Project Description
The main landward entrance into Valletta was Porta San Giorgio or as better known as Porta Reale, which commenced in 1566 and was completed in 1569 by the Order of St. John to designs of Francesco Laparelli or of Girolamo Cassar, located between St. James’ and St. John’s Bastions. In 1586, additions were made to the gate and renamed Porta Reale, including a wooden drawbridge across the deep ditch.
The gate was demolished in 1633 during the sovereignty of Grand Master Antoine de Paule and a more ornate central gate with a smaller arch at each side was built and attributed to Tommaso Dingli. In 1853, the gate was again demolished and the British administration replaced it with a gate consisting of two main large arches and a smaller arch on each side for pedestrians, to the design of Lieutenant-Colonel Francis Ringler Thomson.
The fourth and last City Gate, designed by architect Alziro Bergonzo and built in the Italian Rationalist style, was commenced in 1964 and completed a year later. The gate which was highly criticised was meant to be part of a regeneration of the space within the gate and the rebuilding of the Royal Opera House, but which never materialised. Instead, a large square was formed to the right, surrounded by a high arcade of a similar style and including numerous shops. In 1998, architect Renzo Piano submitted plans for a new entrance into Valletta but did not materialise. The project was revised in 2008, new plans were submitted and the gate was demolished in 2011. In reality, the new gate is just 8 meters wide, a breach, which is supposed to compress movement during the crossing.
Bieb il-Belt
Id-daħla ewlenija lejn il-Belt kienet Porta San Giorgio jew kif magħrufa aħjar bħala Porta Reale, li bdiet tinbena mill-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann fl-1566 u tlestiet fl-1569, fuq disinni ta’ Francesco Laparelli jew ta’ Girolamo Cassar, u tinsab bejn il-bastjuni ta` San Ġakbu u San Ġwann. Fl-1586, saru żidiet mal-bieb, inkluż pont levabbli tal-injam tul il-foss u ssemmiet offiċjalment Porta Reale,.
Il-bieb twaqqa’ fl-1633 fi żmien is-sovranità tal-Gran Mastru Antoine de Paule u nbena b’arkata ċentrali aktar elaborate u b’arkata iżgħar fuq kull naħa u li hi attribwita lil Tommaso Dingli. Fl-1853, il-daħla reġgħet twaqqgħet mil-amministrazzjoni Ingliża li bidlitha b’bieb li jikkonsisti f’żewġ arkati kbar ewlenin u arkata iżgħar pedonali fuq kull naħa, fuq disinn tal-Logotenent-Kurunell Francis Ringler Thomson.
Ir-raba’ u l-aħħar Bieb tal-Belt, iddisinjat mill-perit Alziro Bergonzo u mibni fl-istil Razzjonalista Taljan, inbeda fl-1964 u tlesta sena wara. Il-bieb li kien ikkritikat ħafna kien maħsub biex ikun parti minn riġenerazzjoni tal-ispazju ġewwa l-bieb u l-bini mill-ġdid tar-Royal Opera House, iżda li qatt ma mmaterjalizzat. Minflok, ġiet iffurmat pjazza kbira fuq il-lemin, imdawwar b’arkati għolja ta’ stil simili tad-daħla u li kienet tinkludi bosta ħwienet. Fl-1998, il-perit Renzo Piano ressaq pjanti għal daħla ġdida fil-Belt Valletta iżda ma mmaterjalizzatċ. Il-proġett ġie rivedut fl-2008, ġew sottomessi pjanijiet ġodda u d-daħla twaqqat fl-2011. Fir-realtà, id-daħla l-ġdida hi wiesa’ biss 8 metri, li suppost tikkompressa l-moviment waqt id-dħul ġol-Belt.
