BoV sponsors Wignacourt Tower embellishment
The Wignacourt Tower in St Paul's Bay has benefited from embellishment work that has improved the visitor facilities at this heritage site. This work was made possible through a sponsorship granted by Bank of Valletta. The works were commissioned by...
The Wignacourt Tower in St Paul's Bay has benefited from embellishment work that has improved the visitor facilities at this heritage site. This work was made possible through a sponsorship granted by Bank of Valletta. The works were commissioned by Din l-Art Helwa as guardians of the tower.
Presenting the sponsorship, BoV chairman Joseph F.X. Zahra said: "Bank of Valletta, as a major financial institution in Malta, is committed to play an active role in the Maltese community. The restoration of the Wignacourt Tower forms part of the bank's tangible contribution towards the preservation, promotion and enrichment of Malta's cultural and historical heritage."
Mr Zahra congratulated Din l-Art Helwa for their initiative. He said that BoV has built a strong association with GrandMaster Wignacourt through several initiatives it has undertaken in its efforts to promote Maltese heritage.
Foremost among these initiatives was the financing of the restoration of GrandMaster Wignacourt's parade armour as part of the bank's millennium project.
Today, the restored artefact can be viewed in all its splendour at the Palace Armoury. The bank also plans to rebuild the Wignacourt Gate in St Venera near the site currently being developed to house the new BoV Operations Centre.
Thanking Bank of Valletta for its support, Din l-Art Helwa executive president Martin Scicluna stated "The Wignacourt Tower was the first of a number of coastal defence towers built round Malta. It was built by Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt in 1610 and designed by Maltese architect Vittorio Cassar.
From 1610 to 1649, Wignacourt Tower was Malta's northernmost defensive outpost until St Agatha's Tower was built in Mellieha. In 1715 a coastal battery was added to increase its firepower. During the 18 century, the Tower was equipped with two six-pounder and three 18-pounder cannons and in the following century it was used as a police station and telegraph post."
Mr Scicluna added "A whole series of improvements were carried out at the tower. A modern lighting system was installed over the exhibits, a closed-circuit TV system was set up, bookcases to offer promotional literature to the visitors were placed in the tower as well as a monitor showing a documentary about the tower through the ages. All this could not have been possible without the generous financial input by Bank of Valletta."