Nikki Abela Mercieca
Mdina ditch to be turned into public garden
Sneak Peak: The ditch around the entrance to Mdina will be turned into a public garden by the end of next year. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi
The Mdina ditch would be transformed into a public garden by the end of 2012, Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino announced yesterday.
The ditch project forms part of the ongoing works in the old city, costing more than €6 million, 85 per cent of which is EU funded. It will see the area between the Greek Gate and Xara Palace transformed into a garden, covered with turf and lined with replanted citrus trees from the present grove.
Remains of a mediaeval tower which have been unearthed will be on display through a glass path in the ditch.
The Mdina Knights football club, which made use of the ground in the ditch, would be transferred elsewhere, Mr Pullicino said.
The restoration and foundation works will be carried out in three phases. The first phase, on the bastions under Vilhena Palace, should be ready by June while the other two phases will see similar work being done on the Despuig bastion (under the cathedral) and on the Magazine curtain. A call for tenders for the final two phases was made this week and the work should be ready within 18 months from the date the contracts were awarded, the minister said.
During a tour of the works yesterday, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Mr Pullicino that during talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Monday the German leader was eager to know how Malta was spending EU funds and was pleased to learn about the investment in tourism.
The work in Mdina was not only this generation’s “sacrosanct duty” to pass on the cultural heritage to its children but also made sense economically, Dr Gonzi said. “We have to exploit our patriotism,” he said, pointing out the priority was always to generate new jobs.
The works were not only aesthetic restorations but structural interventions to reverse the damage sustained by the bastions, which were mainly built on clay, chief architect Norbert Gatt said. The plan, therefore, was to strengthen the bastions through structures which formed a mesh-like formation deep beneath the fortification walls to make them stronger.
Future plans include the rebuilding of the back of Vilhena Palace, which collapsed in past years.
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Joseph Meli
May 16th, 14:02
One hopes that a channel very near to the base of the bastion be build around the whole lot so as to avoid further humidity going up onto the bastion wall. One would also expect that the soil close to the bastion wall be also separated from the bastion base with an empty concrete channel for water to pass and no humility is gathered.
Furthermore, all trees that are too close to the bastion sides be all removed and planted elsewhere, including those on top of the bastion (private property) which are doing also a lot of damages and humidity harm to the bastion and also to the private buildings which need to be examined for such humidity.
One also expects that the Government do further intensive studies to the base and top parts with humidity on such bastions and see that they are disconnected from any soil, plants or even large trees that could be a source of humidity contact, otherwise more damages would still be made to our beautiful bastion or fortifications.
Joseph Meli
May 16th, 13:57
One hopes that a channel very near to the base of the bastion be build around the whole lot so as to avoid further humidity going up onto the bastion wall. One would also expect that the soil close to the bastion wall be also separated from the bastion base with an empty concrete channel for water to pass and no humility is gathered.
Furthermore, all trees that are too close to the bastion sides be all removed and planted elsewhere, including those on top of the bastion (private property) which are doing also a lot of damages and humidity harm to the bastion and also to the private buildings which need to be examined for such humidity.
One also expect's that the Government do further intensive studies to the base and top parts with humidity on such bastions and see that they are disconnected from any soil, plants or even large trees that could be a source of humidity contact, otherwise more damages would still be made to our beautiful bastion or fortifications.
S.Vassallo
Jan 13th 2011, 13:24
Dear, Mr Prime Minister and Resources Minister George Pullicino,
The Rabat and Mdina area have no sporting facilities at all apart from these areas.
I am sure all young and young at heart in Rabat are looking forward to having some better facilities since this has now been promised as a result of your statement today.
Where shall the alternative areas be found for the new sports fields? I am sure Minister Pullicino must have plans for this in mind and an area is earmarked for this as otherwise it would not be promised.