Alternattiva Demokratika – The Green Party has said that it welcomes the news of the government’s withdrawal of the St. John’s Co-Cathedral project.
Arnold Cassola, Alternattiva Demokratika Chairperson, said, “The government has realised that this project would not have been beneficial at all for our country. The government did well to listen to the voice of the people and of civil society and not to insist on a project could have provoked irremediable damage to St John’s Co-Cathedral and our capital city, Valletta.”
The St. John’s Cathedral Foundation should now identify an appropriate building in some other part of Malta, and set up a museum entirely and solely dedicated to the 29 Goblain tapestries. This would be a perfect example of niche cultural tourism, whereby a building of character would be rehabilitated and at the same time there would be diversification of the Maltese touristic and cultural product – with the relative economic benefit for the local population – in some other part of our country. Another option could be restoring a building, of which Valletta is full, which is currently in a state of disrepair.