The grandchildren of Ġużè Damato are calling on the authorities to save a house attributed to the celebrated architect, which the Cathedral Chapter “needs” to pull down to enhance accessibility to the Ċittadella.
“Respect the memory of our grandfather and great grandfather, who has built so many landmarks on the Maltese islands,” Isabelle Hero Damato, appealed on behalf of the cousins.
In a letter sent to the planning authority, she notes that her grandfather was a church benefactor, and she lists a series of structures that he designed, including the Carmelite church in Valletta and the Immaculate Conception of Our Lady church in Ħamrun.
Ms Hero Damato calls on the authority to save the “architectural treasure” in Victoria for future generations, an appeal reiterated in separate letters by Bertil Damato and Josette Damato.
Respect the memory of our grandfather and great grandfather, who has built so many landmarks on the Maltese islands
The appeal by Damato’s relatives to save the townhouse on Triq il-Kastell, which could soon be replaced by a three-storey carpark, is the latest in a series of protests from conservationists, experts, petitioners and people who filed their objection with the planning authority.
Meanwhile PN MP Ryan Callus yesterday said that the Planning Authority Board approved his request for the application to be heard by the board, instead of being delegated to a subsidiary commission (which has three members), given the sensitivity of the case.
Considering that the board is made up of some 12 members and has representatives from the government, the Opposition and environmental organisations, this will expose the application to wider scrutiny.
The 1950s house, owned by the Cathedral Chapter, is attributed to Damato, known for designing the Paola and Xewkija churches among others.
According to the Ċittadella master plan of 2010, the footprint of the house had been earmarked to host a carpark to improve accessibility.
The Gozo Ministry told this newspaper that while the proposed carpark would not be funded by the government, the present administration had submitted the application “to ensure a more comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the Ċittadella”.
During a press conference held in Valletta yesterday, architect Joseph Bugeja said that the cathedral, located as it is on a hill, needed to make it easier for the faithful to access it.
When it was pointed out to him that the slope had not kept parishioners away from the cathedral over the years, and whether other alternatives had been considered, Mr Bugeja said the authorities had been speaking of a park-and-ride facility for years.
However, nothing had been done and the parish therefore needed to act, he said, speaking on behalf of the Cathedral Chapter. He added the project would give autonomy to those with mobility issues who wanted to access their parish.
Noting that the façade of the house would be retained, he said that some years ago permission had been granted to turn the property into a parish centre. The permit had included the replacement of the internal staircase, but there had been no outcry at the time, he said.
Meanwhile, among those campaigning in favour of preserving the house, Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar’s Astrid Vella told this newspaper that in its Strategic Plan for Environment and Development masterplan, the authority was committed “to improve the townscape and environment in historic cores with a presumption against demolition of property worthy of conservation” and to “reducing traffic in sensitive urban areas by promoting pedestrianisation, shared space streets, traffic calming and green modes of travel”.
The fact that the Gozo Ministry was promoting a project that violated all these in a zone that was not an ordinary Urban Conservation Area but a Grade A protected fortified town was “shameful”, she insisted.
FAA called on the ministry to retract this application and replace it with an outlying carpark, with an electric shuttle service to the Ċittadella, as was normal in Europe.