Provincial Archives
The Provincial Archives, located at the Capuchin friary in Floriana, contains documents, produced and acquired, as a result of the activity of the Capuchin friars, in their personal capacity, as also on behalf of the province, friaries and parishes under their custody. The archive is formed as a reflection of the activity of the friars carried out for a specific purpose. As such, records are linked to each other by an inseparable bond and constitute the testimony of the procedures implemented by the province and the friars themselves, during the course of their activities. Records or papers that have no practical legal or administrative content are not part of the archive.
Documents of the life of the fraternity, of the individual friars and of relations with the religious and civil authorities are preserved in the archive. Also, the plans for the construction of the friaries and churches, as well as property titles, building plans including alterations and restoration interventions, agreements with ecclesiastical and public bodies, with private persons, and with any other entity or ministry administered by the fraternity, as well as administrative-accounting documents, are kept in the archive.
The Provincial Archive is organised on the model of the Capuchin Order’s General Archive in Rome. Records and documents received into the archive are classified according to their provenance, and preserved within the archive according to the original source of the creation of the document. At this stage, owing to the unavailability of an archivist in former years, documents are in the process of being sorted and recorded in an inventory, and will subsequently require to be catalogued. Inherent to the friars’ daily activities, records are continuously being produced. As such, a structured system is in place for the archivist to receive acquisitions to preserve the collective memory of the friars and the province.
The Provincial Archives are not open to the public in general, nevertheless information can be made available to scholars and researchers. Requests can be addressed to the Provincial Archivist. For confidentiality purposes, the requester will be asked to fill in a form stating the purpose of their request and will be required to provide documentation as proof of identity. The request is subsequently vetted by the Archivist and the Province reserves the right of refusal, in part or in whole. Provided archive requests are approved, copies of relevant documents will be made available for viewing or study.
Provincial Library
The Provincial Library houses a vast collection of books and periodicals numbering in the thousands. While the collection primarily comprises ecclesiastical and religious library materials, it also boasts an extensive and rich array of Melitensia, encompassing resources related to various fields and aspects connected to the Maltese Islands. The Provincial Library is dedicated to serving all members of the Province, who are welcome to consult and borrow materials. For further information regarding the library and its services, interested individuals may contact the Provincial Librarian.
Provincial Museum
The idea behind any museum, including the Capuchin Provincial Museum (CapMuseum) is the service of society through, the collection, conservation, interpretation and exhibition of tangible and intangible heritage. As a museum of a Religious Order, the CapMuseum has the added obligation to evangelise by means of the memory of the past Capuchin friars, their lives and experiences as well as the lives of the countless patrons who helped the Capuchins in their mission.
The history of material culture is not a history of materiality, meaning that the focus is not on the collection that the museum presents, its artistic quality and financial value. Even though one cannot deny the value of the single objects in the museum showcases, we would go amiss if we stopped there. The CapMuseum rather uses the objects not as ends in themselves, but as conversation starters to discuss themes such as poverty, fraternity in sickness, punishment and forgiveness. The modern-day Capuchin ministries with the homeless, as hospital and prison chaplains, in parishes and in the missions abroad, can only be fully appreciated if one considers the long tradition of selfless service that the friars and volunteers offered simply out of Christian love and compassion. Even if by comparison, the museum is a very small ministry, the CapMuseum covets the role it has in keeping their memory of this selfless love, alive.
Any requests can be addressed to the Provincial Curator.