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Reminiscent of old buildings
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The Alhambra Theatre, Sliema, Malta
The first known theatre to be built in Sliema was around 1885. In St Lawrence Street there was a small auditorium called The Melita where dramas and other live shows were performed by Maltese and Italian Companies. Later there were other small theatres built at Ghar id-Dud, Tower Road, Strada Tonna and St Publius Street. In 1907 the Falzon brothers opened the Prince of Wales at the Strand, where the Square Deal is situated today. In the same year Mr.Alfred Axisa opened the Duke of Edinburgh in St.Anne’s Square. This theatre was later renamed The Majestic and today it has been converted to a drapery store. When the movies had finally arrived in Malta, Mr. Alfred Axisa built a large Theatre in Tower Road, which he called Cinema Axisa, and later on renamed it The Alhambra. This establishment was built with steel frames and iron sheeting. To get to the theatre one had to walk through a tunnel under the Sliema Amateurs Football Club. In the courtyard in front of the entrance there was Zerrek Confectionary and Axisa Photo Studio. The theatre had a large bar owned by Farsons Breweries, a large stage for live shows and a motion pictures screen. The Theatre could seat around two hundred people with an additional 50 in the balconies above. The Alhambra seen a number of renovations including a total rebuilding after the Second World War. After the renovations the Alhambra was regarded as one of the top cinemas in Malta. During the ‘70’s the theatre was also used for political rallies and large gatherings. During one of these rallies the gallery had suffered large damage and the theatre was condemned as unsafe and therefore demolished. | ||||
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The Chalet at Ghar id-Dud, Sliema
Before the Second World War the Chalet was a very popular entertaining area for people young and old. The Chalet had then a staff of a cook, a pastry maker and about 14 waiters and handymen. Every Thursday there used to be Spot Dances with prizes given to the best dancers. During the weekend there used to have bands playing in both the top and bottom halls. The top bands in the country were use to perform at the Chalet. The dance halls were also hired out for weddings and other private functions. World War II In 1942 Malta got involved in the War and the Chalet like other public places had to be closed. In March 1942 the building was hit during an air raid and suffered substantial damage. On Mar 2, 1942 the Chalet 0wner Mr K. Axisa wrote to the Governmet informing him of the damage and the danger that the whole building was in danger of collapse. On August 25th 1942, the Governor of Malta, Lord Gort approved the sum of 100 Maltese pounds “for repairs to damages sustained by the Chalet, Ghar id-Dud Sliema". These provisional repairs were completed in November 1942. After the surrender of Italy on September 8, 1943, Mr Axisa was making the necessary repairs to re-open the Chalet. These repairs cost Mr. Axisa the sum of Lm3,247 and were completed in August 1944. When all was completed, Mr Axisa sold his share of the Chalet and therefore it was re-opened under new management in July 1944. As none of the repairs were done properly, and owing to the wind and waves which constantly batter the foundations, it did not take long for the damages to surface again. In July 1959, the Chalet was officially declared unsafe and the new owner Mr. Karmeno Schembri closed the building permanently. | ||||
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The Royal Opera House In Valletta was designed by the British architect Edward Middleton Barry and completed in 1860. During a rehearsal of a new opera by Maestro Privitera, on the 5th of May 1873, the stage caught fire, which spread quickly to the interior. The Theatre was restored in 1877 and inaugurated with a performance of Verdi's Aida While operational this was one of Valletta's most imposing landmarks, and one of Europe most prestigious Theatres. International Operas, Ballets and concerts were featured at the Theatre and most of the famous actors and singers of the era have performed at the Royal Opera House. The Theatre was destroyed in 1942 by bombing during an air raid blitz and to date it has not been rebuilt. Many attempts have been made since then to restore the building, but so far nothing had been done and the site is presently used as a car park. | ||||
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The Upper Barracca lift was built to connect the Barracca Gardens with Lascaris Wharf. The lift ran vertically along one of the city’s bastion which surrounded Valletta. The date of the lift’s construction is some what obscure but it seems that it was built during the British occupation sometime in the 19th Century. This lift was quite famous and was heavily used by people who wanted to reach the hub of Valletta from the wharf without walking all the way up the steep streets. A fee of half penny was charged to those wanting to use the lift. This site was also known as the Malta's version of "Lovers' Leap" before the lift was torn down. A few people decided to end their troubles by taking a leap from this location. | ||||
| (Research by Charles J. Belli) | ||||
