Hundreds visit Fort St Angelo on open day

Hundreds of Maltese and foreigners of various ages yesterday took advantage of the "open day" organised by Heritage Malta at Fort St Angelo and Ħaġar Qim, to get a glimpse of these historical gems that are otherwise closed to the public.

"The tours were immensely popular, especially at Fort St Angelo, and we had to increase the number of tours to accommodate everyone," Heritage Malta's head of visitor services, Mario Cutajar, told The Times.

Arthur Tyrer, a security guard at Vittoriosa's spectacular fort, was glad to allow people in as he usually has to turn them away.

"Tourists come from all over the world, and some could have come to Malta purposely to see the fort.

"But I would then have to explain that I cannot let them in.

"Once I had to turn away an 80-year-old man who came to revisit the fort where he used to give salutes as an officer in his younger days...

"So, on this open day, I'm glad to finally be able to allow people in," he said.

Through the series Sundays With Heritage Malta, when heritage sites are open to the public on the last Sunday of every month, the public is given the opportunity to get a glimpse of these treasures.

"The idea is to draw the Maltese closer to their heritage so that they get to appreciate their identity better," Mr Cutajar said, adding that, on these Sundays, entrance prices are slashed to entice more people to visit.

He said that recently parts of the fort had been entrusted to Heritage Malta. The fact that it was now open to the public was a clear reflection of the agency's mission statement to make heritage accessible.

He said that, over the years, the fort had gone through a lot and, as a result, parts of it were in a dilapidated state.

Heritage Malta plans to restore the building and make it more accessible to the pubic­.

Yesterday, the focus was on Vittoriosa and Qrendi, giving visitors the opportunity to enter Fort St Angelo and Ħaġar Qim.

Ħaġar Qim, where works are going on to install a protective cover, was open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Guided tours in Maltese and English were conducted at Fort St Angelo during which visitors were also allowed access to the section where Fra John Critien, a knight, lives.

Guided tours were also organised at the Malta Maritime Museum and the Inquisitor's Palace, both in Vittoriosa.

Members of the Historical Re-enactment Group performed a series of military and historical interpretations at the Maritime Museum while the Ġukulari ensemble performed Maltese għana melodies from the 18th century at the Inquisitor's Palace.