Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia 2026
Premju Emanuele Luigi Galizia is Malta’s national awards programme recognising excellence, leadership, and impact across the built environment. Marking a milestone collaboration for the 2026 edition, the Kamra tal-Periti and the Planning Authority have unified their efforts to establish a single, definitive award for the sector. This collaborative initiative honours the social, cultural, and technical responsibility of the Perit profession, celebrating well-executed projects that tackle Malta’s spatial realities with care and rigour.
This landmark partnership underlines the vital importance of constructive, working relationships across the entire industry. Most significantly, it aligns the professional regulator with the planning regulator, while fostering deeper synergy between developers, authorities, and practitioners. Moving past historical speculation, this fifth edition focuses on contemporary alignment, shared responsibility, and cross-sector cooperation, championing a unified approach to elevating quality, integrity, and standards across the built environment.
Galizia’s professional ethos was defined by rigour, public duty, and a respect for craft. He refused gifts in public office, upheld discipline in his work, and led by example. Fluent in both Italian and English, his cultural awareness and civic commitment positioned him as a model for future generations.
The medals of the Order of the Order of St Gregory (Vatican), left, and the Medjidie (Ottoman Empire), right, shown juxtaposed with a photo of E.L. Galizia wearing the same medal.
Photographed with the permission of Robert Galea-Naudi B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc MRTPI, from the Francis Galea-Naudi collection.
Oversight of politically sensitive projects, such as the construction of the Ta’ Braxia Cemetery, further demonstrated his discretion and quiet defiance.
His legacy is not simply architectural—it is ethical. The Premju bearing his name continues to look to this legacy, asking what responsibility, innovation, and leadership look like in our time.
We express our sincere appreciation to Robert Galea-Naudi B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc MRTPI for providing information and images, and for granting access to photograph personal items of Emanuele Luigi Galizia from the Francis Galea-Naudi photo archive and collection.
Emanuele Luigi Galizia
Courtesy of Robert Galea-Naudi B.Sc (Hons) M.Sc MRTPI, from the Francis Galea-Naudi photo archive.
Emanuele Luigi Galizia was one of the most influential Maltese architects and civil engineers of the 19th century. Appointed Superintendent of Public Works at age 24, he helped shape the architectural and infrastructural identity of modern Malta during a pivotal period of transformation.
Among his most iconic works are Addolorata Cemetery, the Turkish Cemetery in Marsa, Victoria Gate, the Vincenzo Bugeja Institute, and his own summer residence, Alhambra, in Sliema.
