Master plan to help Mdina become World Heritage Site

A master plan for Mdina which is to serve as a blueprint for future restoration, conservation and rehabilitation projects in Malta's Old City was presented to President Eddie Fenech Adami at Palazzo Vilhena yesterday.

The plan, based on studies carried out by the University of Malta under the direction of Denis De Lucca (now chairman of the Mdina Rehabilitation Committee), is also expected to help Mdina become a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It includes studies on the city's architecture, heritage monuments such as chapels and churches, the Cathedral and the fortifications, as well as the residential and the socio-economic aspects.

On his arrival at Mdina, the President walked around Mdina accompanied by Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit. He then visited an exhibition of maps at Vilhena Palace which forms part of the master plan.

The President defined Mdina as "the best expression of Maltese identity".

"Mdina's rich and diverse history answers important questions on who we are as a people," Dr Fenech Adami said.

"Any intervention should not alter the physical and spiritual characteristics of Mdina," Professor De Lucca pointed out.

There were different aspects which had to be taken into consideration. First and foremost, Mdina had been, and still was, a high-grade residential area. Secondly, it was one of the most visited tourist sites because its role in practically all of Malta's history made it one of the best showcases of the country.

Another important consideration was the transformation which the Silent City had experienced when the Order of St John turned it into a Baroque city. In this way, Professor De Lucca explained, Mdina earned extra significance as the southernmost pearl on a string of Baroque cities in Europe.

Lastly, Mdina was intrinsically linked with the arrival of St Paul, becoming a landmark of Christianity which spread to Europe and formed the basis of European identity for centuries.

Mr Zammit said that before the launching of the master plan, the government had carried out several works which included the restoration of the Greeks' Gate, the Torri ta' L-Istandard, the paving of Vilhena Palace and the extensive paving works of all the roads of Mdina.

Future works would include restoration of monuments and strengthening of fortifications. The side behind Vilhena Palace, for example, had to be secured because it was built on sedimentary foundations.

Mr Zammit added that restoration and strengthening of bastions was being considered to be eligible for financing under the European Union's structural funds.