An €80,000 bronze model of the Citadel has been inaugurated by Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri, which is the first of its kind in the Maltese Islands.

Minister Camilleri said that the model, which is located on the Visitor’s Centre, “is an object of beauty in itself for everyone who visits the Cittadella.”

He explained that the inscriptions on the sides of the monument include a short history of the Citadel, in Maltese, English and Braille. “This continues to complement the Government’s aim to improve accessibility in our cultural places in every way.”

The Director for Cultural Heritage John Xuereb stated that from now on the beauty of the Citadel will not remain hidden for those who are visually impaired.

He explained how during the whole process consultations were held both with the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and with the Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Braille was made with the support of the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility.

Architect Matthew Joseph Casha explained that the bronze model was initially made in plastic through a previous 3D scan of the Citadel that was made by Prof. Savior Formosa from the University of Malta. The 3D artistic model in plastic, about 160cm square, was printed, and sent to the Domus Dei Fonderia Artistica 1963 in Rome to be cast in bronze.

The Gozo Minister concluded by thanking the workers of the Restoration Unit and the Administrative Office of the Cittadella, all within the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, who worked on the stone pedestal as well as everyone who contributed to the completion of the project.

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