A gate unfit for a city

The resuscitation of Valletta is perhaps one of the few ventures that both the government and the opposition agree on. Over the years thousands of liri have been spent on meetings, workshops and committees whose sole aim is the rehabilitation of the capital city.

Most of the plans seem to be shelved, never to see the light of day as a consensus is never reached leading to a recurrent loss of time and revenue.

One of the main eyesores is City Gate. On approaching it, I always get the feeling of going into three large garages used for heavy machinery. This is certainly not a proper entrance to such a grand city full of architectural gems. What has happened to plans submitted by Richard England and Renzo Piano?

The main reason for not proceeding with the projects is very likely a lack of funds but nobody seems to want to admit this shortcoming.

The dismantling of the "garage doors" would be welcomed by everybody. City Gate should be rebuilt to its original design. This would cost a fraction of Mr Piano's and Mr England's plans but it would give Valletta the dignity it deserves.

In comparison to Mdina's magnificent entrance, City Gate is in a pitiful state. The efforts by the Department of Culture and Arts would be useless if City Gate is not included in the plans for the rehabilitation of Valletta. Let's give Valletta its dignity back.