Valletta's oldest gate getting a facelift

While the public's attention has been focused on the Valletta City Gate project, workers from the Resources Ministry have been quietly giving a facelift to Valletta's oldest gate, Victoria Gate.

The gate, built by the British in 1884-85 to a design by Emanuel Galizia, was named after Queen Victoria. It replaced the single arch Marina Gate built at the time of the knights complete with draw bridge.

The need for a bigger gate had been felt because the area of Marina Street down to the harbour was, at the time, the busiest part of Valletta. Ships used to berth close by, bringing produce from Italy and Gozo, and the shops which lined Marina Street used to be a hive of activity, with wholesalers supplying the other shops in Valletta. The area also used to boast many bars.

The rebuilding of the gate also saw the gradient of Marina Street being lowered - as can be seen from the lowered doors of the surviving shops.

The stonework of Victoria Gate is now being given a much-needed through, professional cleaning. Old fixtures are being removed and repairs to the stonework are being made as necessary.

The pavements along the street are also being relaid.

A spokesman for the Resources Ministry said the plan was to eventually give new life to this part of Valletta - now a shadow of the past - by introducing tourist amenities and facilities such as cafes, souvenir shops, restaurants and information offices, and restoring the old historical features - such as the old awnings which used to line the street ,so that the street could become an attractive walkway from the cruise liner terminal to the heart of Valletta.

The project will also include the rehabilitation of the tunnel under the bastion at the bottom of the hill. New pedestrian access could possibly be provided along the shoreline removing the need for pedestrians to actually have to use the tunnel.

An official ferry boatd kiosk would be set up nearby for transport on boatts across Grand Harbour.