I recently enjoyed an event at the La Valette Hall at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. There is something truly magical about being in spaces that have stood the test of time and witnessed thousands of stories.

The La Valette Hall, for example, has literally seen sickness and health. Who knows how many mumbled prayers those walls heard and how many hearts were broken through loss?

Spaces like this don’t only have a soul but they are what gives us our identity and nationhood. They are an integral part of our collective history as a country.

Now, imagine that, one fine day, someone decides to build a block of flats on top of the La Valette Hall, perhaps with glass flooring, so people can “enjoy” the novelty of living on top of a historical site. Doesn’t that sound outrageous and, well, wrong? Unfortunately, it’s in this bizarre and tragicomic state that we find ourselves as yet another of our historical gems finds itself under siege.

In 2021, Infrastructure Malta constructed a controversial new road in Dingli, right next to the medieval chapel of Santa Duminka. At the time, Moviment Graffitti rightfully stated that this new road would only contribute to more development around the structure, which enjoys Grade 1 protection.

Lo and behold, a mere three years later, a second development application has been presented after the first one was presented last year. Both pending applications are for residential blocks of flats within the buffer zone of the chapel, which means that this beautiful piece of our history would be at risk.

The cultural heritage situation in this country has become dire and greatly untenable, and I don’t know what it will take to turn things around. In no civilised country in the world that respected its past and had any national pride (and not had tens of thousands of unoccupied residential units) would incidents like this be allowed.

There is nothing more expensive to any country than ignorance- Anna Marie Galea

And since we clearly can’t rely on our citizens to do the right thing and not choose money over everything else, our authorities must hold firm. I think back to the planning permit application for apartments near Ġgantija, which are only some of the world’s oldest free-standing temples, and I want to scream and tear my hair out.

How did we let it get to this? Where is our national pride? Or simply just common sense? Why are visitors queuing to visit our landmarks when we ourselves would sell them out just as easily for 30 pieces of silver?

Somewhere, there is a disconnect, a dissonance between what we feel in our bones to be right and what we end up choosing. We are dismantling everything that makes this country great piece by piece and, soon, there will be nothing but roads, traffic and concrete bricks blocking out every horizon, with nowhere left to breathe and nothing much worth visiting. Maybe it’s for the best that climate change will soon catch up with us and do its worst.

Your wish to get richer shouldn’t come at the expense of your country’s legacy just because you can’t see the significance of anything at all, and if you can’t bring yourself to reign in your shortsighted greed, then the State must do it for you. Truly, there is nothing more expensive to any country than ignorance.