The recommendations of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage have found increasing respect from most authorities and agencies over recent years, despite being at opposite ends of the table.
Both parties often find a way forward, according to its newly appointed head.
Kurt Farrugia, who has stepped into the top post in the protection of national heritage – a hot potato – seems to have a more optimistic view on the state of play, where others fear it is threatened and overlooked.
Asked whether the superintendence could feel pressured by major developers and other authorities, he told Times of Malta he understood their needs.
“Irrespective of the size and nature of a development, the superintendence always strives to protect cultural heritage assets, taking into consideration modern-day usage and requirements,” Farrugia said.
The outlook may not wash well with the community of scholars and academics who shot down his appointment days after he took on the role. They wrote an open letter to Heritage Minister José Herrera to express their concerns about the arbitrary replacement of his predecessor, Joseph Magro Conti, resulting in the loss of decades of experience and all-important “gravitas”.
A lack of experience?
It was a baptism of fire, but Farrugia, 36, whose appointment was justified by the minister, said “everyone is entitled to their own opinion” when asked to react to the lack of confidence and respect from experts in the field of heritage.
He expressed his own “utmost respect” for them as the “main resource to education”, as well as his belief in the fact that learning should never stop.
But he pointed out to the heavyweights that “educational experience does not prepare you for the real world” and that it is the work experience itself, mistakes made and colleagues that teach the realities of the job.
While the bigwigs have doubts about his experience, Farrugia, who holds a Master’s in archaeology, insists he had a “very diverse role” as head of Heritage Planning Consultations, Movables and Underwater Heritage, within SCH, over the last two years.
“While I was responsible for the daily running of the unit, I often switched from discussing development planning applications to monitoring underwater projects and assessing the movement of cultural heritage objects.
Educational experience does not prepare you for the real world
“I had the opportunity to work closely with different sectors of society, helping me understand how people perceive cultural heritage differently, and their priorities, while broadening my knowledge in general.”
In the letter, the heritage community also pointed to a potential weakening of the superintendence, casting doubts on its power and independence to stand up to external pressures.
But Farrugia said it has “undergone several capacity increases” during the last couple of years.
On the other hand, “unfortunately, certain duties that are bound by deadlines absorb much of the workforce, leaving other sectors understaffed”.
Having said that, its employees’ varied fields of specialisation, coupled with their commitment to the job, enabled the superintendence to carry out its duties, he assured.
Staff recruitment coming
More staff recruitment is envisaged in the coming year to strengthen the workforce. Necessary working tools, such as a Geographic Information System, will be purchased to continue streamlining the work and helping the sectors that are not being fully addressed.
Asked if he felt the national patrimony was in danger and that Malta was being robbed of it, the person entrusted with scrutinising its preservation admitted that safeguarding 7,000 years of history, with the limited resources available, was no mean feat.
Malta’s ever-increasing population put a huge strain on the country’s immovable cultural heritage assets, Farrugia said. He finds consolation in the fact that “the Maltese love different aspects of it”, adding, however, that it was often a case of ‘not in my backyard’.
As to whether the protection of cultural heritage should supersede any other considerations, or a happy medium should be struck between its preservation and development, Farrugia leaned towards finding “an equilibrium between conservation and adoption for modern-day use”. This is about making cultural heritage more accessible and appreciated by preserving its role as an essential aspect of society.
Farrugia refrained from singling out past irreversible mistakes overseen by the SCH, referring only to the many treasures lost during Malta’s colonial past and World War II.
“Looking back in history, we see numerous immovable cultural heritage assets making way for progress, while movable objects have perished, or left our islands for good.”
Protection of architectural heritage
The protection of architectural heritage has come under fire from many quarters. Malta’s national trust, Din l-Art Ħelwa, recently called out “years of fake ‘conservation’ policies that are now leading to planning disasters”.
It criticised how the SCH had moved from proposing a building for scheduling to not objecting to its dismembering. It referred to ongoing death by ‘conservation’, the PA “farce” of ‘protecting’ heritage buildings by burying them beneath multi-storey extensions.
Would Farrugia seek to fight this “farce” during his tenure? His reply is that the SCH sought to protect all sites and monuments considered cultural heritage assets – not just the scheduled buildings.
Assuring that the Superintendence would continue striving to recommend these for scheduling, he added it was “ironic that people in general criticise others’ developments, but never their own project”.
Farrugia preferred not to comment about cases dealt with prior to his appointment, such as the controversial 19th-century Spinola Bay townhouse that incorporates the ‘preserved’ façade in a block of flats and has raised the ire of many.
Village cores marred by development
On the desecration of traditional village cores and rural Gozo, with apartment blocks marring the streetscapes and dwarfing important historical buildings, as well as the issue of context and buffer zones surrounding these, Farrugia said the Superintendence, as an adviser to the PA, assesses the cultural heritage value of the property and its context and makes its own recommendations.
He referred to a circular on the setting of scheduled buildings, issued by the PA earlier this year, which establishes context zones and lists the studies required by developments that fall within them to ensure these are respected.