Teatru Manoel, Valletta

Working at Valletta’s prestigious Teatru Manoel has been a dream come true. More so, when the work involved the installation of new sconces and a grand chandelier in the old Venetian Rezzonico style. We simply cannot of anything more appropriate. This opportunity is truly the honour of a lifetime, and one which we are keen to share with you

The Venetian Rezzonico Design

Rezzonico glass is made strictly in Venice, following a very specific discipline. This style, which dates from the mid-18th century, was first used in a commission for Ca’ Rezzonico, a palazzo situated on the Grand Canal in Venice. The style quickly became an established monument of Venetian glass art, with its great flourishes of handcrafted and mouth blown glass stems, leaves and flowers, where art is inspired by nature. Looking closely at Rezzonico installations, just like in nature, some of the leaves stand up, whilst others wilt down. The daffodils stand at different angles, some more open than others, just like a bouquet of flowers.

The Rezzonico is, in our opinion, an ideal choice for Teatru Manoel. With both the style and the theatre dating back to the mid-18th century, once installed the sconces and the chandelier looked like they had been there for centuries. Quoting Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Artistic Director overseeing this project:

“Like his contemporaries, the Grandmaster would have gone to Venice and he would have chosen the Rezzonico design. Grandmaster de Vilhena, wherever he is, and after all his efforts, must be very happy with us.”

Design and Manufacturing Process

The theatre’s brief included a draft design and clear specifications, from which the final chandelier design could be created. The designs yielded twenty beautiful wall sconces and a grand chandelier that was to consist of 1,564 pieces along four tiers that would be 2 metres high and 1.5 metres wide. Every glass piece, from the chandelier’s long arms, to the delicate daffodils in the sconces, waere individually designed and intricately made in Venice, through either a hand crafting or glass blowing method depending on the piece.

The chandelier’s structure was crafted from satin gold-plated metal to ensure longevity. No detail was spared, down to the hand-sown shades made of fire-resistant material reminiscent of the sconces of Venice’s own La Fenice theatre. Every glass piece was individually packaged, before finally starting their long journey from Venice to Teatru Manoel in our beautiful capital, Valletta.

Installing the Sconces

The process started with the dismantling of the existent sconces. Care was taken in order to ensure that the carvings along the wood galleries on which the old sconces were installed were not damaged in the process. Meanwhile, the parts of the new chandeliers were carefully unwrapped and prepared to be installed and mounted. Over the next several hours, the sconces were mounted, wired, and tested. Already before installing the chandelier, the theatre was undergoing its newest transformation.

The Grand Chandelier

Once the scones were installed and lit, the previous chandelier was lowered one last time and removed. This started the process towards the installation of the grand chandelier.

The grand chandelier is made up of 1,564 pieces all individually designed and crafted in the old Rezzonico tradition. Whereas the sconces are intended to delicately light the space around the galleries, their light further softened by the fabric of the shades, the grand chandeliers is intended to fully illuminate the theatre, bringing light to the entire area. We are proud to say that our chandelier does just that, whilst also giving the beautiful theatre a further touch of style and class reminiscent of Europe’s grandest theatres.

The chandelier was installed layer by layer, starting from the smallest top layer and ending with the largest and widest arms at the bottom and fourth tier of this chandelier. This operation took our team several long hours to complete. Before the chandelier was ready to be lifted back up in its final position at the top of the theatre, we lit it up one last time in order to make sure that everything was in working order.

Now in place, the chandelier now stands atop the theatre, listening to every live orchestra, watching every opera and laughing to every comedy. We hope that like the theatre that houses it, the grand chandelier will be enjoyed by several generations all through the centuries to come.

If you have enjoyed reading this, watch our 10-minute documentary, which features interviews with Mark Edward Mifsud who heads MM Chandeliers, and Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Artistic Director for Manoel Theatre and the mind behind this beautiful project.