31/07/2023
A positive review of the Heritage Malta Official Guide to Underground Valletta. Thank you Malta Underground for your comprehensive overview and comments.
★★★★½ [Book Review] *The [HM] Official Guide to Underground Valletta* by Marcia Grima [text] | Heritage Malta 2023 | 80pp, col. ill., €12/hc or €9/sc | reviewed by Malta Underground
• This latest instalment in HM's growing series of guides showcases a fascinating [accessible] attraction beneath the capital: a soaring knights-era twin water cistern and part of an extensive WW2 air-raid shelter network. • Richly illustrated with many rarely seen photos, historic maps and underground site plans, the guide touches on numerous related aspects, embedding this subterranean site within Mount Sceberras [Valletta peninsula] and key periods in history. • There are glimpses at the different qualities of limestone bedrock, at the siege-accelerated design of the new capital, the early 1600s Wignacourt Aqueduct lifeline, private cisterns, significant British-era improvements to sewerage, pivotal war details, the rapid construction of and challenging life in shelters, food rations, and much more. • The reader is reminded of a time when Valletta's population ballooned to almost 18,000 [compared to less than a third today], opening our eyes further to the intricacies of the city's numerous, fascinating layers beneath our feet. • Due to the book's comparatively slim format [standard within the series], many topics are sketched out only briefly, making the book particularly suited as an intro to first-time visitors of the site and the island, while inspiring readers to seek out further titles on the subject. Furthermore, the inclusion of largely unseen images, the glimpses at wartime pencil graffiti, the unique saltwater[!] fountain above, and further insights make this an engaging browse for any underground enthusiast. • Recommended. • See also www.heritagemalta.org