Valletta: Shadow of a city

It seems that all eyes have been focused on our capital city now for some time; we prepare one outline brief after another, we discuss various options and ideas about revitalising this historic walled town that has been a Unesco World Heritage site for over a decade and, yet, we seem to be missing all the vital organs that will pump the social blood through the veins of this town that was once described by a Royal Commission as "The cleanest city in the Mediterranean". I am not referring to the reconstruction and refurbishment of the more familiar and notable buildings - this work is being done very professionally by the Valletta Rehabilitation Project - but we need to create new opportunities and attractions which, in turn, should produce enough interest from the commercial sector.

A couple of years ago, the Malta Tourism Society together with Il-Fuklar Study Group made an attempt to bring together the local and central authorities and the commercial sector to discuss the issues facing Valletta's social future. There were a number of useful points raised and I have heard these spelt out again in various articles, television programmes and radio debates. So what are the barriers to progress in casting off that dark shadow from Valletta?

I followed, with interest, the programme in the series Bondiplus on TVM the other day and I recognised again some of the issues that have been echoed for the past 20 years, in the press as well as on my radio programmes, about Valletta. If one had to study a historical timeline of the factors leading up to the decline in any social and culture activity, one would soon see that the central reason concerns transport - the inefficiencies of our public transport and the consequent misuse or, rather, overuse of private transport. From time to time there are various initiatives taken by the Malta Tourism Authority and the cultural centres in Valletta - these, in my opinion, only serve to whet the appetite of those persons, like myself, who dream of entering this European capital city and enjoying its richness in all its splendour.

Instead, as things stand, we enter through a 20th century gateway which looks totally alien at the front-end of a 16th century town. We have to overcome the obstacles set out by the hawkers who have made this part of town a replica of some North African Suk - surely these people have their place in town but why can they not be relocated around the market place, their traditional setting?

The famous site of the Opera House has been at the centre of controversy ever since that fateful night back in 1942 when a German bomb devastated the roof and interior but left the building intact. Ironically, it was one of the Maltese administrations from the 1950s which decided that the building should be dismantled and the project of rebuilding shelved. Over 60 years after that fateful night, the Opera House remains an open space - from the exhibition in 1956 to the Renzo Piano Project of the 1990s, this site has had several facelifts - at least on paper! Perhaps one day, the Phoenix may rise from its ashes!

Valletta is a city of palatial homes, palaces and old hostels or auberges. It was a city that, up to 70 years ago, was a thriving metropolis of diversity and cultures. Today, Valletta is simply the government administrative centre and a rather ornate and baroque office block!

If one were to take the time to consider the history and stories of some of these homes and palaces, the mismatch which is evident in our present use of these magnificent edifices would soon be noticed. A recent initiative taken by Heritage Malta was to offer unique venues for meetings, dinners or social occasions in some of our more popular museums in Valletta. Perhaps some private entrepreneur will consider a cultural or appropriate use for some of the abandoned and disused buildings in town, particularly at the Saint Elmo end.

There are two streets in Valletta which, in my opinion, could offer excellent potential for the caterer and social gourmet. One of them is Strait Street, that narrow lane which runs parallel to Republic Street. Its now derelict music halls and bars which have a colourful past could offer the visitor an interesting evening exploring the secrets of "Sailor Town". The other street is Republic Street, the main thoroughfare renowned for shopping and lunchtime "ambling" but which is totally desolate after 7 p.m.

What is stopping those coffee shops on Queen's Square or down Republic Street from reintroducing the evening entertainment and offering an alternative night out to the glitzy lights and music of Paceville?

I have tried, in this short article to give a brief "taster" of some of the opportunities and potential that could be exploited by the private entrepreneur in Valletta. I am not suggesting, at least at this stage, any major capital projects but I am suggesting that we start pumping the lifeblood back into our city. Valletta has a reputation with every visitor who comes to our shores; to many the city is Malta. The European parliament has already designated this city as the European capital of culture for 2018, we have the resources to make that year a success - all we need is the will and the motivation.

Mr Zarb is a tourism journalist and media presenter; he founded the Malta Tourism Society in 2002 for the sole purpose of increasing awareness about the socio-economic benefits that derive from the industry as well as creating a sense of community tourism and civic awareness.