| National Library of Malta | |
|---|---|
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 Façade of the Bibliotheca in 2020 | |
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| 35°53′53.9″N14°30′48.6″E / 35.898306°N 14.513500°E /35.898306; 14.513500 | |
| Location | 36, Old Treasury Street,Valletta,Malta |
| Type | National library |
| Established | 1776 (249 years ago) (1776) (disputed)[1] |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Reference library |
| Legal deposit | Yes |
| Other information | |
| Website | Official website |
TheNational Library of Malta (Maltese:Bibljoteka Nazzjonali ta' Malta), often known as theBibliotheca (Maltese:Bibljoteka), is areference library inRepublic Square,Valletta, Malta. It was founded by Grand MasterEmmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1776 out of the collections of the knight Louis Guérin de Tencin. It has been alegal deposit library since 1925, and it has the largest collection ofMelitensia along with that of theUniversity of Malta. The library also contains the archives of theOrder of St. John, the Università ofMdina and the Università of Valletta.
The library is housed in a late 18th-centuryneoclassical building in the city centre, close to theGrandmaster's Palace, designed by Polish-Italian architectsStefano Ittar and his son Sebastiano Ittar.
The origins of the National Library of Malta go back to 1555, when Grand MasterClaude de la Sengle decreed that all books belonging to deceased members of theOrder of St. John were to be passed to the Order's treasury.[2]
In 1760, Louis Guérin de Tencin, the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order, purchased a collection of 9700 books which had belonged toJoaquín Fernández de Portocarrero for 7000scudi. A year later, he opened a public library in a building known asIl Forfantone inValletta, containing books from his own library as well as Portocarrero's collection, the library of Comm. Sainte-Jay (which was previously kept at the sacristy of theConventual Church of St. John), and books donated by members of the Order. De Tencin appointedGiovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis as librarian, and paid his salary himself. De Tencin died in 1766 before managing to secure funds for maintaining the library.[3]
In 1776, Grand MasterEmmanuel de Rohan-Polduc formally founded theBibliotheca Publica, and it was also called theBibliotheca Tanseana in De Tencin's honour. TheForfantone was considered too cramped to house the new library, so the Polish-born Italian architectStefano Ittar was commissioned to design a new library building in 1786. The building was built on the site of theConservatoria, where gold and silverbullion of the Order's treasury were stored.[3] It was completed in 1796, but it remained empty for some years due to theFrench invasion of 1798. It was eventually inaugurated on 4 June 1812 byCivil Commissioner SirHildebrand Oakes, and it became known as theMalta Public Library.[4]
It became alegal deposit library by Act no. II of 1925, and in 1936 it was granted the title ofRoyal Malta Library by KingGeorge V. In 1937, the archives of the Order were transferred to the library from thePublic Registry.[2]
In 1976, theCentral Public Library was opened inFloriana, and the Valletta library became aresearch andreference library known as theNational Library of Malta.[2]
The library building was designed by the Polish-Italian architectStefano Ittar, and it is an early example ofneoclassical architecture in Malta.[5] It has a symmetrical façade withDoric andIonic columns. The first floor is supported on aloggia, with the main doorway in the centre. A balustraded balcony is located above the doorway, and it is supported by Doric and Ionic columns.[6] The building is also well known for its neo-classic monumental staircase that spreads from the main entrance to the upper floors.[7]
Evidence shows that while Stefano was the main architect, his son Sebastiano Ittar continued the design after his father died before finalizing the work.[8]
The library building was included on the Antiquities List of 1925.[9] It is now scheduled as a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also listed on theNational Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[6]
The National Library of Malta's collections include:
| International | |
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| National | |
| Other | |
