A Knights-era tower in Pembroke has been vandalised with graffiti, with vandals spray-painting rap lyrics from an Eminem song on the facade of the historic structure. 

The Madliena tower was built in 1658, the fourth in a series of distinctive coastal watchtowers built by Grandmaster Martin De Redin. 

Recently, graffiti with what appears to be blue spray paint has appeared on two sides of the Madliena tower’s facade, with the text scrawling an excerpt of lyrics from the 2010 rap song That’s All She Wrote by T.I and Eminem. 

More graffiti on the sea-facing side of the Madliena tower. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Other graffiti on the tower makes reference to two other rappers who have died. 

Another side of the tower has the words “RIP MF DOOM” scribbled on it, a reference to British-American alternative hip-hop star Daniel Dumile, known as MF Doom, who died aged 49 in October of 2020. 

The other graffitied phrase reads “I might die before I detox”, a lyric from the song Malibu by rapper Mac Miller. Miller died of an accidental drug overdose in 2018 at age 26. 

The tower, which is looked after by heritage NGO Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, was restored through EU funding in 2009, and recently works had been undertaken by the Malta Tourism Authority to light up the tower at night. 

Photo: Chris Sant Fournier

Vandalism reported some days ago

Times of Malta is informed that MTA workers finished installing the lights on November 5, and no graffiti had been seen on the tower by that date. 

FWA executive chairman Mario Farrugia told Times of Malta that the graffiti appeared on the tower a number of days ago and was reported by the warden of the Pembroke Natura 2000 park. 

“Unfortunately, as the location is quite desolate and too close to training grounds used by the AFM, it’s not possible to keep constant watch,” he said.

“The perpetrators have not been caught and very likely will not be caught.” 

Farrugia said that graffiti proved to be a big problem for the group, both to find ways to discourage it and to have it safely removed from the affected property. 

“Graffiti is a godforsaken culture. Besides the fact that people have no discipline and do as they please, it’s then a long, drawn-out process to take them to court.”

The recently completed lighting works on the Madliena tower.

He added that, together with the authorities, the NGO is still discussing how best to proceed with removing the damage. 

“Removing it is also a bit of a problem, we have to make sure we’re not doing more harm than good,” Farrugia said. 

“Ultimately, whatever method we go for will have some abrasive element to remove the paint. Luckily, it seems like it was spray paint, which doesn’t penetrate the stone as deeply as regular paint would.”

Pembroke mayor Dean Hili expressed his disappointment at the action of "selfish individuals" flying in the face of conservation efforts. 

"It is disheartening when the local council does its utmost to maintain the area, while MTA and Wirt Artna collaborate to preserve national heritage, only for selfish individuals to tarnish our national treasures," he said. 

"People and entities pool in time, energy and public finances to preserve these sites while the sad reality is that they are vulnerable to vandalism of this sort."