Snajja Maltin S01.E03 - Martellar tal-Fidda (MT)

Snajja Maltin is a series of features on endangered crafts in the Maltese islands being produced by the Malta Crafts Foundation in collaboration with Illum ma' Steph, with the aim of generating awareness and enhance the appreciation towards traditional crafts that are regrettably in danger of being lost, in the hope that younger generations might be enticed to revive the craft sustainably, possibly through the inclusion of innovative elements.
For the third feature we visited Victor Azzopardi at his workshop in Marsa, where he spoke to us about the craft of silversmithing.
Silversmithing comprises various techniques, one of which is known in Maltese as 'martellar tal-fidda', a process where sheets of silver are hammered into a mould to create various parts that are then welded together. The technique was widely practiced in Malta at the time of the Order of the Knights of St John and the early British period, but nowadays only a handful of local artisans are keeping the tradition alive.