Air Malta Transfers Six Amsterdam Flights to Rotterdam Airport Read More
close
  • person_outline Connexion
  • help_outline Aide
    close
    Besoin d'aide ?
    Service Clientele chevron_right Questions juridiques et règlements chevron_right Santé et sécurité chevron_right FAQ chevron_right Contact chevron_right Customer Information chevron_right
  • language FR-FR
    close
  • search Search
    close
    Que recherchez-vous ?
logo logo
  • Flight + Hotel
    close
    Air Malta Holidays
  • Flight + Hotel chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Flight + Hotel

    close
  • Covid
    close
    Health & Safety Destination Info Covid Voucher Options
  • Covid chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Covid

    close
  • Découvrez
    close
    Malte
    Malta L'archipel La Valette Gozo Comino Mdina Mosta Sliema St Julian's Le trois cités
    Agenda Vacances
    Malte en famille Vacances en amoureux La gastonomie maltaise Plongée à Malte Malte pour les ados Malte en été Noël à Malte Apprendre l'anglais à Malta
    Le meilleur de Malte
    Plages Culture Patrimoine Loisirs Cuisine maltaise Musique Vie nocturne Sports Marche & Randonnée
    Blog
    Voyages Malte Promotions
    Destinations
    Route Map Londres Rome Paris Munich Amsterdam Madrid Zurich
    Le magazine de bord d’Air Malta
    En savoir plus
    Le magazine de bord d’Air Malta
    En savoir plus
  • Découvrez chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Découvrez

    close
  • Planifiez
    close
    Réservez
    Excédent de bagages Équipements de sport Choix du siège Précommander votre menu Go First Fast Track Animaux Mineurs Non Accompagnes
     
    Vol & Hotel Location de voitures Accommodation Heathrow Express Assurance bagages Lounge
    Offres
    Offre étudiants Surclassement Carte cadeau Conférences et voyages d’affaires
    Plan
    Horaires de vol Transport de marchandises Vols charters Groupes Customer Information Fare Conditions
    Nos meilleurs tarifs
    Réserver maintenant
    Nos meilleurs tarifs
    Réserver maintenant
  • Planifiez chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Planifiez

    close
  • Gérez
    close
    Gérer la réservation
    Modifier votre vol, ajouter des suppléments et voir votre vol
    Vos réservations
    Gérer la réservation
    Modifier votre vol, ajouter des suppléments et voir votre vol
    Vos réservations
    Enregistrement
    Prêt à vous envoler ? Enregistrez-vous en ligne et obtenez vos cartes d'embarquement
    Enregistrement
    Enregistrement
    Prêt à vous envoler ? Enregistrez-vous en ligne et obtenez vos cartes d'embarquement
    Enregistrement
    Suppléments
    Surclassement Choix du siège Bagages Animaux Assistance spéciale
    Services
    Jeunes voyageurs Documents de voyage À l'aéroport Restauration en Vol Transport de marchandises
  • Gérez chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Gérez

    close
  • Frequent Flyer
    close
    About
    À propos de Flypass Devenir membre Flypass Atteindre le ciel Acheter des KMiles Achetez des avantages avec vos KMiles Transfert de KMiles Les primes de voyage Flypass
    FAQs & More
    FAQs Contactez-nous Partenaires Les statuts de membre Termes et conditions de Flypass
  • Frequent Flyer chevron_right
    chevron_left

    Frequent Flyer

    close
logo
language menu
logo
language close
person_outline Connexion help_outline Aide search Rechercher
chevron_left

Welcome

close
Dashboard chevron_right
Profile chevron_right Bookings chevron_right
chevron_left

Aide

close
Besoin d'aide ?
Service Clientele chevron_right Questions juridiques et règlements chevron_right Santé et sécurité chevron_right FAQ chevron_right Contact chevron_right Customer Information chevron_right
chevron_left

Que recherchez-vous ?

close

Langue

close
chevron_left

Connexion

close

Connexion

We can't log you in. Make sure your username and password are correct.
Mot de passe oublié ? J'ai oublié mon adresse mail de vérification
ou connectez-vous avec

This website uses cookies

We rely on cookies to play video, display tweets, remember your preferences and to analyze our website trafic. You consent to our cookier if you click "Accept".

Cookie policy
  1. Home
  2. Blog
  3. Featured
  4. The Manoel Theatre rented out to impresarios!

The Manoel Theatre rented out to impresarios!

loyalty
loyalty
stop_circle 4 min read

Words: Cecilia Xuereb 

In 1731 Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena decided to build a Theatre “for the honest entertainment of the people” on a site specifically bought for this purpose in Strada del Carmine (today Triq it-Teatru l-Antik). The Theatre was completed in less than a year and was inaugurated on January 19 1732. Ownership of the Theatre belonged to the Order but from its very first days the Theatre used to be rented to impresarios. This system of renting out the Theatre by the Government of the day continued after the Order left Malta, through the French period, which lasted two years, and adopted by the British when they took over the Island.

In 1861 the British Government built a bigger opera house in Valletta and decided to dispose of the old theatre. The Theatre was transferred on an emphyteutic grant to two private individuals. In 1882 the Theatre was purchased by Carmelo Arpa, and his sister. Not having the necessary capital, Arpa borrowed the money from Gustaf Gollcher. Eighteen years later the loan had still not been fully repaid and Gustaf Gollcher & Sons took legal steps to recover their money. The court ordered the judicial auction of the Manoel which was purcahsed by the Gollchers, the price being set off against their credit.

When a number of attempts to rent out the Theatre failed the Gollchers decided to manage the theatre themselves. In 1908, they inaugurated their period of management by varying the familiar fare of English plays and musical comedies and Indipendenza farces and operettas with a season of Italian opera and in the process made a considerable financial outlay to provide productions of a high standard. Around 1920 the Italian musician C. de Lancellotti, long established in Malta, was given the lease of the Manoel by the Gollchers while in 1927 they rented the theatre for use mainly as a cinema. Co-ownership remained in the family who retained the right to use one of the boxes but the lessees allowed the Theatre to fall into disrepair, 

 

 

In 1955 the Government felt the need for a national theatre and decided to acquire the Manoel Theatre, by now justly regarded as one of Europe’s oldest theatres still in regular use, from the Gollcher family. Expropriation proceedings were opened in 1955 and in February 1957 the Land Arbitration Board ordered the sale to the government of the theatre premises.

Twenty days later the Maltese government bought back the theatre, the parties to the contract being the director of contracts representing the government, members of the Gollcher family or their attorneys, and the attorney of Goffredo Bonanno who owned a share of the theatre’s direct ownership. The Gollcher family was allowed to keep the houses in Triq iz-Zekka attached to the theatre. Eventually the Government bought some of this property in order to make improvements to the Theatre. The entire ground rent was redeemed in 1976 ending once and for all the connection of the Theatre with the Gollcher family.

In 1961 Michael Kissaun, newly appointed manager of the Manoel Theatre asked Olly to write a pamphlet or brochure suitably illustrated giving the history and vicissitudes of the theatre. Olly made some notes on the subject and he sent Kissaun the draft of a brochure and a number of photographs. He also suggested that the brochure should include illustrations of paintings on the boxes – two  photos of the auditorium – one from the stage and one from the Royal box.  It does not appear that anything ever came out of this project as neither a booklet nor Olly’s draft from the time could be traced.

Article taken from the July 2021 edition of Il-Bizzilla. Read more here. 

Share this post
Join our newsletter
Invalid format email
Join our newsletter
Connect with us

Découvrez expand_more expand_less
Le îles maltaises
Agenda Vacances
Blog
Route Map
Air Malta Magazine
Planifiez & Gérez expand_more expand_less
Réservez
Offres spéciales
Horaires de vol
Customer Information
Gérer la réservation
Enregistrement
Services
Destinations expand_more expand_less
Londres
Rome
Paris
Amsterdam
Munich
Madrid
Zurich
À propos expand_more expand_less
À propos d’Air Malta
Travailler pour Air Malta
Responsabilité sociale de l'entreprise
Partenaires
Rapports annuels
Actualité
Help & Contact expand_more expand_less
Questions juridiques et règlements
Santé et sécurité
Contact
Cyber Safe
Frequent Flyer
logo 2021, Air Malta Plc. All rights reserved.
1
Air Malta