Emanuele Luigi Galizia graduated as a civil engineer and architect from the University of Malta receiving his warrant in 1852. He was and still is considered one of the most prolific and important architects in nineteenth-century Malta.
In 1860 he was made chief perito and became the first Superintendent of Public Works in 1880 having sole charge of all public works, roads and buildings throughout the islands. During his 42 years of public service, Galizia designed and carried out several works of great importance. A very versatile architect, perhaps his most memorable works are the Neo-Gothic structures of the Addolorata Cemetery (1860) and the Ottoman Military Cemetery (1874). He was however also responsible for other projects including the Chapel of Our Lady of Lourdes in Gozo (1888) and other religious works, as well as private commissions, such as the ‘Alhambra’ House in Sliema. As Superintendent, he also oversaw the formation of new roads, the construction of fountains, aqueducts and reservoirs and the widening of the Victoria Gate.
He was elected a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects. He was endowed with the Order of the Medjidie by the Sultan of Turkey, Abdul Aziz in consideration for his contribution to the design and construction of the Ottoman Military Cemetery.
Similarly, Galizia was endowed with the Order of St. Gregory the Great by Pope Leo XIII for his various religious structures.
