The Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici, together with the Parliamentary Secretary Alison Zerafa Civelli visited the restoration works being done on the San Ġwann forts and the baroque gates. Which is part of a much larger project that sees the restoration of a substantial part of the Cottonera Lines (from the Bastion of San Paul to the Fort of San Klement, also including the Bastion of Notre Dame) and of the Margherita Lines.

The value of the works being carried out on the fort of St. John and on the Baroque Gate found next to it amount to half a million euros. Earlier this year, the work on the San Gwann Bastion was completed. The work on the fort of St. John started in August 2021 and is planned to be completed by the end of this year.

Minister Owen Bonnici, in his intervention, said, “Through this hard work, a promise in the electoral manifesto has been fulfilled; we will continue to build on our commitment to Cultural Heritage, as part of our ongoing work to safeguard the patrimonial heritage of our country.

Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli praised the work done by the restoration directorate’s workers and said that “thanks to this investment, we are preserving the cultural heritage for future generations while strengthening the touristic value of the surrounding localities.”

Cottonera Foundation Chairman Glenn Bedingfield stated “This work gives me a lot of satisfaction because I am seeing the strategy of Cottonera being carried out, and now it is reaching the localities bordering the three cities. We also want regeneration for the people, and that is why we are preparing plans so that the open spaces around the forts will be new spaces that can be enjoyed by people”.

The Architect in charge of this work, Ivana Farrugia explained in detail the work done, “In the original plan, the intended intervention was limited to the restoration of the forts’ facade and the Baroque gates. Following the damage caused during last winter’s storms, the work was extended also to cover the platform located on the fort, which platform is also the roof of the casemates located along San Gwann t’Għuxa street.”

Architect Farrugia went on to say that the interventions carried out included the removal of invasive vegetation, consolidation of the original stone surface, replacement of badly deteriorated stones, temporary removal and reconstruction of unstable areas and plastering.

Now that the restoration of the fort has been completed, the works are now focusing on the restoration of the baroque gates.

#MaltaDaily