Perched above Kalkara Creek, in Malta’s Grand Harbour, Villa Portelli isn’t just a building—it’s a memory treasure trove.
From aristocratic residence to the wartime residence of the British Admiral of the Mediterranean Fleet during WWII, and later a maritime training school—Villa Portelli has worn many hats. Its walls have witnessed joy, command, resilience, and change. Now, through HERITALISE, we’re peeling back those layers and bringing them to life in digital form.
Our case study at Villa Portelli brings together curators, conservators, historians, architects, technologists, community voices, and storytellers. It’s a multidisciplinary journey to create a Memory Twin: a digital model that doesn’t just replicate walls and windows, but revives the emotions, narratives, and uses the historical values of the building, turning it into a national monument.
The latest advanced technology on in 3D scanning, photogrammetry, Holistic Heritage BIM, and digitisation tools will be used to capture both the tangible and intangible. This includes oral histories, architectural detail, and everyday memories of the people who lived, worked, or simply passed by.
This isn’t just about preservation—it’s about reconnection. Reconnecting Villa Portelli with its community, its past, and its place in Malta’s evolving story and authentic identity.
Stay with us as we share each chapter of this transformation—because heritage lives not only in the past, but in how we choose to remember, understand, and share it today.
