Archives & Collections Archives - Notarial Archives Foundation

15 September 2026

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Preserving the Carmelite Library and Archives in Valletta

by Marsha Iaci

At the heart of Valletta, hidden within the walls of the Carmelite Priory, lies a remarkable collection of manuscripts, books and documents that tells centuries of stories, knowledge and tradition.

For many years, this precious heritage remained relatively unexplored; today, however, it is being given new life through a preservation project led by the Notarial Archives Foundation, with the support of the Alfred Mizzi Foundation. The project focuses on preserving material of significant historical and cultural value while making the collection more accessible to researchers, students and the wider public.

Through careful packing, cleaning and cataloguing, the collection is gradually being organised and protected for the future. At the same time, this work is helping to facilitate the structural works required within the building. In this way, the project is doing more than protecting the past, it is creating a bridge between Malta’s heritage and present and future generations.

A Carmelite Presence in Malta

The history of the Carmelites in Malta goes back to the medieval period, when the Order arrived on the island and established the first community.

Initially, the friars chose quieter locations away from urban centres, where they could dedicate themselves to prayer and community life. On 5 June 1418, Margarita d’Aragona di Pellegrino granted the Carmelite friars a church in the countryside dedicated to the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary, together with a convent in the area known as San Leonardo, within the limits of Mdina-Rabat. The friars were required to celebrate the Divine Office daily in the church.

Everything changed on 28 March 1566, when Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette laid the foundation stone of the new city that would bear his name: Valletta.

The establishment of the new capital opened a new chapter for Malta’s religious orders, including the Carmelites. A few years later, on 27 July 1570, Carmelite friar Gwann Vella, O. Carm., obtained land to build a church and priory in the new capital. The intention was for the Carmelites to become an important part of the spiritual life of a city that was still taking shape.

The original Carmelite church, attributed to the architect Girolamo Cassar, was designed in the Renaissance style and was among the earliest religious buildings in Valletta. Over the years, the Carmelite presence continued to grow. The convent became more than a place of prayer – it also developed into an important centre of education and culture.

One significant development occurred on 20 October 1944, when the Carmelites opened the Mariana Apostolica school for young men called to religious life. Students received specialised formation in subjects including Latin, Italian and music, preparing them for the priesthood and Carmelite life.

Left: The dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as visible from Old Mint Street, Valletta.
Right: The interior of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta.

Top: The dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as visible from Old Mint Street, Valletta.
Bottom: The interior of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta.

A Library Shaped by History

The history of the Carmelite convent has not always been peaceful. During the Second World War, Valletta suffered extensive bombing. In 1942, both the Carmelite church and library were seriously damaged, causing structural problems and placing a valuable collection of books and documents at risk.

After the war, however, the community began a long process of reconstruction. Over time, this led to the basilica we know today, with its impressive dome becoming a defining feature of Valletta’s skyline and a powerful symbol of how heritage can be rebuilt and brought back to life.

The convent remained vulnerable even in more recent times. In 2022, a severe storm and water infiltration damaged both the library structure and the historical materials housed within it. This created an urgent need for conservation and restoration work to prevent further loss.

Today, the Carmelite convent in Valletta continues to exist between past, present and future. It remains a place of religious life, but it is also the custodian of an important historical collection. Its library, filled with old books and documents tells its own story of centuries of faith, learning and culture.

Beginning the Preservation Process

Following the severe storm in 2022, the library suffered considerable damage to its wooden structure as well as to its collection of books and manuscripts. It was in response to this situation that assistance was sought from the Notarial Archives Foundation.

The project is being carried out under the close supervision of professionals specialising in the conservation and archiving of archival materials. The work is overseen by Head Conservator Chanelle Mifsud Briffa, together with the Foundation’s team of conservators and digital archivist Marsha Iaci.

The wooden furniture of the library is currently undergoing preliminary testing by warranted wood conservator Josef Aquilina, to assess its structural condition and identify the most appropriate interventions for future conservation phases. This stage is essential for organising and documenting the material systematically, while ensuring that its condition is properly assessed, protected and preserved for the future.

Volunteers also play an important role. NAF volunteers meet regularly, typically on Tuesday morning, to assist with the surface cleaning, packing and cataloguing of the books under the supervision of the conservators and archivist. Their commitment provided valuable practical support to the wider preservation effort.

A group of NAF volunteers superficially cleaning the books.

Corporate Volunteers: Bringing People Together through Heritage

The project has also benefited from the involvement of corporate volunteers who have generously given their time to support the preservation work. As part of the HSBC Employee Volunteering Programme, HSBC employees joined the team at the Carmelite Library to contribute to the ongoing preservation. Volunteers from Computime also supported the project through the company’s CSR initiatives.

Their participation demonstrates how heritage preservation can bring together people from different backgrounds and sectors. Through these corporate volunteering initiatives, employees were able to contribute their time and effort to a meaningful cultural heritage project while gaining a closer appreciation of the historical treasures preserved within the library. The involvement of volunteers, whether individuals or corporate teams, adds an important human dimension to the project. Every helping hand contributes to the wider goal of protecting this collection and ensuring that it can be enjoyed and studied by generations to come.

Volunteers from the HSBC Foundation and Computime assisting with the project through their respective CSR initiatives.

How are the Books and Manuscripts being Preserved?

Preserving a historical library is a careful and methodical process. Each stage is important, from removing the books from the shelves to cleaning, documenting and eventually returning them to their correct locations.

1. Removing the Books from the Shelves

Before any cleaning can begin, the books are carefully removed from the shelves. Because of the fragile condition of the collection, this work is carried out by professional conservators, with the support of the archivist on site. As each book is removed, its original location is recorded, including the relevant section and shelf number. This process, known as provenance recording, is crucial for maintaining the original organisation of the library and facilitating the cataloguing process at a later stage.

Volunteers emptying shelves from the books and manuscripts.

2. Cleaning the Books and Manuscripts

Once removed from the shelves, the books undergo surface cleaning, carried out by the volunteers. The accumulated dust is gently removed using a fine goat-hair brush, The dust is brushed away from the book using light movements and without applying pressure.

Although this may appear to be a simple task, it is an important part of preparing the material for safe storage and further processing. Once cleaned, the books can be safely placed into protective boxes.

Volunteer superficially cleaning a book with a brush.

3. Cataloguing the Collection

Cataloguing is a fundamental part of the project because it ensures that every item can be accurately identified and located.

The library is organised into sections identified by letters—A, B, C and so on—with each shelf within a section assigned a number.

Each book is carefully examined and important information is recorded, including its title, author, publication date, language, physical condition and any distinctive characteristics.

This information is compiled into an inventory, creating a systematic record of the collection. The process also ensures that material can be efficiently organised and eventually returned to its original location.

Cataloguing sheets used to create an inventory of the collection, each systematically identifiable.

Progress from 2022 Onwards

Before and after, showing the removal of books from the furniture and the clearing of the lower cupboards.

Since the project began in 2022, significant progress has been made, with a substantial number of historical books and documents organised and processed. During the initial phase, work focused on the library, which contains approximately 110 shelves. Of these, 42 shelves had already been cleaned and processed during this stage.

Books and manuscripts being organised by size and weight and placed in storage boxes following cleaning and cataloguing.

Another important development was the introduction of the Unshelved Process, designed to organise material that had been found outside the main shelving system.

Specific categories were established:

UMS – Unshelved Manuscripts/Documents
OBU – Old Books Unshelved
MBU – Modern/Contemporary Books Unshelved

These categories helped introduce greater order to the library and provided a clearer system for dealing with material that had previously remained outside the main organisational structure.

The transformation became particularly visible as a considerable amount of material was removed from its previous locations and systematically processed.

A Visit from the Alfred Mizzi Foundation in 2024

Marsha Iaci (right) explaining the progress of the project to Peter Wirth and Jane Mizzi, administrators of The Alfred Mizzi Foundation.

An important milestone in the project came in 2024, when representatives of the Alfred Mizzi Foundation visited the Carmelite Library in Valletta.

The visit provided an opportunity to view the preservation work first-hand and to see the condition of the library, its furniture and its historical collections. It also highlights the importance of the Foundation’s support in helping to safeguard this valuable heritage.

During the visit, the progress achieved since the project began in 2022 was presented, including the cleaning, packing and cataloguing of books and documents, as well as the organisation of material that had previously been found outside the main shelving system.

The visit also strengthened the collaboration between the Alfred Mizzi Foundation, the Notarial Archives Foundation, the Carmelite community, conservators, archivists and volunteers. This cooperation remains essential to the continued preservation of the collection and to ensuring that the project can move forward in a structured and sustainable way.

From left to right: NAF Assistant Director Vanessa Buhagiar, Preventive Conservator Maria Chiara Borg, Digital Archiving Technician Marsha Iaci, and The Alfred Mizzi Foundation administrators Peter Wirth, Lisa Villette, Jane Mizzi and Rebecca Micallef.

Moving Forward

By 2025, the Carmelite project has entered a more advanced phase, with the work expanding into new areas of the library. One important development was the introduction of a new classification system for material found inside cupboards within the library. Much of this material had not formed part of the original shelving system and had been kept separately, often without clear identification or with only limited organisation.

To integrate this material into the cataloguing and conservation process, each cupboard was assigned a specific code such as CPD 1, CPD 2, and so on. This created a new layer of order within the collection and made it possible to trace and document the material more efficiently. It also demonstrates how systematic, collaborative work can produce tangible results in the preservation of cultural heritage.

More than Books: a Collection Full of Stories

The Carmelite Library holds cultural and historical value far beyond the books and manuscripts themselves.

Its diverse collection includes manuscripts, rare books, administrative documents, newspapers, photographs and other unique items. Together, these materials demonstrate the role the library has played as a centre of knowledge and history over centuries.

Among the more intriguing discoveries are playing cards attached to the spine of a book, where they had been reused as structural support within its binding.

A close-up of a playing card from the suit of hearts, found reused to reinforce the spine and binding of a book.

The material probably dates to the seventeenth or eighteenth century and provides an interesting insight into historical practices of reusing materials in book production. The discovery is particularly significant because it represents a rare example of non-religious material within the Carmelite Library collection.

These playing cards are valuable not only because of their connection to the history of the book, but also because they offer a glimpse into the material culture and everyday life of the period. An ordinary object could be given a completely new purpose, becoming part of the structure of a book that would survive for centuries.

Preserving the Past for the Future

The preservation of the Carmelite Library and Archives in Valletta is a reminder that cultural heritage is not simply something inherited from previous generations. It is something that requires care, commitment and continued work.

The collaboration between conservators, archivists and volunteers, the Carmelite Community, the Notarial Archive Foundation and the Alfred Mizzi Foundation has given the historical collection a new lease of life, helping ensure that it remains available for study, research and appreciation by future generations.

The project is therefore about much more than cleaning books or organising shelves. It is about protecting the evidence of centuries of religious, cultural and intellectual life,

Through this ongoing work, the Carmelite Library in Valletta is not only preserving its own historical memory. It is continuing to strengthen its role as an important witness to Malta’s cultural and religious history and ensuring that the stories contained within its shelves can continue to be discovered in the years to come.

The library’s skylight, featuring decorative ironwork.

References

Abela, S. (2001). St. Elias College: L-iskola tal-Patrijiet Karmelitani. Malta.

Attard, G. (2022). How World War II affected Carmelite life all over the world [Malta]. In E. Hense & J. Chalmers (Eds.), Titus Brandsma: Writings from prison – Collected works (Vol. 3, pp. 75–80). Edizioni Carmelitane.

Fenech, E. (2015). Donna Margerita d’Aragona di Pellegrino u l-bidu tal-Karmelitani f’Malta. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/78740

Vella, A. A. (2010). The Old Carmelite Church, Valletta: History, architecture and works of art (1570–1958) (Bachelor’s dissertation). University of Malta.

Agius, J. (n.d.). L-isem tal-Kunvent Karmelitan. University of Malta Library – OAR. https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/bitstream/123456789/124962/1/L-Isem%20tal-Kunvent%20Karmelitan.pdf

30 July 2026

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From Sacred Music to Legal Records: Conserving the Many Lives of a Manuscript

by Hoa Perriguey

Fig. 1: Detail of the illuminated initial on the front cover before treatment

At first glance, a seventeenth-century notarial register might seem little more than a record of legal transactions. This 1647 register, drawn up by Notary Tommaso Agius, however, has a much richer story to tell. The parchment that now wraps this notarial register was not made specifically for it but was originally a leaf of an earlier choir book, where it had already lived a very different life.

This register is just one example of the many volumes preserved at the Notarial Registers Archive (NRA), each with the potential to reveal something that extends beyond the legal purpose for which it was produced.[1] Conserving such manuscripts always presents a challenge; every intervention must balance the need to stabilise the volume so that it can be handled safely and studied, while also preserving the material evidence that makes it historically significant.

The Fate of a Choir Book

Fig. 2: front and back covers before treatment

This kind of reuse was not unusual. Parchment was a highly valuable material, as were the gold leaf and pigments used to decorate medieval and early modern manuscripts. When manuscripts were no longer needed, their materials were often repurposed rather than discarded, both to reduce costs and because materials were too valuable to waste. There is a certain irony in this: today recycling helps us manage the consequences of our excess, whereas in the past it was driven by scarcity.

What may have once been a purely practical decision is now a remarkable asset, precisely because it preserves traces of the original manuscript while providing valuable insights into the people, materials and circumstances that shaped both the original choir book and the register it eventually came to bind.

But what circumstances could lead to a choir book being dismantled and its leaves reused?

The reuse of leaves from antiphonaries is likely linked to liturgical reforms, which led to the removal of amended musical sections from manuscripts.[2] This kind of reuse is separate from the broader and well-documented recycling of medieval manuscripts, which followed the rise of Protestantism.[3]

One such example appears on the cover of Agius’ register, where a verse from Psalm 94, used in the Epiphany Matins, can still be identified (cf. fig. 2). Notably, the binding is made of a complete bifolio, whereas most reused material more commonly survives in fragmentary form.[4] Interestingly, the bifolio has been mounted upside down, likely to display a gold illuminated initial prominently on the front cover (cf. fig. 1, 2). Its central fold has been aligned with the spine, integrating the manuscript page neatly into the book’s structure.

Despite these insights, the object still holds many mysteries. Where was this choir book originally produced? How did it make its way to Malta? And who owned it before it was taken apart?

The Life of a Register

Fig. 3: Detail of blotting sand still present on the ink and inside the gutter

Beyond the recycled parchment cover, the textblock has its own story to tell. Like many seventeenth-century documents, the register was written in iron gall ink. Although prized for its indelibility over carbon black ink, iron gall ink could become corrosive over time. In this manuscript, the first 370 pages had suffered severe damage, with the paper support gradually breaking down as the ink oxidised. The decorated initials were particularly affected, as the heavier application of ink further weakened the paper. To stabilise these fragile areas, a very thin Japanese tissue (3.6 g/m²) was applied to one or both sides of the affected pages using a 5% solution of Klucel G in ethanol.

The examination of the textblock also revealed tiny grains of blotting sand still preserved in the gutters and, in some cases, adhered to the surface of the ink (cf. figs. 3 and 4). Sprinkled onto the freshly written text more than three centuries ago to accelerate drying, these grains have survived remarkably well.

Recent studies highlight the importance of preserving and analysing blotting sand, which was widely used in the Western world between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries.[5] Although the term “sand” refers to grain size, its composition may be mineral, metallic, or organic (including gum, wood, or bone).[6] Such materials were carefully selected and purchased by users. Analysis of grain size and morphology, in collaboration with geologists, can help identify the geographical origin of mineral sands.

Some blotting sands at the NRA have already been analysed by Dr Joseph Buhagiar, Professor of Biology at the University of Malta; they were found to consist mainly of grains of marine origin or resin. In this manuscript, however, the composition and provenance of the grains still await further research and analysis.

Fig. 4: Blotting sands under microscopy

Holding Four Centuries Together

Fig. 5: Quires before treatment are attached directly to the cover, possibly because of the broken sewing support

Beneath the parchment cover lies a completely non-adhesive binding: the cover, boards and textblock are held together almost exclusively by sewing. After nearly four centuries of use, however, this structure had begun to fail.

One of the leather sewing supports had broken near the upper joint. During a past repair, the first two quires were attached directly to the cover, unintentionally placing additional strain on the spine. The parchment overbands had also become deformed, while around half of the cord tackets that secured the textblock to the cover had broken.

Treating the sewing required particularly careful planning, as every intervention would influence the way the book opened and how the first folios moved. Because the previous repairs had introduced strain into both the sewing structure and the parchment spine, the first step was to reverse the earlier intervention, a process referred to as de-restoration.[7] The repairs were removed, the leather sewing support was reconstituted, and the quires were reattached to it. This relieved the strain on the parchment while preserving the original structure of the binding.

Fig. 6: The extension made of parchment and Japanese paper (left) and the quires reattached with linen thread (right)

Fig. 6: The extension made of parchment and Japanese paper (top) and the quires reattached with linen thread (bottom)

To reconnect the detached quires, an extension was created from thin parchment reinforced with layers of Japanese paper adhered with a mixture of wheat starch paste and EVA (cf. fig. 6).[8] The extension was carefully shaped to match the contour of the spine while remaining flexible enough to accommodate its natural movement.

Fig. 7: Reattachment of the cover to the textblock

Fig. 8: Treatment of the overband and spine tackets

The fragile parchment overbands and broken spine tackets also required stabilisation (cf. fig. 8). Rather than replacing these elements, the aim was to preserve them while preventing further deterioration. The deformed overbands were gently humidified using a Sympatex semi-permeable membrane before being reinforced with Japanese paper. The broken tackets were then reattached by extending the surviving threads with twisted strips of pre-toned kozo paper adhered with wheat starch paste and reinserting them into their original holes. Inspired by Katherine Beaty’s treatment of similar bindings, this approach stabilised these fragile elements while avoiding further damage to the original material.[9]

Preserving the Cover

Fig. 9: Front cover (left) and back cover (right) after treatment

Fig. 9: Front cover (top) and back cover (bottom) after treatment

Large losses in the parchment cover (approximately 13 × 9 cm and 11 × 8 cm on the front cover, and 12 × 20 cm on the back cover) made the volume difficult to handle safely, particularly given its considerable size and weight. Some of this damage may have been caused by rodents.

The losses were infilled using 40 g/m² kozo paper, chosen because its thickness closely matched that of the original parchment. Before being applied, the paper was pre-toned with acrylics and burnished with a bone folder to recreate a surface texture that more closely resembled parchment (cf. fig. 9).

As an additional precaution, a custom Melinex wrapper was produced to protect the binding, particularly the fragile elements along the spine.

This conservation treatment offered a glimpse into parchment reuse in seventeenth-century Malta, particularly the practice of repurposing discarded musical folios into covers for notarial registers. In this case, the bifolio was even turned upside down so that the illuminated initial would appear prominently on the front cover, suggesting that aesthetic considerations were valued too.

Conservation as Discovery

Conserving a manuscript of this size and weight required balancing safe handling with the preservation of its historical evidence. Every intervention had to be carefully considered: enough to restore the binding’s function, yet restrained enough to preserve the original materials and construction techniques that make the volume historically significant. Perhaps one of the most remarkable aspects of this register is that its completely non-adhesive semi-limp binding has remained functional for almost four centuries without significant damage to its spine or joints. Its longevity demonstrates that historical binding structures were often remarkably effective and suggests that they still offer valuable lessons for modern conservation practice.

Fig. 10: Opening of the front cover before (left) and after treatment (right)

Fig. 10: Opening of the front cover before (top) and after treatment (bottom)

The treatment was carried out in February 2026 by Hoa Perriguey under the supervision of warranted Book & Paper Conservator, Chanelle Mifsud Briffa, Head of Conservation at the NAF. Learn more about our Conservation Department

Endnotes

Joan Abela, ed., “A Recycled Cover,” in Salvate Nos: Saving the Notarial Archives (Malta: Notarial Archives, Office of the Notary to Government, 2020), 71–73.
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Joan Abela, ed., “A Recycled Cover,” in Salvate Nos: Saving the Notarial Archives (Malta: Notarial Archives, Office of the Notary to Government, 2020), 71–73; Theresa Zammit Lupi, “Grand Master Lisle Adam’s Recycled Liturgical Manuscripts as Notarial Bindings,” in At Home in Art: Essays in Honour of Mario Buhagiar, ed. Charlene Vella (Valletta: Midsea Books, 2016), 221–234.
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Nicholas Pickwoad, “The Use of Fragments of Medieval Manuscripts in the Construction and Covering of Bindings on Printed Books,” in Interpreting and Collecting Fragments of Medieval Books: Proceedings of the Seminar in the History of the Book to 1500, ed. Linda L. Brownrigg and Margaret M. Smith (Oxford: Red Gull Press, 1998), 1–20.
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Jennifer Bain and Anna de Bakker, “Traces of Liturgy: Analysing Manuscript Fragments from the Binding of the Riesencodex,” Fragmentology 7 (2024): 9–51.
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Birgit Reissland et al., “Blotting Sand on Writing Inks: An Underestimated Source of Information,” in Pre-Conference Proceedings (Extended Abstracts), 2nd Iron Gall Ink Meeting and Final European Thematic Framework Meeting for Transitional Metals in Paper (MIP), ed. Jana Kolar and Matija Strlič (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK: MIP, 2006), 31–32.
↩
Rainer Milke, “Geomaterials in the Manuscript Archive: The Composition of Writing Sands and the Regional Distribution of Writing-Sand Types in Southwest Germany and Northern Switzerland, 14th to 19th Century,” European Journal of Mineralogy 24 (2012): 759–770. https://doi.org/10.1127/0935-1221/2012/0024-2207; Margarida Nunes et al., “Uncovering Blotting Sands on the Portuguese Inquisition Documents,” Journal of Cultural Heritage 61 (2023): 211–216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.culher.2023.04.003; Margarida Nunes et al., “Multi-Analytical Characterisation of Blotting Sands on Documents from Religious Orders in Portugal (16th–19th Centuries),” Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy 303 (2023): 123204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.saa.2023.123204.
↩
De-restoration is the process of reversing a previous restoration by removing modern additions or alterations from an object or structure. Its aim is to reveal the original core and recover a state that more closely reflects the object’s historical condition. In this case, the earlier sewing repairs had altered both the structure of the binding and the movement of the first folios. Their removal allowed the original sewing to be repaired while restoring the manuscript to a state that more closely reflected its original appearance and function.
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Parchment is often used as a stay when extending broken sewing supports. In this case, however, Japanese paper replaced leather because the earlier repair secured only the quires and not the cover. This allowed the repair to match the thickness of the original support while adhering more readily to the parchment and accommodating the natural movement of the spine.
↩
Katherine Beaty and Kelli Piotrowski, “From Florence to Rome: Conserving Italian Stationery Bindings at Harvard University,” in Care and Conservation of Manuscripts 18, ed. M. J. Driscoll (Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 2023), 31–53.
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