Restoration of La Valette Hall at MCC

Works started yesterday to remove a wall from the La Valette Hall of the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta which is depriving the hall of its architectural splendour.

The wall is 1.6 metres high and covers over 300 linear metres.

The La Valette Hall is the main banqueting hall formerly the Sacra Infermeria's Great Magazine Ward. Today it is one of the most elegant banqueting halls on the island.

Half of the works in the hall will be completed in nine days and works will engage both MCC and Government workers. The remaining half will be completed early next year. The hall's lighting will also be improved.

Various interesting features are being discovered through this intervention. These include additional niches similar to the existing ones in the Sala Sacra Infermeria - a unique discovery which further confirms the history of the Mediterranean Conference Centre when this was used as a hospital.

This project is being carried out by the Mediterranean Conference Centre in collaboration with the Restoration Unit within the Construction and Maintenance Department of the Works Division.

The project has been planned in a way as not to disrupt the functions being held at the MCC.

Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said these works were in line with Government's policy indicated in the 2005 Budget whereby more investment is being allocated to the restoration of historical buildings to enhance our tourism product.

Reconstruction works at the MCC were one of the major government projects, involving an investment of Lm2.9 million.