Joseph Calleja (1897 – 1975) was the most famous Maltese actor to have ever lived having had a very successful career in Hollywood. His house in Sliema has just been demolished to make way for an apartment block. Supposedly we have the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage that makes sure that such properties of cultural heritage are preserved but ever since its inception the Superintendence has used more of a rubberstamp for the demolition of cultural objects than for their preservation.
Here are some pictures of Joseph Calleja’s house for posterity, taken from Jimmy Vella’s Facebook page.
How sad
They destroyed a gem.
I have yet to see a nation as pig-headed, shallow, ignorant, detestable and philistine as the Maltese.
I wonder what happened to the grand piano .. Bluthner is one of the ‘big 4’ most prestigious piano builders (Steinway, Bechstein, Bluthner, Boesendorfer). So sad to see a building with so much history destroyed.
I wonder what happened to the grand piano .. Bluthner is one of the ‘big 4’ most prestigious piano builders (Steinway, Bechstein, Bluthner, Boesendorfer). So sad to see a building with so much history destroyed.
Thanks for the photos.
Barbaric. But they probably did some research and took the piano.
Post abbandunat bhal pajjizna.
I wonder whether this house had been designed and built by Joseph Calleja’s father, architect Pasquale Calleja who was the architect of several churches and who had been interned for his anti-British sentiments.