Ta' Braxia Cemetery | |
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Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Braxa | |
![]() Funerary monuments at Ta' Braxia Cemetery | |
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Details | |
Established | October 1857 |
Location | |
Coordinates | 35°53′24″N 14°29′52″E / 35.89000°N 14.49778°E |
Find a Grave | Ta' Braxia Cemetery |
Ta' Braxia Cemetery ( Maltese: Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Braxa) is a cemetery in Gwardamanġa, located near the boundary between Pietà and Ħamrun, Malta. It was built between 1855 and 1857 as a multi-denomination burial ground primarily intended for British servicemen, partially replacing a number of earlier 18th century cemeteries. The site also incorporates a Jewish cemetery which was established in around 1830. The cemetery's construction was controversial since the local ecclesiastical authorities were opposed to a multi-faith extra-mural cemetery.
The cemetery was designed by the Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia. It was expanded a number of times during the 19th century, and in 1893–94 a memorial chapel dedicated to Lady Rachel Hamilton-Gordon was added. The chapel was designed by the English architect John Loughborough Pearson in a combination of the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles.
Ta' Braxia Cemetery is located just outside the Floriana Lines, the outer fortifications of Malta's capital Valletta. [1] The first cemetery on this site was established in 1778, and it was known as the Cemetery of the Sacra Infermeria. [1] This was the first extra-mural cemetery in Malta. [2] The site also contained some other old cemeteries, including a plague cemetery [3] and a Jewish cemetery which was established in around 1830. [4] By the middle of the 19th century, the area had "become a heath, covered with a heap of rubbish, thorns and nettlebrushes... a common field laid waste without even a central cross or chapel as prescribed by the ritual of the Catholic Church." [2]
By 1850, the British wanted to establish a multi-faith cemetery for servicemen who died in Malta, after the Msida Bastion Cemetery became full. [3] The decision was taken to re-lay and extend the cemetery at Ta' Braxia, which was chosen due to its proximity to the main urban centres of Valletta and the Three Cities. [3] The cemetery was said to be meant for "all religions without distinction" [5] but this only referred to different Christian denominations, excluding other religions, [3] although the pre-existing Jewish cemetery would eventually be incorporated as a separate section into Ta' Braxia. [4] The construction of the cemetery was perceived as a move to establish a predominantly Protestant cemetery. [6]
The establishment of the cemetery was intended to promote extra-mural burial for the upper classes. [2] At the time, the concept of having an extra-mural cemetery was controversial since traditionally people were buried inside churches or chapels. [2] The local ecclesiastical authorities were particularly opposed to extra-mural cemeteries. [2] Further controversy arose since the church was strongly opposed to having a mixed-rite cemetery. [7]
The cemetery was designed by the Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia, and it was his first major government project. [7] Galizia would later design two other major cemeteries: the Catholic Addolorata Cemetery and the Muslim Turkish Military Cemetery. [8] Work on the cemetery commenced in 1855, with the construction of the boundary walls. [3] The military authorities had to approve its designs so as to ensure that the cemetery would not compromise the fortifications. [3] It officially opened in October 1857, and the opening was not reported in local media. [7] The alteration of an adjacent road in 1861 led to the relocation of a nearby Catholic burial ground and permitted the cemetery's expansion. [3] A southward expansion was undertaken in 1879, and another major expansion took place in 1889. [3]
The cemetery became the main burial ground for the British garrison during the second half of the 19th century. [3] Three bodies recovered from the SS Sardinia disaster in 1908 were buried at Ta' Braxia. [9] The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves of eight Commonwealth soldiers buried in the cemetery, five from World War I and three from World War II. [10]
During World War II, aerial bombardment damaged or destroyed some of the headstones and funerary monuments at the cemetery. [11] Other monuments have been damaged due to erosion. [3] Din l-Art Ħelwa and the government set up a committee to restore the cemetery in 2000. [11] An association known as Friends of Ta' Braxia was set up in 2001, and it is responsible for the maintenance and restoration of the cemetery, with the assistance of Din l-Art Ħelwa. [11] Today the cemetery is open to the public on weekdays. [10]
The cemetery has a grid layout, with the main entrance gate aligned on the central axis. [3] It originally had a symmetrical layout, but this element has been lost due to later expansions of the cemetery. [3] Internal gateways and retaining walls delineate different sectors within the cemetery. [3] The cemetery includes Greek and Jewish sections, [11] and a fountain which was designed by Galizia can also be found inside. [3]
The cemetery's architecture is not particularly impressive in itself, [5] but it contains a number of elaborate funerary monuments carved out of stone or marble. [3] Their style ranges from neoclassical to ornate and eclectic. [3] Some monuments have iconography denoting Masonic connections. [3]
The main landmark at Ta' Braxia Cemetery is the Lady Rachel Hamilton-Gordon Memorial Chapel, [12] which was built to commemorate the wife of Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore. While en route from Ceylon to Britain, Lady Hamilton-Gordon fell ill and died in Malta, being buried at Ta' Braxia on 28 January 1889. [3] Sir Hamilton-Gordon commissioned a leading English architect, John Loughborough Pearson, to design a memorial chapel for his wife. [3] Pearson probably never visited Malta, but prepared the plans which were sent to the island. [3] The chapel's foundation stone was laid down on 28 May 1893 [7] and it was completed in 1894. [6]
The chapel's architecture cannot be categorically classified as belonging to one particular style, since it combines elements from both the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. [7] It has a centralized circular plan with a dome. [3] The external façades contain elaborate geometric decoration and ornamentation, which contrast with the relatively plain dome. [7]
Ta' Braxia Cemetery | |
---|---|
Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Braxa | |
![]() Funerary monuments at Ta' Braxia Cemetery | |
| |
Details | |
Established | October 1857 |
Location | |
Coordinates | 35°53′24″N 14°29′52″E / 35.89000°N 14.49778°E |
Find a Grave | Ta' Braxia Cemetery |
Ta' Braxia Cemetery ( Maltese: Iċ-Ċimiterju ta' Braxa) is a cemetery in Gwardamanġa, located near the boundary between Pietà and Ħamrun, Malta. It was built between 1855 and 1857 as a multi-denomination burial ground primarily intended for British servicemen, partially replacing a number of earlier 18th century cemeteries. The site also incorporates a Jewish cemetery which was established in around 1830. The cemetery's construction was controversial since the local ecclesiastical authorities were opposed to a multi-faith extra-mural cemetery.
The cemetery was designed by the Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia. It was expanded a number of times during the 19th century, and in 1893–94 a memorial chapel dedicated to Lady Rachel Hamilton-Gordon was added. The chapel was designed by the English architect John Loughborough Pearson in a combination of the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles.
Ta' Braxia Cemetery is located just outside the Floriana Lines, the outer fortifications of Malta's capital Valletta. [1] The first cemetery on this site was established in 1778, and it was known as the Cemetery of the Sacra Infermeria. [1] This was the first extra-mural cemetery in Malta. [2] The site also contained some other old cemeteries, including a plague cemetery [3] and a Jewish cemetery which was established in around 1830. [4] By the middle of the 19th century, the area had "become a heath, covered with a heap of rubbish, thorns and nettlebrushes... a common field laid waste without even a central cross or chapel as prescribed by the ritual of the Catholic Church." [2]
By 1850, the British wanted to establish a multi-faith cemetery for servicemen who died in Malta, after the Msida Bastion Cemetery became full. [3] The decision was taken to re-lay and extend the cemetery at Ta' Braxia, which was chosen due to its proximity to the main urban centres of Valletta and the Three Cities. [3] The cemetery was said to be meant for "all religions without distinction" [5] but this only referred to different Christian denominations, excluding other religions, [3] although the pre-existing Jewish cemetery would eventually be incorporated as a separate section into Ta' Braxia. [4] The construction of the cemetery was perceived as a move to establish a predominantly Protestant cemetery. [6]
The establishment of the cemetery was intended to promote extra-mural burial for the upper classes. [2] At the time, the concept of having an extra-mural cemetery was controversial since traditionally people were buried inside churches or chapels. [2] The local ecclesiastical authorities were particularly opposed to extra-mural cemeteries. [2] Further controversy arose since the church was strongly opposed to having a mixed-rite cemetery. [7]
The cemetery was designed by the Maltese architect Emanuele Luigi Galizia, and it was his first major government project. [7] Galizia would later design two other major cemeteries: the Catholic Addolorata Cemetery and the Muslim Turkish Military Cemetery. [8] Work on the cemetery commenced in 1855, with the construction of the boundary walls. [3] The military authorities had to approve its designs so as to ensure that the cemetery would not compromise the fortifications. [3] It officially opened in October 1857, and the opening was not reported in local media. [7] The alteration of an adjacent road in 1861 led to the relocation of a nearby Catholic burial ground and permitted the cemetery's expansion. [3] A southward expansion was undertaken in 1879, and another major expansion took place in 1889. [3]
The cemetery became the main burial ground for the British garrison during the second half of the 19th century. [3] Three bodies recovered from the SS Sardinia disaster in 1908 were buried at Ta' Braxia. [9] The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cares for the graves of eight Commonwealth soldiers buried in the cemetery, five from World War I and three from World War II. [10]
During World War II, aerial bombardment damaged or destroyed some of the headstones and funerary monuments at the cemetery. [11] Other monuments have been damaged due to erosion. [3] Din l-Art Ħelwa and the government set up a committee to restore the cemetery in 2000. [11] An association known as Friends of Ta' Braxia was set up in 2001, and it is responsible for the maintenance and restoration of the cemetery, with the assistance of Din l-Art Ħelwa. [11] Today the cemetery is open to the public on weekdays. [10]
The cemetery has a grid layout, with the main entrance gate aligned on the central axis. [3] It originally had a symmetrical layout, but this element has been lost due to later expansions of the cemetery. [3] Internal gateways and retaining walls delineate different sectors within the cemetery. [3] The cemetery includes Greek and Jewish sections, [11] and a fountain which was designed by Galizia can also be found inside. [3]
The cemetery's architecture is not particularly impressive in itself, [5] but it contains a number of elaborate funerary monuments carved out of stone or marble. [3] Their style ranges from neoclassical to ornate and eclectic. [3] Some monuments have iconography denoting Masonic connections. [3]
The main landmark at Ta' Braxia Cemetery is the Lady Rachel Hamilton-Gordon Memorial Chapel, [12] which was built to commemorate the wife of Sir Arthur Hamilton-Gordon, 1st Baron Stanmore. While en route from Ceylon to Britain, Lady Hamilton-Gordon fell ill and died in Malta, being buried at Ta' Braxia on 28 January 1889. [3] Sir Hamilton-Gordon commissioned a leading English architect, John Loughborough Pearson, to design a memorial chapel for his wife. [3] Pearson probably never visited Malta, but prepared the plans which were sent to the island. [3] The chapel's foundation stone was laid down on 28 May 1893 [7] and it was completed in 1894. [6]
The chapel's architecture cannot be categorically classified as belonging to one particular style, since it combines elements from both the Gothic Revival and Romanesque Revival styles. [7] It has a centralized circular plan with a dome. [3] The external façades contain elaborate geometric decoration and ornamentation, which contrast with the relatively plain dome. [7]