Have you ever visited a Masonic lodge?
I do not think so. Or have you been a member of one of these?
I never. But then I discovered one of these hidden inside an abandoned disco.
Malta has been the guardian of great mysteries. We find traces of ancient civilizations dating back to 5000 BC. like the prehistoric site of Hagar Quim or like the megalithic temples dated around 3600 BC. among which we remember Gigantia on the island of Gozo.
Going back to more recent times, Malta has continued to create legends and mysteries. Malta was the headquarters of the Hospitaller Knights, after which they were called Knights of Malta. Malta was given to them by Emperor Charles V and Pope Clement VII as a reward for fighting during the Crusades in the Holy Land. They were driven out by Napoleon and they scattered across Europe, they found asylum in Russia, mainly.
The history of the Knights of Malta tells ancient rituals and incredible special powers learned from Arab and Indian gurus and masters.
We come to the latest discovery. In my two years working on the island, I had never found anything so surprising. The structure externally recalls a large villa in the classic Maltese style. From the outside, it is clear that the structure is abandoned. Being in a very uncovered area, I couldn’t wait too long around the structure.
Finally one morning at dawn, I understand how to log in. But what seemed to me a villa turns out to be a disco, obviously abandoned. Dead pigeons and guano from the entrance, tacky and exaggeratedly pompous, but the interiors are still in good condition and the furniture is present.
I see a strange blind spot between the bar and the ballroom. I approach and I find that, behind an ornamental curtain that only showed the wall, there is a kind of secret door.
I open it …
I light up with the torch and I don’t believe in my eyes. I understand where I ended up immediately. Amazement mixed with fear are my emotions. A Masonic temple in all respects, well maintained and well ordered.
Some small details, dust and plaster on the ground, make it clear to me that it will be a couple of months that nobody comes here. Despite this, a shiver starts to rise up my spine. For sure, if someone should come, I would have no way to escape and find myself in a bad trouble. I decide to leave and to return after a few days accompanied by a friend, to be more peaceful and to be able to photograph without haste what is probably the most absurd place I have ever found in my explorations
Ascosi Lasciti was born in 2010, one of the first italian and european urbex project. It develops thanks to a great teamwork. In 2020 was born the cultural association, one of the most followed on the web in Europe. Wich is the main mission? Love for urbex (urban exploration) focused on discovering forgotten places.
