'Heritage Saved': new book by Din l-Art Helwa

The heritage and environment NGO Din l-Art Helwa yesterday launched its book Heritage Saved (Il-Wirt li Salvajna), which describes the restoration of monuments and sites by DLH over the last 37 years.

The publication, available in both English and Maltese, is penned by Stanley Farrugia Randon, a member of the DLH council, who has been working on it for seven months.

Heritage Saved tells the story of DLH's "visible" work since 1965, the NGO's executive president Martin Scicluna said.

Fully illustrated, it also describes the history of DLH and the efforts by its volunteers to save around 20 historic monuments, which have been restored with money raised by DLH.

"They would simply have been lost had DLH not intervened," Mr Scicluna said.

The restored monuments are described in their historic context, meaning that the book is not just the story of DLH's contribution, but also a vivid account of Malta itself through some of its mediaeval chapels and historic 17th-century towers, among others.

Mr Scicluna pointed out that "despite the work we have done, the properties are not yet ours".

However, the draft deed of guardianship had been agreed on. It was now up to the government to put forward a parliamentary resolution transferring the properties to the NGO, he said.

Founder president Judge Maurice Caruana Curran, under whose presidency most of the works were carried out, was present at the launch and made an impassioned plea for the aesthetics of architecture and buildings to be "hugely improved".

Heritage Saved is on sale at major bookshops in Valletta at Lm5 for non-members and Lm4 for members.