Malta Art Nouveau

Introduction

Art Nouveau arrived in Malta with a significant delay. The oldest surviving buildings in that style date back to the 1910s, most are from the 1920s, and its influence lasted well into the 1930s, creating a hybrid style with Art Deco. Although Malta was a colony of the British Empire at the time, the predominant influence on Maltese Art Nouveau was the Italian Stile Liberty. The most important architects representing the style here were Giuseppe Psaila, Andrea Vassallo, Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, and Godwin Galizia. 

The following book provides more information about Maltese Art Nouveau: Thake, C. (2021). Art Nouveau to Modernism: Architecture in Malta, 1910-1950. Malta: KITE Publishers.

Sites

These portfolios contain photos of 24 Art Nouveau buildings in Malta. The list is comprehensive, containing almost all the noteworthy examples.

1. Villa Briffa (Roseville) | Triq Sant’Antnin 85, Ħ’Attard | Alessandro Manara, 1912; Emanuele Borg, 1921
2. Villa Torregiani | Triq it-Torri 225, Tas-Sliema | Giuseppe Psaila, 1914
3. Villino Chapelle | Triq il-Mosta & Triq Villeggjatura, San Pawl il-Baħar | Godwin Galizia
4. Villa Preziosi | Triq Buġibba, San Pawl il-Baħar | Godwin Galizia
5. Villa Refalo | Vjal de Paule & Triq Birkirkara, Ħ’Attard | 1920
6. Villa Madama | Triq Birbal & Triq Idmejda, Ħal Balzan | Philip Tortell, 1925
7. Villa Rosa | Triq in-Nemes, San Ġiljan | Andrea Vassallo, 1920s
8. Balluta Buildings | Pjazza tal-Balluta, San Ġiljan | Giuseppe Psaila, 1928
9. Orpheum Theatre | Triq Sir Patrick Stuart & Triq Sir Charles Cameron, Il-Gżira | Harold J. Borg, 1932
10. Triq Amery & Triq Ġużè Howard | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, 1928
11. Triq Amery 56-58 | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, 1929
12. Triq Sir Adrian Dingli & Triq Nathalie Poutiatin Tabone | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti
13. Triq Sir Adrian Dingli 8 | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti
14. Triq Sir Adrian Dingli 9 | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, c. 1928
15. Triq Sir Adrian Dingli 10 | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti, 1930s
16. Triq Rodolfu 77-84 | Gustavo Romeo Vincenti 
17. Triq Manoel de Vilhena 93-101
18. Triq Għar il-Lembi 18 | Giuseppe Psaila
19. Triq it-Torri & Triq Għar il-Lembi
20. Il-Moll tal-Ħatab 42-44
21. Triq Melita 24-25
22. Triq Melita 38-42
23. Triq Stella Maris 46-48 | Giuseppe Psaila, 1936
24. Triq Dun Karm Psaila 17

Map

See the mentioned sites on the map.

Portfolio 1: Representative Buildings

Portfolio 2: Townhouses

Photos

Taken in December 2021 and January and February 2022

Portfolios > Art Nouveau