Cultural Heritage watchdog requests ‘historical justification’ for Mosta obelisk

The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage (SCH) has withheld judgment on a proposed 15.4-metre-high obelisk by the Mosta Local Council, stating that it will only provide its assessment after receiving a detailed “historical justification” for the project.

While acknowledging the architect’s claim that the obelisk was part of the original plan for the square designed by Giorgio Grognet de Vassé – who also designed the Mosta Rotunda – the SCH has requested the submission of “a historical appraisal and justification for the proposal.”

A legible copy of Grognet de Vassé’s original master plan must also be provided. The SCH noted that it would offer further comments on the application once this documentation has been submitted.

The proposal has sparked a broader debate within the heritage community. Globally, the reconstruction of historical monuments and unrealised plans is often controversial, with heritage experts prioritising historical authenticity and the preservation of a site’s existing historical record over resurrecting unbuilt or hypothetical pasts. In this case, even the absence of the obelisk could be considered an integral part of the Mosta square’s historical narrative.

However, reconstructions or the completion of original plans may be justified if they respect the historical vision of the designer. For such projects to gain clearance, they typically require interpretive materials that explain the structure’s original purpose and the reasons for its modern-day construction.

Grognet de Vassé, who modelled the Mosta Rotunda on a neoclassical design inspired by Rome’s Pantheon, included an obelisk in his original plan for the square, similar to the one located in front of the Pantheon.

“The obelisk was part of Architect Grognet’s plan for the Mosta square and was meant to feature prominently in his design. However, the plan was later shelved, and the idea of having an obelisk raised in front of the Rotunda never materialised,” Mosta mayor Joseph Gatt told MaltaToday in October when the original plans were submitted.

Plans submitted by former mayor Chris Grech, on behalf of the council, proposed that the obelisk would rise to 15.4 metres – approximately the height of a four-storey building –

making it the second tallest structure in the square, after the Rotunda dome itself. In the council’s plans, the obelisk is proposed for the paved area between St. Mary’s Pharmacy and APS Bank.

READ ALSO: Council wants to erect 15-metre high obelisk in Mosta Square