Set the scene.
The old Mandraġġ was a densely built quarter within Valletta. Overcrowding and poor housing conditions prompted repeated proposals for clearance.
Here’s the twist.
Denis Darmanin’s research traces its history through to demolition after the Second World War. Earlier regeneration proposals included one planned in the late 1930s.
Why it still matters.
Changing housing meant changing everyday routes and neighbours. When reading an old photograph, look beyond building shapes: the people who lived there are part of what the image preserves.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.