Alfred Mizzi Foundation, Notarial Archives Foundation join efforts to save library
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation and the Notarial Archives Foundatiion have joined efforts to save a library which was damaged by a storm, a statement said Thursday.In 2022, the historic library of the Carmelite Priory in Valletta suffered severe water da
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation and the Notarial Archives Foundatiion have joined efforts to save a library which was damaged by a storm, a statement said Thursday.
In 2022, the historic library of the Carmelite Priory in Valletta suffered severe water damage during a winter storm. Not only was the wooden library structure damaged, but so were countless manuscripts and books.
The Notarial Archives Foundation (NAF) and The Alfred Mizzi Foundation (TAMF) have now partnered in a bid to save this priceless paper patrimony. Since February 2024, the NAF and its committed team of volunteers have been carefully removing the books and manuscripts of the Carmelite library from the shelves, so that the wooden library structure can undergo urgent restoration.
Warranted wood conservator Josef Aquilina has been entrusted with this job. While emptying the shelves, NAF volunteers are also superficially dusting the books and inscribing them in an inventory. The books are then placed in archival boxes and temporarily stored in a safe area within the Priory. All work is carried out under the supervision of the NAF's warranted book and paper conservators Chanelle Mifsud Briffa and Maria Borg.
The Alfred Mizzi Foundation has committed to sponsoring the preliminary works and surveys for the conservation of the wooden library structure. This will ensure that the structure is saved for posterity in a professional manner.
Fr Alex Scerri O.Carm., Prior of the Carmelite community, expressed his thanks to the Notarial Archives Foundation, The Alfred Mizzi Foundation, and the volunteers for their hard work and dedication in preserving the historic library and the patrimony of the Carmelite Priory, which was founded in Valletta in 1570.
Dr Joan Abela, President of the NAF, proudly commends the work of her staff and the team of volunteers involved in this project, reiterating that Malta's national paper patrimony deserves much more investment, care, and appreciation to ensure its preservation for future generations. She thanks TAMF for their support, as the project anticipates moving onto the next crucial phase
Photo: Marsha Iaci of the Notarial Archives Foundation explaining the work being carried out at the Carmelite Priory to Peter Wirth and Jane Mizzi of The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.Related
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