Foundation stone laid for the €9 million Gozo Museum project

by Gozo News · June 19, 2020

The foundation stone for the Gozo Museum – a €9 million project, has been laid by Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri, together with the Minister for Heritage, Arts and Local Government José Herrera.

The Gozo Minister said that he believes that the museum project will be one of the main attractions for visitors to Gozo. “In addition to the island’s natural beauty, we will focus on specific island tourism, quality tourism, tourism for visitors who are looking to appreciate the island’s culture, the way our ancestors lived.”

Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri said that this is one of the largest investments being made in Gozo, at €9 million. He explained the ongoing work on the first phase, which includes a new wing that will be dedicated to maritime history, as well as the restoration of the 1950’s modern architectural building which was designed by architect Joseph G. Huntingford and other wings.

He said that during the weeks and months ahead they will be “watching to ensure that work keeps within the timeframe for this project.” He added that because of the size of the project, the work will be ongoing for several months. He thanked the architects and teams working on this project as well as Minister José Herrera.

Minister José Herrera said that Gozo has a vast amount to offer in terms of historical heritage and this project will be offering another unique visitor experience, such as already presented in the Heritage Malta museums and sites across the Maltese Islands.

The collections at the Gozo Museum will include artefacts from the field of natural history, archaeology, folklore, art and ethnography. Visual arts will also be introduced into this new museum.

There will also be space for temporary exhibitions as well as the Gozo offices of Heritage Malta. A museum shop, cafeteria and a conference space are also part of the project.

During excavation of the site last year a Roman quarry of particular archaeological interest was found and a decision was made for it be integrated into the construction of the Museum.

This project is being implemented by the Ministry for Gozo and the items to be exhibited will come from the Heritage Malta National Collection.