HSBC celebrates 400th anniversary of Wignacourt Aqueduct

School children carrying ‘ġarar’, a traditional water jug, lead the ‘grand master’ and his entourage to inaugurate the ‘newly built’ aquaduct during the reenactment

‘Grand master’ pours water from the ‘ġarar’, a traditional water jug, to signal the arrival of water in Valletta, as others watch intently during the reenactment

School children presenting a themed dance as water ‘finally reaches Valletta’ during the reenactment of the arrival of water in Valletta 400 years ago

TWEET SHARE

Letters dating back to the 1610 master plans on a new aqua duct and other heritage items are part of a public exhibition marking the 400th anniversary of the Wignacourt Aqueduct at HSBC Bank Malta’s head office in Valletta.

Admission to the exhibition is free and runs Monday to Friday from 9am to 1pm until 8 May 2015.

All items featured in the exhibition relate to the project by Fra’ Alof de Wignacourt, the 54th grandmaster of Malta, to bring freshwater from Rabat to Valletta. Remnants of the aqueduct can still be seen in Attard, Birkirkara and Santa Venera.

The water-channelling system was installed in the early 17th century and ran approximately 12 kilometres long. The viaduct functioned for hundreds of years, providing a constant water supply to Valletta. The project was planned and largely financed by Grand Master Wignacourt and was operated from April 1615 until the early years of the 20th century.

HSBC Bank Malta, as part of its HSBC Water Programme – Catch the Drop, marked the anniversary on a grand scale with hundreds of school children filling up the space between City Gate and Pjazza San Ġorġ in Valletta, where a full-fledged re-enactment was presented to excited onlookers and tourists. Spectators also received flyers detailing the history and the story of the Wignacourt Aqeuduct.

The colourful spectacle included military pageantry, folkloristic dancing, traditional races of school children as well as a narration of the historic episode.

HSBC Bank CEO Mark Watkinson, Valletta 2018 Foundation chairman Jason Micallef, and Valletta Mayor Professor Alexiei Dingli addressed those present at the conclusion of the ceremony. They also thanked Heritage Malta, the National Library, the National Archives, and the Central Bank of Malta for their support toward the exhibition.

Following the commemorative event, HSBC Water Programme – Catch the Drop, together with Sustainable Energy and Water Conservation Unit of the Ministry for Energy and Health, and Valletta 2018 Foundation, organised a workshop on the Wignacourt Aqueduct.

The workshop focused on the hydrological, historial and social perspectives related to the development of the project. Judge Giovanni Bonello, Dr Keith Buhagiar, Brian Restall and Manuel Sapiano delivered the presentations.