Moggy – I think you’ll find that Geronimo lived on for a few more years. See my postscript on the Geronimo blog.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma/maltarchitecture/ecclasiastical.html

There are features in the Cathedral facade which appear to be Renaissance, and even after it was built, Mattia Preti appears to have made alterations in the facade (in order to increase the amount of light inside the Cathedral) in the Baroque style. It is all very interesting.

I found this very interesting too:

“It seems that many authors see Cassar as the Maltese version of a Michelangelo by attributing sophisticated and modern Italian designs to him or by interpreting the measurements of St. John’s as “musical proportions” based on Leon Battista Alberti’s theories. Cassar certainly contributed in many ways to the development of Malta’s architecture, and he also influenced many of his followers. But one should always keep in mind that Cassar was neither trained in Classical architecture (which is the basis of Renaissance design), nor did he know the architectural rules that he was supposed to break when applying the Mannerist style.

Therefore, Cassar was merely able to copy certain architectural elements – without actually understanding them – that he had seen on his study tour to Italy, and he applied them in a different way than his Italian contemporaries.”

That’s what I said above. So is the Sacra Infermeria. However one must keep in mind that the city only started being built in 1566 (first stone laid), and that Mannerism was on its way out by 1580/ 90. Valletta was not built in a day, and with the demise of Glormu Cassar in 1586, Mannerism gave way to Baroque. Cassar is also responsible for the Augustinian Church in Rabat, which is built in the Renaissance style. Many of Glormu’s buildings were finished off and decorated in the Baroque style, and Auberge de Castille, although it was built in the Renaissance style originally, was given a new facade by Pinto, again in the Baroque style.

[Daphne – St John’s is definitely Mannerist. Only the decoration of the interior is Baroque. It was applied later. Contrary to you, I see very little that is Baroque in the architecture of the houses and palazzi. They are actually very plain and simple.]

I agree that Piano’s plans for City Gate were too drastic last time round, but how do we know that they’re not going to be so this time round, too? I consider the “knocking a hole” in the bastions a sacrilege. Valletta is a walled, Baroque city and ripping open the walls is just not on.

[Daphne – I might be wrong about this and I’m quite sure others will rush to set me straight if I am. But surely the predominant architectural style in Valletta was/is Mannerist and not Baroque? Valletta was built when the Mannerist style was in vogue and when Baroque had not yet begun in Rome, still less in backwater Malta. St John’s Cathedral is typically Mannerist, so are the auberges and the original surviving palaces. I see nothing Baroque about them.]

[Daphne – I quite liked it. And contemporary is the only way to go. Reproducing something from the past is the equivalent of spending good money on a copy of an antique cupboard. It has no added value, and no significance. And in any case, it’s considered poor taste. I find it odd that many of those who would never dream of putting a piece of reproduction furniture in their drawing-rooms are calling for a reproduction building.]