Posts Tagged ‘Michelangelo Sapiano’

  • Mitluf wara l-ħin

    Stephen Zammit biswit il-makkinarju tal-arlogg tal-Muzew Marittimu fil-Birgu.JPGL-arlogg tal-Muzew Marittimu tal-Birgu.jpg

    L-arlogg tal-Kon-Kattidral ta' San Gwann, il-Belt Valletta.JPGL-arlogg ta' Pinto li jinsab fil-Palazz tal-President, il-Belt Valletta.JPG

    Ix-xitan ma jaħti xejn

    Qatt innutajtu li bosta drabi, l-arloġġi tal-knejjes ma jaqblux bejniethom? Meta darba staqsejt dwar dan, xi ħadd semmieli t-tradizzjoni li tgħid li dak kien ġest li jsir apposta biex iħawwad lix-xitan, sabiex jekk dan jersaq lejn il-knisja, ma jkollux idea liema wieħed minnhom kien il-ħin it-tajjeb.

    “Kollha ħmerijiet dawk!” ħatafni mill-ewwel Stephen Zammit, espert fil-qasam tal-arloġġi. “Li kieku naqbad insemmilek dwar l-għidut żbaljat li nisma’, lanqas nieqaf!”

    “Mela għandek tkun taf li meta kienu jsiru żewġ kampnari fi knisja, l-arluġġar ma kienx jagħmel żewġ magni, imma magna waħda. Għaldaqstant, meta kien jitpoġġa arloġġ fuq il-kampnar l-ieħor, dan kien isir biss għall-bilanċ tal-estetika. Infatti, bosta drabi l-minutieri tal-arloġġ l-ieħor kienu jkunu biss miżbugħa fuq il-ħajt u ġeneralment dawn kienu juru nofsinhar.”

    L-arloġġ tal-Mużew Marittimu

    Qatta’ ħamiem inħasdet, tgerrxet u taret il-bogħod hekk kif ħabta u sabta, mill-kampnar li konna ħdejh, bdew ħerġin moti sbieħ u sodi.

    “Xi ġmiel hux?” staqsini Stephen hekk kif rama jgħodd bil-mod id-daqq tal-qniepen. Il-ħoss waqaf eżatt kif waqaf jgħodd hu.

    “Dak nafu bl-amment jien,” qalli hekk kif beda jispjegali x-xogħol li kien wettaq fuq l-arloġġ li jinsab fuq il-bejt tal-bini tal-Mużew Marittimu li jinsab il-Birgu.

    “Oriġinarjament, dan l-arloġġ li nħadem fid-19 il-seklu, kien jinsab ġewwa kampnar żgħir li kien iħares fuq Baċir Numru 1. Imbagħad, wara li tmexxa għal hawn, l-uċuħ ta’ dan l-arloġġ bdew jagħtu fuq Bormla, l-Isla u l-Belt Valletta.”

    Mitluf wara l-arloġġi sa minn ċkunitu

    “L-ewwel interess fl-arloġġi tqanqal fija meta bdejt immur nisma’ l-quddies fil-knisja ta’ Ħ’Attard. Ta’ tifel li kont, affaxxinajt ruħi bl-arloġġ li kien hemm fil-kampnar,” beda jirrakkuntali Stephen.

    “Imbagħad, meta kelli madwar 11 il-sena, tħajjart nibda nsewwi l-iżveljarini li kienu jaħdmu bil-ħabel. Kull wieħed li kont insib wieqaf kont niftħu u noqgħod ninnutah sabiex nipprova nifhem għaliex ma kienx qed jaħdem. Ftit ftit bdejt nintebaħ bil-partijiet li ma kienux f’posthom jew li jkunu tkissru. Hekk kif kont nagħraf li kien hemm xi parti miksura, kont immur nordnaha mingħand aġent tal-ispare parts tal-arloġġi li kien hemm il-Belt. U meta din tasal, kont nara li npoġġiha f’postha u l-arloġġ jerġa’ jaħdem.”

    Minn hemm ma damx ma dar għall-arloġġi tal-idejn, li għalkemm kienu iżgħar u b’hekk kien jeħtiġielhom iktar attenzjoni, xorta waħda sab irkaptu tagħhom. Stqarr li kienet l-hena tiegħu meta kien jerġa’ jisma’ t-tektik regolari ta’ arloġġ li ma kienx jaħdem għax b’hekk kien iħoss li reġa’ tah il-ħajja.

    Involut fl-arloġġi tal-knejjes b’mod aċċidentali

    Is-snin gerrbu u Stephen kompla jinvolvi ruħu f’din is-sengħa tat-tiswija tal-arloġġi.

    Ġara li darba minnhom, ir-Reverendu Kanonku Louis Suban, li dak iż-żmien kien il-Kappillan tal-Imsida, iltaqa’ maz-ziju ta’ Stephen fejn fosthom qallu kemm xtaq isib lil xi ħadd li kien kapaċi jsewwielu l-arloġġ antik tal-parroċċa li nħadem fit-18 il-seklu.

    “Zijuwi rrakkommandani għalkemm ma qallux li jien kont in-neputi tiegħu u l-kappillan ikkuntattjani. Min-naħa tiegħi, ħassejtni tassew eċitat li kont ser naħdem fuq arloġġ daqstant antik. Mort narah u sibt li kellu xi partijiet li kienu ddeterjoraw biż-żmien. U wara li bdiltlu u rranġajtlu dak li kien hemm bżonn, dan l-arloġġ prezzjuż reġa’ beda jaħdem u hekk għadu s’issa!” qalli kburi.

    L-arluġġara Maltin ta’ dari

    “Inzerta li Fr. Suban għandu interess fl-arloġġi minħabba li l-antenati tiegħu kienu jagħmluhom. Infatti kienu huma li ħadmu l-arloġġi tal-parroċċa ta’ Marsaxlokk u ta’ Ħal-Safi. Inċidentalment xi familjari tiegħu ħadmu anki fuq dan l-arloġġ,” spjegli Stephen hekk kif ħareġ ċavetta mill-but u daħħalni fil-kampnar sabiex nara mill-qrib l-istruttura tal-mekkaniżmu tal-arloġġ.

    Qatt ma rajt magna daqstant kbira ta’ arloġġ u f’għajnejja dehret pjuttost ikkumplikata. Intant, fuq parti minn dan il-mekkaniżmu stajt nara l-firma mnaqqxa – Brothers Suban. Malta. 1896.

    “Ġeneralment, kemm l-arluġġara u kif ukoll dawk li jagħmlu xogħol ta’ tiswija fuqhom kienu jħallu marka apposta sabiex jiddokumentaw xogħolhom,” fehemni Stephen hekk kif ipponta subgħajh lejn firma oħra.

    Did-darba kien hemm miktub: Matthew Dutton. London. 1810.

    “B’dan il-mod insibu min bena s-sistema oriġinali, meta u fejn. Permezz ta’ dawn l-indikazzjonijiet, sirt konxju minn kemm kellna arluġġara u nies li jsewwu l-arloġġi matul dawn l-aħħar sekli f’pajjiżna. Imma sfortunatament, mhux kulħadd kien iħalli l-firma tiegħu u b’hekk, għalkemm ikun ċar li min ħadem l-arloġġ kien Malti, ma jkollniex idea dwar min kien eżatt.”

    Stephen kompla jfehemni dwar kemm iħossu ddiżappuntat meta jisma’ lil ċerti persuni jitkellmu dejjem fuq l-istess arluġġara, bħallikieku ma kienx hemm oħrajn ukoll.

    “Ngħidu aħna, ħafna jsemmu lil Michelangelo Sapiano peress li hu kien tassew prolifiku fil-qasam tal-arloġġi. Però dan inzerta għex fi żmien meta kien hawn għatx kbir għall-arloġġi u hu għaraf jisfrutta l-opportunità. Infatti, Sapiano ħadem madwar 21 arloġġ ta’ diversi parroċċi f’Malta, inkluż dak ta’ Ħal-Luqa.”

    “Jiena ħdimt fuq l-arloġġ li hemm Ħal-Luqa ta’ Sapiano u hemmhekk rajt b’għajnejja u missejt b’idejja l-inġenjosità li kellu dal-bniedem. Immeraviljajt ruħi hekk kif bdejt nifli s-sistema li ħadem fil-mekkaniżmu ta’ dan l-arloġġ sabiex biha jirregola tliet minutieri tal-ħin u waħda li turi d-data.”

    Madanakollu, skont Stephen, Sapiano tħarreġ f’din is-sengħa mal-familja Tanti li mmanifatturaw madwar sebgħa arloġġi tal-knejjes, fosthom dak tal-Qrendi u ta’ Ħal-Tarxien. Però dawn ftit li xejn qatt issemmew.

    “U mhux dawk biss. Hemm ħafna aktar arluġġara Maltin li ma nitkellmux dwarhom. Fosthom hemm Demanuele li ħadem l-arloġġ tal-parroċċa ta’ Ħaż-Żabbar, Muscat li mmanifattura l-arloġġ taċ-Ċitadella t’Għawdex u ċertu Gauci li ftit nafu dwaru.”

    Il-mekkaniżmu tal-arloġġi

    Għal dawn l-aħħar tletin sena, Stephen kellu l-opportunità li jaħdem fuq l-arloġġi ta’ diversi parroċċi u lwogi oħra u għalhekk biż-żmien, huwa rabba’ istint naturali ta’ kif jagħraf bejn ix-xogħol ta’ arluġġar u ieħor. Fl-istess ħin, huwa dara jagħraf ċerta uniformità bejn il-bażi ta’ kull struttura mekkanika tal-arloġġi u b’hekk isawwret fih l-esperjenza neċessarja biex isewwi l-arloġġi kollha li jsib quddiemu.

    “Ħares lejn dawn it-tliet sezzjonijiet tal-arloġġ,” talabni Stephen. “Innota kif dik tan-nofs hija mdendla ma’ pendlu sabiex tirregola l-ħin, filwaqt li s-sezzjonijiet l-oħra qegħdin hemm biex imexxu l-kwarti u s-siegħat.”

    Matul din id-diskussjoni tagħna, konna akkumpanjati mit-tektik regolari tal-arloġġ. Iżda f’daqqa waħda, parti mis-sistema ċċaqalqet u f’kemm trodd salib, il-mekkaniżmu kollu donnu ħa l-ħajja, hekk kif aktar sezzjonijiet mill-istruttura metallika bdew jimxu, jduru u jperpru, filwaqt li lieva twila bdiet tiġbed u timbotta l-imrietel tal-ħadid mal-qniepen li kien hemm il-fuq, sabiex dawn idoqqu u jimmarkaw il-ħin.

    It-tnejn skittna għal mument sabiex napprezzaw is-sengħa ta’ min ħadem dik is-sistema.

    “Probabbli inti taħseb li jiena drajthom dawn l-esperjenzi u li allura m’għadhomx jimpressjonawni,” kiser is-silenzju Stephen, hekk kif id-daqq tal-qniepen waqaf u l-apparat reġa’ kkalma għat-tektik tal-polz regolari tiegħu. “Però kif qed tara għadni nsibhom affaxxinanti wisq u għalkemm ilni snin naħdem fuqhom, baqgħu jimmeraviljawni.”

    Jista’ jkun li bla ma jaf, Stephen jinħakem ukoll mill-ġibda naturali li jħoss lejn it-toni mużikali li tħaddem is-sistema, hekk kif apparti dax-xogħol, huwa wkoll vjolinista mal-Orkestra Filarmonika ta’ Malta.

    “Niġi nirregola dan l-arloġġ darba f’ġimgħa,” qalli Stephen hekk kif beda jimmanipula t-tliet piżijiet tal-arloġġ u jien erħejtilha nsegwi dak li kien qed jagħmel.

    Invenzjoni ġdida biex l-arloġġi jaħdmu weħidhom

    “Sa ftit tas-snin ilu, parti mix-xogħol tas-sagristana kien li jagħtu l-ħabel lill-arloġġi tal-knejjes. Ngħidu aħna sal-2008, l-arloġġ li hemm fil-Kon-Kattidral ta’ San Ġwann il-Belt, kien jingħata l-ħabel kuljum sabiex juri l-ħin tajjeb.”

    “Apparti li dan kien strapazz inutli fuq in-nies involuti, il-konnessjoni kontinwa mas-sistemi ta’ dawn l-arloġġi setgħet ukoll tqanqal xi ħsarat. Kien għalhekk li meta fl-2008 ġejt imsejjaħ biex nirrestawra dan l-arloġġ, issuġġerejt li miegħu tintrama wkoll sistema sabiex dan jibda jieħu l-ħabel b’mod awtomatiku perjodikament u b’hekk ħadd ma jkollu għalfejn jimmanipulah. Naturalment, minn żmien għal żmien, xorta waħda jkollu bżonn xi arranġamenti żgħar; bħal meta jkun irid jaqleb id-data minn xahar għall-ieħor peress li mhux ix-xhur kollha għandhom l-istess tul ta’ ġranet.”

    L-istess sistema saret ukoll fuq l-arloġġ maestuż magħruf bħala Ta’ Pinto li jinsab fil-Palazz tal-President ġewwa l-Belt Valletta.

    “Jiena kelli x-xorti nirrestawra dak l-arloġġ li għandu mekkaniżmu interessanti ferm. Infatti jekk tħares sewwa lejh tara li dan l-arloġġ ma jimmarkax biss il-ħin imma anki x-xahar, il-ġurnata u saħansitra l-fażijiet tal-qamar. Biex juri l-ħin, għandu biss minutiera waħda tas-siegħat u dik turik li l-arloġġ huwa antik ħafna. Infatti kelli naħdem b’reqqa kbira fuqu minħabba li ż-żmien għamlu fraġli ħafna,” fissirli Stephen.

    “Li kieku kellek tara l-makkinarju ta’ dan l-arloġġ, kont tista’ tapprezza s-sistema li tmexxi kollox, fosthom anki l-figuri li jdoqqu l-qniepen. Infatti, l-erbgħa figuri tal-metall għandhom kontra-piż kull wieħed li jiġbidhom lura u jimbuttahom il-quddiem fuq il-qniepen sabiex jindaqqu. Il-figura tax-xellug u l-oħra tal-lemin idoqqu l-kwarti b’mod alternat fuq qniepen differenti, filwaqt li ż-żewġ figuri tan-nofs idoqqu l-istess qanpiena tas-siegħa u jalternaw ukoll. Ta’ min jgħid illi din is-sistema ta’ alternazzjoni mhux qiegħda hemm sempliċiment bħala disinn imma għax l-arloġġ ma jiflaħx jerfa’ żewġ affarijiet f’salt.”

    Ġieli sakkruh fil-knisja

    “Ma nixba qatt inħares lejn l-arloġġi u wisq anqas nitkellem dwarhom,” stqarr Stephen hekk kif ta daqqa t’għajn tal-aħħar lejn l-arloġġ tal-Mużew Marittimu u għalaq il-bieb warajh.

    “Kull meta mmur naħdem fuq xi arloġġ, ma nkunx nista’ nirreżisti t-tentazzjoni li nibqa’ hemm siegħa oħra ħalli nikkonferma li kollox qed jaħdem tajjeb. Bla ma naf kif, nintilef u kultant imn’Alla li ċċempilli l-mara biex turini li sar il-ħin.”

    “Saħansitra sakkruni darbtejn fi knisja għax wara s-siegħat kollha li qattgħajt hemm fuq, insew li kont għadni fil-kampnar,” qalli Stephen filwaqt li daħak waħda bil-qalb.

    (Dan l-artiklu jifforma parti mis-sensiela KOBOR IL-MALTI (26 parti) fit-Torċa tas-16 ta’ Novembru 2014)

    2014.11.16 / no responses / Category: Torca - Features & Articles

  • Fixing Time

    Stephen Zammit standing near the clock of the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa (Photo - Fiona Vella).JPG

    I met Stephen Zammit on the roof of the Malta Maritime Museum in order to watch closely the mechanism of the British 19th century clock which he has restored last year. This was certainly an exclusive moment since I was clearly warned that Zammit is very possessive of ‘his’ clocks.

    In fact, there was a magnificent view of the Vittoriosa Marina but Zammit’s eyes and admiration were dedicated only to the imposing clock tower which was sheltering the elaborate clock’s mechanism within its walls.

    “Originally this clock was located within a small steeple which overlooked dock number one,” he informed me. “After it was moved here, the dials of this clock face Cospicua, Senglea and Valletta. Apart from its mechanism, Heritage Malta restored also the dials of this clock according to how it looked originally in old pictures and paintings; that is with a black face and with gold numbers and dials. Isn’t it a beauty now?”

    Zammit has always been fascinated by clocks. His first interest was sparked off by Ħ’Attard’s parish’s tower clock where he attended church as a small boy.

    At only 11 years of age, he started to open the wind-up alarm clocks which they had at home in order to observe their components. Soon, he ventured to repair some of these clocks by noting what was out of place or what was broken.

    “When I found a missing or a broken part, I used to go and order it from a clock spare-parts’ agent in Valletta,” he reminisced. “From him, I learnt and memorized the names of each item until eventually I got to know each section of a clock.”

    Later on, he turned to watches which were much smaller and required more attention. It was his utter joy to hear an old watch ticking again after he sorted out its malfunctioning part.

    He became involved in church clocks incidentally, when Rev. Can. Louis Suban, who was the parish priest of Msida, asked Zammit’s uncle whether he knew someone who could repair the 18th century parish clock.

    “My uncle recommended me and Fr Suban contacted me. I was delighted to work on such an antique clock! When I went to see it, I noticed that the clock had severely deteriorated parts, both due to the natural elements and also because of wear and tear. After these were replaced, the clock came back to life and it is still working,” he said proudly.

    “Fr. Suban has a keen interest in clocks since his ancestors used to produce clocks for churches including those of the parishes of Marsaxlokk and Ħal-Safi. Incidentally, they also made some repairs on this clock here,” Zammit said as he pulled out a key and let me in to see the mechanism’s structure.

    He pointed at a section among the intricate metal configuration where there was the engraved signature – Brothers Suban. Malta. 1896.

    “Generally, all clock makers and repairers leave an identifying mark in order to record their work,” he told me as he indicated another signature. “This inscription reveals who constructed this system, where and when – Matthew Dutton. London. 1810.”

    By detecting these clues on several clocks, Zammit became aware of the various clock makers and repairers that we had in Malta along the centuries.

    “I feel very disappointed when I hear people talking only about particular clock makers and ignore all the rest as if they never existed,” he proclaimed.

    “For example, many know about Michelangelo Sapiano because he was one of the most prolific workers in the sector of clock making. Indeed, he was lucky enough to live in a time when there was a great demand for church clocks and he made the best of this opportunity.”

    In fact, Sapiano was behind the construction of around 21 clocks of various parishes, including that of the parish of Ħal-Luqa.

    “When I was called to repair Sapiano’s clock in Ħal-Luqa, I could clearly understand the genius of this man. I was enthralled to follow his thinking through his work and to notice how he maneuvered a system so that the mechanism’s structure regulated three different time dials and another one which showed the date.”

    According to Zammit, Sapiano learnt this trade from the Tanti family who manufactured about seven local parish clocks, including those of Qrendi and Ħal-Tarxien. Yet somehow, clock enthusiasts who admire and talk much about Sapiano, seem to know nothing about his predecessors.

    For more than thirty years, Zammit had the opportunity to work on several huge parish clocks and by time, he acquired an instinctive ability of how to recognize the various clock makers. Likewise, he became inherently skilled in repairing the different systems by getting acquainted to the standard form of the core of these structures and also to the evolving variables of each constructor.

    Zammit used the clock in front of us in order to help me to understand how it functioned.

    “As you can see, there are three sections,” he said. “The one in the middle is connected to a pendulum so that it could regulate the time. The other sections are the ones which moderate the quarters and the hours.”

    All along our discussion, we were accompanied by the regular ticking of the clock. Yet, suddenly, a sudden twitch on one of the gear wheels seemed to awaken the whole mechanism as many more items of the metallic structure moved, rotated and flapped, whilst a lever pulled and pushed high up to the iron hammers and instilled them to bang on the bells in order to mark the time.

    We both stood in reverent silence as the bells chimed gracefully and their melodious echo slipped in the small room.

    “You would probably think that by now I have got used to this experience,” Zammit broke the silence, once the bells stopped ringing and the apparatus calmed down to its regular ticking. “However, as you can see, I am still completely bewitched by the spell of these compositions.”

    Being also a violinist with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, he is naturally enraptured by the involvement of the musical tones which are operated by this system.

    “I come to regulate this clock once a week,” Zammit informed me as he started to manipulate the three weights of the clock.

    I stood back and observed as he made the necessary adjustments. From the mechanism’s obliging response, I seemed to sense an aura of a corresponding comradeship.

    “Each time that I go to do some work on a clock, I just can’t resist the temptation to stay for another whole hour in order to confirm that everything is working well. There were even moments when people forgot that I was in the clock tower and locked me in the church,” he admitted as he chuckled warmly.

    There was again an abrupt movement within the clock’s structure. Another quarter of an hour had passed and the system activated itself again. This time, I was not taken by surprise. Like Zammit, I was simply spellbound.

    (This article was published in the Business of Time supplement that was issued with The Times of Malta dated 30th October 2014)

    2014.10.30 / no responses / Category: Torca - Features & Articles