Six years ago, wooden beams were used to prop up Casino Notabile in Mdina to prevent it from collapsing.

The architectural gem was stabilised but it remained an abandoned building clad in scaffolding since no money was earmarked for its restoration.

This is set to change after the government allocated €400,000 of EU funds to restore the elegant building overlooking Saqqajja Hill.

EU Funds Parliamentary Secretary Ian Borg yesterday said restoration work would start soon. Several ideas for a new use for the building had been shelved because of the extensive work that was required, especially to shore up the foundations.

Mdina mayor Peter dei Conti Sant Manduca welcomed the allocation of funds, saying that after so many years the casino would come back to life.

The council had campaigned for it to be saved from ruin but the government’s priority had been restoring the city’s bastions.

The Mdina local council wants to lease out the building to the private sector and has issued a tender for the concession. The council did not specify the type of activity it would prefer, leaving all options open.

Constructed in 1887, Casino Notabile was built by nobles residing in Mdina as a place for their social gatherings.

They commissioned English civil engineer Paulson Webster, who constructed the Royal Opera House in Valletta. The building risked collapse since the foundations were built on clay, leading to cracks in the facade.