Military Heritage Park gets financial boost

Restoration works are being carried out at the Military Heritage Park, situated inside the Lascaris War Rooms, Valletta, by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna.

Finance Minister Tonio Fenech visited the place yesterday and promised the hardworking heritage organisation €200,000 from the Good Causes Fund, which will be distributed over three years to cover the expenses. The remainder will be forked out by FWA.

The chambers, hewn in solid rock, are a series of tunnels hacked out by the Knights of St John in the 17th century who used them to keep their slaves.

The rooms were later used by the British in World War II to coordinate military operations around the Mediterranean, especially the battle for the Maltese islands. The place, used as the control centre for Operation Husky - the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 - is one of a few remaining war military operations' rooms open to the public.

The museum was closed two years ago because of water leaking from the Upper Barrakka Gardens above but it is expected to open again in September.