Gozo's heritage

The government's commitment towards the national heritage of the Maltese Islands is shown by the restoration works of national monuments in Malta.

Private entities should be encouraged and congratulated for sponsoring works of restoration and conservation of historical value. This is an investment in the Maltese culture and in tourism in general.

Alas, this cannot be said in Gozo's case. Gozo lacks a coherent organisation, similar to the Valletta Rehabilitation Centre, responsible for the national heritage of Victoria.

One of the only two fortified towns in Gozo, namely the Citadel, is in urgent need of restoration. Its bastions are disintegrating, and stones forming part of the wall curtains surrounding the Citadel are badly eroded and crumbling. Even the ruins within the Citadel cry for regeneration and revival.

In the case of Fort Chambray, fingers are kept crossed, hoping that restoration is immediately undertaken by the new owners. They will be honouring a contractual obligation which the previous owners failed to observe and instead unashamedly ravaged the interiors of this fortification.

On Victoria's main square, It-Tokk, one would easily note that the façade of the 18th century Banca Giuratale is endowed with a sculptured frieze and a marbled triumphant coat-of-arms on top the building is covered with a film of soot.

No measures have been taken either to preserve Ggantija Temples which are protected by UNESCO and are the world's oldest free standing building. Tourists and heritage-proud Maltese feel ashamed at seeing the megaliths being supported by decades old and rusting scaffolding as well as the iron beam supports in the interior parts of the temples.

To complicate matters, the first canopy protection to be installed, as part of the national programme for prehistoric remains conservation, is at the Mnajdra temples complex in Malta.

If the government finds it difficult to sponsor such restoration works, one should rope in the private entities as is done in Malta. If no immediate decision is taken to preserve Gozo's heritage future generations will condemn us.