Well, we’re halfway there already. The place is overun with circus animals. Now all we need is an arena and a few tridents and that will keep the people happy.

As to the rest of your pipe dream, refer to Graham C’s comment above – the last nine words, that is.

“The scheme (Lanci’s) calls for casemates cut into solid rock with their embrasures at ditch level (i.e., low down on the floor of the ditch). These casemates, each 60 palmi long, 28 palmi wide and 22 palmi high at the vault, are to be located in the flanks of the bastions. Some believe they are conceived as detached works however in fact they are placed within the flanks but at ditch level – i.e., within the walls. In my opinion if a solid ‘slice’ of rock is left, as specified, to form the outer wall of this casemate, it cannot support itself. Rather than this free standing (slice of) rock, there should be a masonry wall between the interior of the casemate and the ditch outside for it has to support the roof of the casemate and the rest of the wall above too. I am saying it will not support itself because there are flaws in all rocks of all types: marble, travertine, or any other common stone; be they brittle, very hard, soft (like chalk), or whatever. In short, since the density of rock is not consistent it tends to flake and crumble. There are land slides and rock falls on high ground even when no one has interfered with it or quarried there. Rocks will flake and crumble even more if cut as is proposed in this scheme. Thus these casemates will be expensive to build and liable to collapse.”

Renaissance is the resurgence and rediscovery of the knowledge and art of the ancients whilst improving on it. We have sunk back into a cultural dark age. Especially here in Malta.

We must achieve a civilisation the equivalent of the Roman Empire but with the benefit of technology (i.e. no need of slavery to do everyday tasks).

[Daphne – I’m just guessing wildly here. Are you one of Norman Lowell’s boys?]

Corinne Vella, John Meilak probably mixed up the renaissance with the classical period (ancient civilisation)…We need a school of thinking, not a palace.

[Daphne – Is that an urban legend, or do you have the source?]

I want my country to be run as it should from parliament not from around a Sliema apartment kitchen-table. [Daphne – Unfortunately, John, that was precisely what happened – it was decided by parliament, indirectly if not directly. I think what you meant to say is that you want the correct institutions to take the decisions. It’s not always parliament that’s the decision-making body.]

I don’t have an opinion about the shape or form of this proposed museum.But I believe that there are solutions to these problems.

All I know is that there are various architectural styles from various periods in Valletta: Victorian (the covered market), neo-classical(Law courts), neo-Gothic (St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral) and Fascist (incomplete City Gate).

‘Daghwa b’Alla fil-knisja’ is the disproportionately-sized dome of Tal-Karmnu Church and its bad workmanship (some parts of this oval dome are straight).

[Daphne – Just because somebody comes from a smart background and has no chip on his or her shoulder, Gerald, it doesn’t follow that he or she is a right-wing conservative fascist with blue eyes.]