Gem of a fort; jewel of an island

Driving in and out of Valletta from Great Siege Road, one can now admire majestic Fort Manoel at the south-east end of Manoel Island, brought back to its former glory by the Midi Consortium as an integral part of the Tignè and Manoel Island project.

Fort Manoel now looks as if it were built months, not centuries, ago. Thanks to the foresight of the government, Malta is now enjoying a unique fort sumptuously restored through private initiative partnering the many public renovation works being undertaken around Malta and Gozo by the government.

This partnership has resulted in Midi investing €40 million in restoring the historical sites around Tignè and Manoel Island that had been neglected for centuries, even by Maltese governments of the past.

Fort Manoel is distinctive as it is a historical fort on a small island in a harbour. This turns small Manoel Island into a practical island-fortress - a microcosm of what Malta was when Fort Manoel was built in the 1720s. After these restoration works, Fort Manoel is, at the moment, on the tentative list and could eventually become another World Heritage Site.

The public could, and did, appreciate the new Fort Manoel during an open weekend in October that was not only well attended but also very well organised by Vaults Ltd with a full day of activities, concerts and talks about the military significance of the fort, the architectural consequences of centuries of neglect and the wide scope of this now-completed first phase of restoration works.

Generations, hence, can now enjoy Fort Manoel as part of the wider Tignè and Manoel Island project that will enhance Malta's already big potential.

One can already envisage how Tignè and Manoel Island will be a centrepiece of a quality tourist and semi-permanent-visitor zone all around Marsamxetto harbour including Sliema and a regenerated Valletta. This will be a result of the confidence the government has instilled in the private sector for the last two decades, seeing the private sector and its initiative as a productive and efficient force even in developing our heritage and giving it new scope and meaning, providing good revenue for our economy and better jobs for Maltese youngsters who take the hospitality industry seriously enough to compete with quality resorts.

Do drive or walk into Valletta from Great Siege Road to see Valletta's bastions on your right, a beautifully-restored Fort Manoel on your left, modern apartments in the background at Tignè - needing to be finished to be judged and appreciated - and restored Fort Tignè.

It's a great sight showing off Malta as it truly is: an island proud of its past and its architectural heritage, yet, not an isolated museum but a forward-looking island-nation at the forefront of European and world develop-ments, an island as eager to live the 21st century as it is proud of its 17th.