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Introduction
One of Malta’s greatest natural resources is the
distinctive limestone out of which the vast majority
of its buildings are constructed. The honeycomb
colour of the stones tint Maltese structures with
their unique shades of yellow that change subtly
according to the time of day and the force of the
sunlight. Malta’s very first Megalithic temples, the
imposing fortresses built by the Knights of St John,
the towering village churches, and the modern-day
five-star resorts are all built from limestone
extracted from Maltese quarries.
 The
Maltese Topography
The Topography of the Maltese islands is
characterized by undulating surfaces of low hills
and valleys, geomorphological features of the young
lithostratigraphic sections outcropping on the
island. Although young in geological time, this
limestone is the primary building material of some
of the most remaining works of art and architecture
of ancient Mediterranean civilization. The formation
of the various lithostratigraphic structure most
utilized is the soft, honey coloured, Globigerina
Limestone which covers two-thirds of mainland Malta.
The Limestone of Malta
Limestone is the main industrial mineral of the
Maltese Archipelago. There are two varieties:
hardstone and softstone. Both are calcareous and
consistent in color. They have been used since time
immemorial as a building material, in particular, as
dimension stones. Given the absence of other
building materials, such as wood etc, limestone has
been used not only to build walls and elevation
building elements but also as a roofing material.
Its beauty and workability have been long noted. In
fact, there has been a tradition of exporting to
other countries for use as building stone.
Geology of the Limestone
The geology of the Maltese archipelago is composed
of young sedimentary rocks of marine origin. It
consists of five horizontally, bedded strata.
Greensand, clay and globigerina limestone formations
are sandwiched between the upper and lower coralline
limestones. Coralline and globigerina limestone are
the main industrial mineral resources. The latter
outcrops over 60% of the southern part of the island
of Malta. Coralline limestone is harder and more
durable than globigerina limestone while the latter
is easily hewn and weathers beautifully into a honey
colour tone. The vast majority of the buildings are
erected out of this limestone , coralline limestone
being applied only when certain technical requisites
for the given building element is required, such as
damp proofing, windowsills and stairs. Given the
hard work involved in quarrying coralline limes
tone, it has always been more expensive than
globigerina limestone. Both limestones are quarried
by open pit techniques: coralline limestone by
blasting while globigerina by means of saw.
Use of the Maltese
Limestone
For several centuries, local quarries have been
extensively used in the erection of ecclesiastical,
political and military buildings. Limestone quarried
has been the conveyer of styles dominant throughout
the ages. It is the material, which was used to
erect the city-fortress of Valletta in the sixteenth
century. The potential of globigerina limestone has
been exploited in the erection baroque churches,
which dominates the landscape of the islands.
Limestone Sculptures
In a world inundated with mass produced art, it is a
great pleasure to encounter a truly unique, original
fine art sculpture. Rudolph Cauchi has carved a wide
variety of limestone into pieces of art for public,
private & corporate collections. As well as a
current collection of sculpture available for
purchase at his showroom, Rudolph is able to create
commissioned sculptures for your specific needs and
requirements.
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