Curia objects to apartments next to Manikata chapel

The Maltese Archdiocese is objecting to the erection of 18 apartments, 20 garages and an office which, if approved, would dwarf the old Chapel of St Joseph, built in the 1920s in Manikata.

This chapel was one of the first buildings in the area and helped shape the original community in the Manikata hamlet.

The Maltese Church has officially objected to the “massive” development near the one floor Chapel.

An objection presented by an architect representing the Archdiocese of Malta and the Manikata parish claims that the new building will create a third party wall along the whole length of the Chapel which will engulf the Chapel apart from being “blank and dull”

The objection also refers to a number of window apertures in the Chapel sacristy, which overlook the site proposed for development.

The proposed building would dwarf the old Manikata Chapel

The proposed excavation near the Chapel might also affect negatively the already unstable foundations of the Chapel.

“If the excavation is approved and carried out this might cause severe further damages to the Chapel’s delicate structure”.

A resident objecting to the development noted that while Malta boasts about Manikata being a beautiful country village, the only street, which represents this beauty, is earmarked for demolition and the construction of more apartments. The Superintendence for Cultural Heritage has also expressed concern that the extensive development would have a negative impact on views of the chapel and “may cause material damage”.

The cultural watchdog also objected to the demolition of vernacular structures without any attempt to integrate its architectural features.