Joe Morana, Sliema
Lower Fort St Elmo back to the future
Some years ago President Emeritus Prof. Guido de Marco stated that Lower Fort St Elmo was a national shame. Regrettably, it still is.
Just over a year ago I publicly congratulated workers from the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs for their thorough clean-up job of Lower Fort St Elmo, when they cleared up about 90 tonnes of accumulated waste within this historical site.
Soon after this clean-up job, soldiers were posted on guard at Fort St Elmo to make sure squatters and vandals don't continue to have the run of the dilapidated monument.
Access to the fort was then controlled by the army, 24 hours a day, following an agreement on managing security reached between the Parliamentary Secretary for Government Revenues and Land and the Armed Forces of Malta.
Carnival organisers and related volunteers, whose names and details are on a list, would still be allowed to enter.
A brief peek into Lower Fort St Elmo in the past days regrettably, seems to suggest, however,that "some things and/or people never change", as can be seen from the above photograph.
Need one say more?
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Paul Camilleri
Jan 16th 2010, 22:56
I tried entering in late december to take a couple of pics. Didnt take that long cause I was immediately sent out but yes. It was still scattered with rubbish. Pity. My favorite film was filmed here.
Jesmond Micallef
Jan 16th 2010, 19:29
Indeed, I am in full agreement. Vandals and squatters are human berings too. Why not turn them round and make them soldiers of their own living enviornment ??
Where is the pride of the residents of Valletta - "Il-Beltin" ?? This should also be restored. !!
victor pulis
Jan 16th 2010, 14:08
At first I thought the picture was taken a few hours after the fort fell to the Turks in 1565. But I'm sure back then the fort was in a much better state.