Knights-era Qbajjar battery handed over to Din l-Art Ħelwa
The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and NGO signed the 10-year deal on Tuesday
The management of the dilapidated knights-era battery at Qbajjar near Qolla l-Bajda in Gozo has been handed over to heritage NGO Din l-Art Ħelwa.
The 10-year guardianship agreement was signed between the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and the heritage NGO on Tuesday.
Announcing the deal in a social media post, the superintendence said it was pleased to entrust the management of the site to Din l-Art Ħelwa, which it said would ensure that the legacy of the site was safeguarded for future generations.
The deal was officially announced in March by Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri following a cabinet meeting but had been on the cards for years; in 2023, delays to the handover were blamed for a deterioration of the site.
Last month, it emerged that part of the battery’s ceiling had collapsed, leaving the interior strewn with dangerous debris.
The Qbajjar Battery was built by the Order of Saint John in 1715 as part of a series of coastal fortifications. It is one of only two remaining in Gozo and one in Comino. Both St Anthony Battery in Qala and St Mary’s Battery in Comino have already been restored by Din l-Art Ħelwa.
In the 1970s, the battery was handed over for private use as a nightclub and disco. Significant damage was inflicted through excavations and later accretions, which severely compromised the fabric of the building.
In October 2005, the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage suggested to the Lands Department that the battery should be handed over to Din l-Art Ħelwa so the building could be properly maintained, all illegal additional constructions removed, and the battery opened to the public.
Din l-Art Ħelwa has restored numerous sites across the country, including Wignacourt Tower in St Paul’s Bay, Dwejra Tower in Gozo and Delimara Lighthouse. The first nine properties were transferred to the NGO in 2003.