Chapel will be restored to its former glory

Perched on the St Michael counterguard, overlooking Marsamxett Harbour, the Chapel of St Roche lies in ruins after succumbing to Valletta’s heavy bombing during the Second World War.

Only an altar remains of the tiny chapel where a priest used to celebrate Mass

Grand Master Juan de Lascaris-Castellar ordered it built in 1643 to fulfil the spiritual duties of those housed in Lazaretto – the quarantine hospital on Manoel Island.

Today, only an altar remains of the tiny chapel where a priest used to celebrate Mass for contagious patients lying in bed on the other side of Marsamxett.

However, the chapel will be returned to its former glory as part of restoration works on the Valletta bastions.

Some €20 million in European funds is going towards the restoration of landfront bastions and €10 million state funds is being used to restore the city’s fortifications overlooking the sea.

Restoring the landfront bastions is part of a €36 million EU-funded project covering six kilometres of bastions in Vittoriosa, Mdina and Valletta, as well as the Citadel in Gozo, which will be completed by the end of next year.

Substantial work has already been carried out on the St Christopher, St Barbara and the 20-storey St Peter and St Paul bastions beneath the Upper Barrakka gardens.

Resources Minister George Pullicino, who yesterday took the press on a boat trip around the bastions, said the plan was to extend the cruise liner terminal in Valletta up to the fish market, which will be transformed into a boutique hotel.

The St Andrew bastions, located next to St Michael’s, have been fully restored, while Biago Steps will be inaugurated as a Fortifications Interpretation Centre in the coming weeks.

Mr Pullicino said the Senglea Point bastions on the other side of the peninsula will also be restored, while a themed garden is being planned for the Castille post in Vittoriosa.

The garden will be equipped with items related to the 1565 Great Siege, and will replace the former oil depot built in the mid-20th century.