The works of Bartholomeo Selvagii de Via, a notary who came to Malta from Rhodes with the Knights of St John, were restored thanks to a contribution of €50,000 by the Alfred Mizzi Foundation, thus ensuring their preservation for generations to come. These invaluable documents which are housed in the Notarial Archives in Valletta, span from 1531 to 1551.
Selvagii de Via’s volumes shed light on the little-known first years of the Knights’ occupation, including the establishment of their first auberges in Vittoriosa, court minutes and daily activities of the population of the day. Conservator Theresa Zammit Lupi explained that the 52 volumes were suffering from different levels of degradation due to mould, insect damage and ink corrosion.
The sponsorship by The Alfred Mizzi Foundation is the first under the Notarial Archives ‘Adopt a Notary’ scheme, whereby individuals and companies can sponsor the restoration of anything from a single page to the entire output of a historical notary. When announcing the project, Joan Abela, president of the Notarial Archives Resources Council, expressed her relief at having found a sponsor for the vital preservation work.