Sustainability of Living Heritage
In the heart of Valetta, the city which once was found by the Knights of the St John’s Order of Jerusalem, there is a beautiful 16th Century palace called Casa Rocca Piccola owned by a Maltese Noble family. The head of the family is the 9th Marquis de Piro, who lives in the palace with his wife.
Their home has partly been turned into a living museum, where visitors can travel in time through the family’s incredible history which also a history of Malta. Each piece of the interior speaks its own story, the portable chapel, the chandelier of Bohemia Crystal and the last surgery kit of the Knights of the Order.
When entering the palace, you literally entering a time machine, driven by a genuinely interested guide, who takes you through different epochs of the European history, including the coronation ceremony of the Queen of England, the Second World War, when the Church of St. Catherine of Italy in front of palace saved the latter from bombing.
The summer dining room, where Art Deco got the starring with its boldly shaped windows and silver swans floating on the white tablecloth among the scintillating table decor.
Outside the windows there’s a beautiful inner courtyard with its own inhabitants, an extremely polite parrot Kiku and two life-enjoying turtles.
The experience of visiting is incredible, because you can follow the history while it is still alive, still there giving you all the answers straight away.
You see fashion, art, architecture dancing through the epochs and taking something to the next one. I looked at the dressing table and saw one of the family’s women brush her hair and dotting a perfume on her small wrists.
You see the process and feel that you’re a part of it. It is all about sustainability, rationality and love for future generations by maintaining the past.
I think that one of the secrets of creating innovative future is in gaining a deep knowledge about our past. Casa Rocca Piccola has already made a huge step in making it happen by sharing their own living heritage.