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General Information |
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Saint Nicholas College Attard Primary
Our school is part of Saint Nicholas College. It was formerly named after Tumas Dingli. Although he lived quite a long time ago, he is still very famous for the beautiful buildings he left behind.
Who was Tumas Dingli?Architect Tommaso Dingli was born in Attard, on the 22nd December 1591. Being the son of a sculptor, Tumas Dingli followed his father's footsteps and his uncle's, Andrea Dingli, also a famous architect. Tumas studied Mathematics and later acquired the skill of architect from Matteo Coglitura. Documentary evidence tells us that in the earlier part of his life, Tumas Dingli was a scalpellino, that is, a stone carver and together with Giovanni Attard, another famous stone carver, Dingli helped in the construction of the Wignacourt Aqueduct between 1610 and 1614. Dingli is recorded to have worked as a stone carver in many churches in Malta, amongst which are the Parish church of Attard, the church of Madonna ta' l-Ghar in Rabat and the Parish churches of Gharghur, Mosta and Zabbar. It is said that Dingli also showed his skill in the church of St. Philip in Zebbug, where he worked on the apsidal choir. In 5000 years of Architecture in Malta, one also finds that Tumas Dingli worked on the building of the balustrades of the Chapter Hall of the Cathedral of Mdina and has actually designed and carved a chapel in the church of Porto Salvo in Valletta. Another important work of art carried out by Tumas Dingli is the entrance to Valletta known as Porta San Giorgio, known as the Main Gate. Tumas Dingli helped in the building of many churches in Malta, but unfortunately many of these have either been demolished or altered in some way. However the church of Attard is the only remaining one that bears skilled stone carvings by the architect Tumas Dingli. Dingli died at the age of 75, on 22 January 1666 and as a sign of respect he is buried under the statue of Our Lady of Sorrows in the Parish church of Attard. Wignacourt Aqueduct
When the new city of Valletta was built in the late 16th Century, the Knights of Malta realised that it lacked natural sources of water. With the ever growing population, the problem grew more serious daily. The inhabitants had to fetch their meagre supplies of water from the only spring in the vicinity of Grand Harbour and this was done with great inconvenience. Soon after his election in 1601, Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt began to take the matter seriously. A project was taken in hand, whereby water was to be brought to the city from natural springs and sources in the hilly region behind Mdina - a distance of 16km. Work started in earnest in 1610 under the direction of Natale Tomasucci of Messina, who succeeded in channelling the water, by underground means, down to Attard. Difficulties then arose because of the uneven contours of the terrain. The work was eventually entrusted to another engineer, Bontadino de Bontadini of Bologna, who solved the problem by constructing the famous aqueduct. This consisted of a number of stone conduits, carried on a series of arches, all the way from Balzan to Hamrun. From here the water again proceeded through underground channels down to Floriana and Valletta. The whole project was completed after five years of intensive work. It was on 21st August, 1615, that Grandmaster Wignacourt, amidst popular rejoicing, inaugurated the fountain in the main square of Valletta. Another ornamental fountain was erected in Floriana, close to the Argotti Gardens. At a short distance outside Hamrun, the line of arches turned at right angles across the highway to proceed onto the other side of the street. The part of the aqueduct across the road formed an archway with a large central arch and two small arched passageways. The whole structure was surmounted with decorative stone motifs, including three large Fleur-de-Lys which were part of Wignacourt's armourial bearings. A Latin inscription, on top of the central arch, spoke of the 'spirit of water' which flowed on to reach and give new life to the city of Valletta. That commemorative archway was removed in 1942 to facilitate the traffic flow, but the district in which it stood is still officially called the "Fleur-de-Lys" The impressive stretch of solid arches presents a pleasing sight on the Rabat Road from Hamrun to Attard. The Wignacourt Aqueduct is a living memorial to the Grand Master who conceived it, and whose name it bears to this day. |
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Saint Nicholas College Attard Primary Created January 2008 © All rights reserved |
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