Maltese Casino Valletta

21st November 2019, The Casino Maltese, Valletta So there we all were, seated in an ornate ballroom with Murano chandeliers that had seen countless visitors and distinguished club members throughout the years. The Casino Maltese. Pause Slideshow. The Casino Maltese was born out of a sheer sense of competition. Other members came from the university campus – then based in Valletta – and from major firms and companies which.

Casino Maltese, Valletta Picture: Seabass - Check out Tripadvisor members' 44,233 candid photos and videos.

Club History

The founding document of the Casino Maltese is dated 1 March 1852. The Club is considered a living society of prestige, a national institution, and as such forms part of Malta's history. The Club's motto is 'Omnibus Idem', and has the social gathering and entertainment of members as the main purpose for its existence.

The Club occupied different premises on Valletta’s main thoroughfare and was called Casino della Borsa when it used the piano nobile of Chamber of Commerce’s Exchange Building. The Club leased out 247 Strada Reale (now Republic Street) between 1859 and 1877 and then from 1906 to date. At the beginning of the 20th century the Club carried out modifications to the building including the creation of the grand staircase and the courtyard under the direction of architect Nicola Buhagiar.

During World War II some members of staff tragically lost their lives in the air raid of 15 February 1942. Despite sustaining extensive war damage, the Club remained open. The word 'Resurgam' (I will rise again) was displayed on a board amid the ruins by members, many of whom were in uniform at the time.

The partial reconstruction of the Casino Maltese was entrusted to architect Silvio Mercieca who created the Fireside Lounge and the vast spaces of the reception rooms on the first floor, including the ornate Ballroom.

Club members have the use of a Reading Room, a Billiard Room, lounge areas, a Bar in the covered courtyard as well as the Dining Room and reception areas.

Over the years the Club had the privilege of welcoming many a distinguished visitor including HM Queen Elizabeth II, as Princess on 14 December 1949, The Duke of Windsor (later King Edward VIII) during his visit to Malta for the official opening of the first Maltese Parliament on the 1 November 1921, Emperor Hirohito of Japan on the 25 of April 1921. More recently Prince Edward, as Chairman of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award International Council was in Malta to attend the 11th International Award Forum in 1989. He returned with the Countess of Wessex on the 25 November 2012.

Two marble tablets record the names of past Presidents.

The Club also runs smaller premises at No.70, Tower Road, Sliema.

The Club has reciprocal agreements with similar clubs that exist in Australia, Canada, Chile, England, France, Holland, India, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, People's Republic of China, Scotland, Spain and USA.

History of the Building

During the rule of the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem the premises at 247 Republic Street, were used as the 'Casa Del Commun Tesoro' (literally the House of the National Treasurer), but only accounts, contracts and records of the Treasury were kept there. This institution was presided over by the Grand Commander who was helped in his task by 2 procurators of the Treasury, the Procurator of the Grand Master, the Conventual Conservator and the Secretary.

Maltese Casino Valletta Malta

The Secretary resided on the premises in an apartment with a separate entrance, and it was his duty to supervise

the clerks and accountants, and to see that the interests of the Religion were properly cared for. His position was of the greatest trust, and he was assisted by under-secretaries for France, Spain and Italy. His office was very demanding, but his wage was considered low at only Scudi 300 per annum.

During the early days of British rule the premises housed the Chief Secretary's Office, Government Treasury, the British packet office. Samuel T. Coleridge, renowned poet and writer, worked on the premises for a short period at the beginning of the 19th Century.

During the late 1800s, the building was converted into ‘The Grand Hotel’ and at one point, what is now the Reading Room was the Salinos Cinema, the second cinema to open in Malta.

Since 1906 to date, the premises have been occupied by the Casino Maltese that modified the building for its use as a club.

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The publication ‘A History of the Maltese Club’ contains more details on the Casino Maltese and the premises it occupies. Click here for more information.

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The Noon-Mark Sundial with Analemma

The face of the Sundial (6.1m x 1.9m, pictured left) includes an Analemma and Zodiacal signs. It marks only noon-time.

The present Sundial is a modernised reconstruction of the one that existed up to the last war and which was subsequently destroyed when the wall collapsed through enemy action. It was reconstructed on the initiative and under the supervision Rev. Fr. George Fenech who constructed quite a few sundials across Malta.

The Analemma is the curve having the shape of an elongated figure of 8, made up of twelve sections representing the months, surrounding and crossing the main Meridian.

The sun spot crosses the Analemma at noon Malta time every day, marking at the same time the month of the year with a rough approximation of the day of the month.

John Busuttil Leaver (born John Robert Busuttil; 1964) is a Maltese visual artist and painter. He has worked in graphic book design and written about contemporary art.^[1] He is philosophical about his work and sees what he does as non-commercial: a statement about the contemporary. He is known for his solo show 'A Diary of Obsessions', (2008, Saint James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, Valletta) for work which commented against overdevelopment.

Busuttil Leaver studied at the Malta Government School of art under Harry Alden,^[2] and later at The Art and Design Centre, Valletta. He began working as a graphic designer but continued to paint and participate in many collectives.^[3][4][5] The National Museum of Fine Arts,^[6] gave him a one-man showing in 1997. The Museum made an acquisition of his work later in 1999.^[7] Other one-man shows followed in various galleries and art venues.^[3] In 2014 he exhibited work in London.

A number of art critics and curators have covered his work including Nicholas de Piro,^[8] Michael J. Schiavone,^[9] Emanuel Fiorentino,^[10] Dominic Cutajar,^[11] Dennis Vella,^[12] Adrian Stivala^[13] Raphael Vella^[14] and Dr Louis Lagana^[15][16] The Times of Malta published various articles.^[17][18][19] He won a number of art competitions^[20] and was featured in radio^[21] and TV programmes^[22] most noteworthy of which was a Canadian TV Cultural programme, 'TV Frames',^[23] during their feature on Malta.

Casino Maltese Valletta

Chronology, list of exhibitions[edit]

Maltese Casino Valletta Hotel

Collective[edit]

• Maltafest, National Arts Festival, Valletta, Malta 1984/87/88/89/90/96/97.
• Lion's Club Art Collective, National Museum of Archaeology, Valletta, Malta 1987/93.
• Industrial Design Competition Exhibition (PL Light fitting), National Museum of Fine Arts,Valletta, Malta 1986.
• Maltese German Circle, Valletta, Malta 1987 Chamber of Commerce, Valletta, Malta 1988.
• Arti Independenza, National Gallery of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta 1989.
• Muzikafest Art, (NSTF), Malta University, 1989.
• Solidarity with Poland Art Show, MUT Premises, Valletta, Malta 1989.
• Din L-Art Helwa, Malta National Trust Art Show, Naxxar, Malta 1990/91.
• MAS Charity Collective, Chamber of Commerce, Valletta, Malta 1991.
• Permatex Art Show, Royal British Legion, Valletta, Malta 1992.
• Association of Maltese Artists, Palazzo De La Salle, Valletta, Malta 1992.
• Teacher's Whiskey Art Award Finalist's Show, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta −1992/93/95.
• Cathedral Museum Collective Contemporary Art Show, Mdina 1994/5/6.
• Kreativa, Finalist Collective Show (Institute of Visual Arts), National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta 1996.
• Ta' Ganu Windmill - Arts, Cultural and Crafts Centre, Birkirkara, Malta. 1996.
• Contemporary Christian Art in Malta, Cathedral Museum, Mdina 1996, 2007.
• Eden Foundation Art Charity Show, Gozo, 1997/98.
• SEDQA – Art, Substance of Life, University Campus April 2000.
• First National Art Competition 2002 – Trade Fair Grounds Naxxar–November 2002.
• Millennium Chapel Foundation, Group Charity show – Hilton Malta, November 2003.
• De La Salle Brothers Centenary Show, Palazzo De La Salle,Valletta, 2003.
• Girgenti (Prime Minister's official residence) open day collective- Palazz tal-Inquizitur, Girgenti, Malta 2006.
• Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar Christmas Collective – Casino Maltese, Valletta, 2008.
• Birgu Art Collective – Maritime Museum, Birgu, Malta, 2009

Personal[edit]

Maltese Casino Valletta New York

• 'Circles', Auberge de Provence, Valletta, Malta, Nov 1988.
• 'Painting', New Gallery, National Museum of Archaeology, Malta, Dec 1991.
• 'Majjistral', National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta, Malta 1997.
• 'Manscapes',The Labyrinth Art Gallery' Valletta, Malta 1999.
• 'Woman', Le Meridian Phoenicia, Floriana, Malta 2002.
• 'BLU', VGB Art Gallery, Valletta, Malta 2002.
• 'Green', VGB Art Gallery, Valletta, Malta 2004.
• 'RETRO-04', Cleland & Souchet, Portomaso, Malta 2004.
• 'Unseen Selections', Corinthia Palace Hotel, San Anton 2004.
• 'A Diary of Obsessions', St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, Valletta, Malta, 2008

See also[edit]

References[edit]

1. ^John Busuttil Leaver 'Malta through the eyes of a French photographer', The Times, 20 November 1986. John Busuttil Leaver 'Langlois – A life in Art', The Times, 7 June 1987. John Busuttil Leaver 'Art in Malta today',The Times, 28 June 1987. John Busuttil Leaver 'Pitre’s Baroque Variations', The Times, 16 October 1987. John Busuttil Leaver 'Andrew Diacono’s 'Clay People', The Times, 7 January 1988. John Busuttil Leaver 'Four distinct paths in one exhibition', The Times, 3 November 1989. John Busuttil Leaver 'Twin search for esoteric language', The Times, 22 December 1989. John Busuttil Leaver 'An Arts Centre or a Contemporary Art Museum?', The Malta Independent, 9 March 1997. John Busuttil Leaver 'Art & Superman Politics', The Malta Independent, 10 May 1998' John Busuttil Leaver 'Business in art is business, but the business of art is not business', The Malta Independent, 11 Oct 1998. John Busuttil Leaver 'The State of the Art', The Malta Independent, 7 March 1999. John Busuttil Leaver 'Sex, Spirituality and loss in Mediterranean Art', The Malta Independent, 1 August 1999
2. ^https://archive.is/20131008120644/http://llrc.mcast.edu.mt
3. ^ ^abSee list below
4. ^Contemporary Christian Art in Malta, 1996, The Mdina Cathedral Museum, Mdina, Malta 1996; ISBN9990951063 p. 45
5. ^Contemporary Christian Art Malta, 2007, The Mdina Cathedral Museum, Mdina, Malta 2007; ISBN9789990951158 p. 28
6. ^'National Museum of Fine Arts, Malta'.
7. ^'Museums Department - period covered 1 January 1999 to 31 December 1999. p. 206'(PDF).
8. ^Nicholas de Piro, The International Dictionary of Artists who painted Malta, (AVC Publications, Malta, 2002). ISBN9993264601. p. 74
9. ^Michael J. Schiavone , 'Dictionary of Maltese Biographies' Pubblikazzjonijet Indipendenza. Malta, 2009. ISBN9789993291329 pp. 364–365
10. ^E. Fiorentino, 'Feelers of the mind' The Sunday Times, 27 November 1988, E. Fiorentino, 'Trying new possibilities' The Sunday Times, December 1991, E. Fiorentino, 'Majjistral experienced in a Gregale' The Sunday Times, 23 March 1997, E. Fiorentino, 'Manscapes at the Labyrinth' The Sunday Times, 6 June 1999, E. Fiorentino, 'The cloths of Heaven' The Sunday Times, 24 November 2002
11. ^Dominic Cutajar, 'Leaver: Majjistral', Exhibition Catalogue, 1997. Dominic Cutajar, 'Leaver Paintings', Exhibition Catalogue, 1988.
12. ^Denis Vella, 'Questing Spirit' The Times, 30 November 1988
13. ^Adrian Stivala, 'Intimate Art', The Weekend Chronicle, Malta, 18 December 1988. Adrian Stivala, 'Scenes from everyday life' The Times, Malta, 21 December 1991
14. ^Raphael Vella, 'The humanness of stone', The Malta Independent, Malta, 30 May 1999
15. ^'Louis Lagana is a leading academic on psychology of art and contemporary art issues'.
16. ^Louis Lagana, 'A Pied Piper's Diary of Obsessions,' Grip Magazine, Malta, 2009
17. ^'New page in a diary of a visual realist', The Times, 31 October 2008, Malta. pp. 26–27; also https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20081031/local/new-page-in-diary-of-a-visual-realist.231196
18. ^'Weekender talks to artist John Busuttil Leaver' The Times, Weekender supplement, 20 November 2004, Malta. p. 3
19. ^'The last word – John Busuttil Leaver' The Times, Weekender Supplement,18 May 2002, Malta. p. 10
20. ^Worldwide third prize in the IFSTS International Poster Award, Spain, 1985; see article in The Times, 12 September, Malta, 1985First prize for painting in the 1995 Teacher's Whiskey Art Awards held and judged by the National Museum of Fine Arts, Malta, 1995; see Lara Stickland, 'An Exhibition of Interiors', The Times, 21 December, Malta, 1991.First prize for the logo design competition of 'Dancepower' (Dance Council of Malta), 2000; see front cover,'Dance Power A unity of dancers', programme, Manoel Theatre, Valletta, Malta 2000
21. ^Interview in Kuluri (Colours) cultural programme, on 'Voice of the Mediterranean' Radio (1997, 1999)
22. ^Min hu l'Artist Malti? (Who are Maltese Artists?) Super 1 TV, Malta, 1999; Meander, on TVM, Malta, 1997, 1999 & 2002
23. ^'TV Frames youtube sample'.

External links[edit]

• Profile, saatchionline.com
• Profile, timesofmalta.com