular base and some of the best surviving examples can be found in Gozo.
They later became closed ones with a wooden box-frame added to them once wood became cheaper during the British period. Most of the closed wooden balconies are rectangular, although curved shapes do exist on finer homes. The timber used for them is typically painted in a colour matching the main door and the other windows on the façade.
High Ceilings
Utilising space in homes has been at the forefront of Maltese architecture for a very long time so it is hardly surprising that old houses of character demonstrate this the best. High ceilings provide a sense of airiness whilst fulfilling a need to light and ventilate a building using natural means. The older a building is, the higher the ceilings tend to be.
This 400-year-old house of character is being sold through Curbsy for €524,000 and the present owners have worked meticulously to retain the original features. Almost every room in this home has the original high ceilings.
The kitchen also provides a great illustration of stone slabs, known in Malta as xorok, resting on corbels, kileb in Maltese, that project out just under the ceiling in a line. They serve to support the ceiling structure.
Patterned Tiles
Patterned tiles are thought to have been introduced from Spain and have been a feature of Maltese architecture for around 300 years. Usually measuring eight by eight inches, these tiles are often elegantly designed with floral or, later on, geometric motifs in an attempt to make the room look as if it were carpeted.
This particular colourful design can be seen in an unconverted townhouse in Naxxar, which Curbsy is selling for €630,000. With 16 different fruit trees in its mature garden and a one-of-a-kind staircase, this three-bedroom property has the potential to become a beautiful, substantial family home. Generally made out of a mixture of powdered marble, white cement and colour pigment, these Maltese tiles are created using a mould of each particular design and pattern, in which colours are poured one by one and left to set. They’re made individually rather than in batches — a very time-consuming process.
Patterned tiles aren’t just for historic houses though, they’re coming back into fashion. Local artist Stephanie Borg is bringing new life into tiles for a younger generation by taking traditional patterns and colouring them with modern hues.
She also has a popular line celebrating the beauty and diversity of Maltese doors.
Flagstones
Even older properties may have limestone flagstones, ċangatura in Maltese, instead of tiles. Once laid, they were painted with linseed oil to prevent them from getting dirty too easily and to help manage the build-up of dust.
The flagstones in this photograph belong to an unconverted, L-shaped house of character that dates back to 1606 AD. Given the size of this entrance hall, it could quite easily be used as a three to four car garage. With an asking price of €1,380,000, this property has the potential to be a boutique hotel, event venue or simply a stately family home.
Spiral Staircases
In ancient cultures, medieval spiral staircases were used to achieve higher ground in warfare and having them wind clockwise would ensure that any right-handed attacking swordsmen were at a disadvantage. Some were also constructed especially tight and small to cause a potential hazard to invaders.
Known as a garigor, this traditional spiral staircase is fairly common. Homes will often have them beginning from the basement and going straight up to the roof, with an exit on each floor.
This garigor is in a building with its own unique and rather shady history. Built in 1576, the €3,550,000 Palazzo Valdina was formerly owned by Fra Carlo Valdina, a Knight of the Order of St. John, who bequeathed the house both his name and his notoriety. We have a separate article entirely dedicated to some of his more notable exploits (he managed to get himself exiled from Malta by the Pope himself in one such incident).
Wells
Known as a bir, it was the Knights of St. John who passed a law dictating that all houses were to have a well to ensure water supply. And, to this date, the law remains in place and most houses have a well in their back garden. A large stone, called a herza, is placed on the top to prevent people from falling in and a hole in the middle allows the pail to pass through.
The well often extends underneath the yard and sometimes even under part of the house itself. It will always be bell-shaped with a mouth in the top narrow part and the sides and bottom plastered with a mixture of cement and sand in order to make them impermeable. The photograph above is an example of a traditional Maltese well, seen in the stunning garden of a €524,000 two-bedroom townhouse in Xewkija.
Consider Curbsy
To experience Maltese architecture is to soak up millennia of history and expert craftsmanship and if you’ve ever considered living on the island, we want to help you find your perfect home. Whether it’s a historic house of character or a modern apartment, give us a call on +356 7988 8117 or email support@curbsy.com.mt to speak to a member of the team.
With Thanks
Thanks must be given to Steph Camilleri, our Office Coordinator in Malta, and Lydia Barbara, the CEO of Curbsy, for their architectural knowledge and input in this article.
References
https://culturemalta.org/maltese-houses-of-character/
https://lazypenguins.com/the-traditional-maltese-house-architecture-from-malta/
www.guidememalta.com/en/brick-by-brick-cultural-influences-which-have-shaped-maltese-architecture
https://https://heritagesciencejournal.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40494-021-00500-9
https://www.whatson.com.mt/en/home.htm
https://oldhousesmalta.com/why-love-old-houses/
https://www.guidememalta.com/en/limestone-country-the-story-behind-malta-s-iconic-golden-hue
http://livinginmalta.com/miscellaneuos/maltese-door-knocker/
https://oneflightaway.com/doors-of-malta/
https://www.ourwedding.mt/en/everything-you-need-to-know-about-maltese-patterned-tiles
