1 comment.Extensive restoration of the Santa Marija Battery on Comino now complete
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The extensive restoration of the Santa Marija Battery on Comino has now been completed at a cost of around €183,000 – of which €150,000 was from European funds.
The completed project was inaugurated by the Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli.
The Santa Marija Gun Battery, which stands sentinel over the Gozo Channel – was built by the Knights of St John in 1714 – is classified as Grade 1 and is protected because of its significant military architecture.
“The restoration of the battery complements the other defensive fortification on the island – the Santa Marija Tower, built by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt in 1618, and which was also restored some years ago,” said Minister Farrugia Portelli.
She went on to say that last year, almost 32% of the tourists who visited Malta also paid a visit to Comino, which calculates to a figure of 876,000 people.
The Minister praised NGOs such as Din l-Art Helwa, describing their commitment and contribution as invaluable as regards the protection and maintenance of historical places such as these fortifications on the island of Comino.
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinco Azzopardi said that through the use of European funds we are seeing more collaborations between government bodies and NGOs, while also continuing to promote the history of these islands.
Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri explained that Comino also falls within the remit of his Ministry, and expressed his satisfaction with the project, saying that it is another attraction for this island.
President of NGO Din l-Art Helwa Professor Alex Torpiano, expressed his satisfaction at the collaboration between the Malta Tourism Authority and the NGO, and said it was thanks to their valuable assistance, both in financing as well as the implementation of the project, that this restoration has been successfully concluded.
Also present for the inauguration was Joseph Attard from Din l-Art Helwa, who is the Guardian of the Battery.
Let’s hope that Din L-Art Helwa do a better job of maintaining the battery after this restoration than after they did after the previous one when the battery was criminally neglected and they wondered why it was vandalised …..