History’s heroes! Shrapnel-scarred walls reveal Bighi Hospital’s role in Malta’s past
The Department of Information has shared some images of visible markings that can be seen on the facade of Bighi Hospital, found in Kalkara. This is known as shrapnel damage, and these markings are remnants of the destruction caused by bomb fragments dropped by the enemy during World War II.
Bighi hospital was built as an extension to Villa Bighi, that was built in 1675. In the early 19th century, the British identified the need for a Royal Navy Hospital, and Bighi Hospital was built, beginning operations in 1832.
The building was designed with the halting of the spread of disease in mind, allowing for sea air circulation and incorporating rounded edges on the walls so that dirt and dust could not fester. In fact, the Royal Navy Hospital Bighi managed a 4% mortality rate of all the patients brought in because they were too sick for their ship’s doctors.
Throughout its operation, particularly in the First World War, Bighi Hospital contributed to the nursing and medical care of casualties whenever hostilities occurred in the Mediterranean, giving Malta the title of ‘the nurse of the Mediterranean’.
Unfortunately, due to the hospital’s proximity to military installations around the Grand Harbour, Bighi Hospital was often a target in bombings of the Second World War. As a result, a number of its buildings were damaged or destroyed, including the x-ray theatre, the East and West Wings, the Villa and the Cot Lift from the Bighi Jetty to the Hospital.
Most of these structures have been restored, yet the photos shared by the Department of Information allow visitors to appreciate the crucial role that this building played in Malta’s tumultuous military past. Today the building houses Esplora – the national interactive science centre, and the offices of the Malta Council for Science and Technology.
One might not immediately notice these remnants from the past when passing through the Bighi complex, as most of the damage is located on the walls of the first floor and above. So next time you’re wandering through the area, make sure to look up!
Have you ever spotted the shrapnel damage on the walls of Bighi hospital?