Anton Borg, Valletta
Lost landmark beautifully restored
Well done and thank you to all those concerned with restoring the beautiful baroque fort on Manoel Island. The reconstructed church of St Anthony of Padua now dominates the landscape and thus a lost landmark has been faithfully reinstated.
Viewing Fort Manoel from Valletta, one is in awe of those who originally built this gem and equally those who have now restored it. Prosit!
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Trevor Lorenzo Mizzi
Oct 8th 2009, 18:17
Looking good !!
Let us do the same to the Barry Royal Opera house, it is about time.
The exquisite statue of Grandmaster A. M. de Vilhena should be placed where it stood before 1859, by the restored chapel on Manoel island.
Mario Ta bone
Oct 8th 2009, 17:48
Totally agree with Ivan Camilleri. Rebuilt the Opera House to its original specification or as near to as damn it. The 1.4 million or so euros already paid for the new design would have gone a long way towards the cost. And while we are at it, why not install the original City Gate which if I am not mistaken is stored away . We have pictures of how it looked before the sacrilege of the current one which was put in to accomodate carnival floats for one thing. The carnival can be held elsewhere if needed, just dont destroy beautiful architecture for such petty causes. Valletta should be kept as it was meant to be. Yes restore it but dont destroy it.
ivan camilleri
Oct 8th 2009, 13:12
What has to be noted here is the public's joy once such restoration works are completed. What has to be noted still, is the fact that the chapel has been rebuilt, (albeit not 100% as it was, since no documentation depicting its original image is available ) more or less how it looked like.
My point is : what's wrong then if the old opera house had to be rebuilt as it once was?
It wouldn't be a fake since even this chapel was almost in full decay, nevertheless it has been rebuilt, & NO ONE here says it's a fake!!
Let's get back what we've lost & remember : the opera house was not brought down for embellishment reasons, but coz it was bombed!!
adrian gatt
Oct 8th 2009, 12:58
Yes, a very big well done for restoring this gem, but unfortunately this came at a very high price, the development of Tigne and Manoel Island, areas that could very well have been used for the recreation of the residents of the area, i.e. Sliema, st julians, Gzira, Msida,San Gwann and those whereabouts. The North Harbours Local Plan written by Mepa, states that there are no recreational and open spaces in this part of Malta and there is no more room for further developments. Did they heed their own words. Look at Sliema now - its a shame!
Paul Borg
Oct 8th 2009, 11:31
What a great site for the Parliament of Malta and the seat of Government of the Maltese people. Move all the ministries to the Island and bingo; You have a world class Civic/Government Centre. Need I say more. Just contemplate the vision.
vincent a galea
Oct 8th 2009, 11:30
WILL CERTAIN HISTORICAL GENIUSES CALL THIS RESTORATION A FRAUD??
WELL DONE !! WHAT A GEM !!!!!!!
D Vella
Oct 8th 2009, 11:25
What dominates the landscape from Valletta are the monstrous blocks at Tigne built by Midi and soon to be joined by the equally disastrous blocks at Fort Cambridge built by Gap. You haven't noticed?