Charged with firing Valletta’s Grand Harbour canon, the British-era Master Gunner lived with the sounds of gunpowder ringing in his ears.
We’ve never committed a single gaffe when it comes to cultural heritage
But even he would have been surprised at the fiery exchanges over an NGO proposal to rebuild his quarters, doing away with a small onsite cafe in the process.
Heritage NGO Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna chairman Mario Farrugia yesterday insisted the Master Gunner’s quarters had always been on the site in question and showed journalists photos and maps dating back a century to prove his point.
He called press a conference to rebut claims by Cafe Deux Baronnes owner Martin Baron, who is set to be evicted from the site.
Mr Baron has argued that the quarters were never by the saluting battery but were actually a storey below, in St Anthony’s Square. A surveyor, he said, had confirmed the site tallied perfectly with the quarter’s original dimensions.
But Mr Farrugia insisted that such claims were “baseless and incorrect”.
Photos dating back to the 1920s showed two structures, one where Mr Baron’s cafe sits today and another, separate building in St Anthony’s Square.
One architectural plan, which Mr Farrugia said dated to 1923, clearly marked both distinct structures: one sitting outside the saluting battery and marked Master Gunner’s Quarters and another in St Anthony’s Square, labelled Guard Room.
“FWA has been around for 27 years and we’ve never committed a single gaffe when it comes to cultural heritage. We know what we’re doing,” he said.
“There is absolutely no correlation between the original Master Gunner’s quarters and the site in St Anthony’s Square.”
FWA has already obtained planning permission to rebuild the small room, turning it into a miniature museum and administrative space and restoring the saluting battery to its original form.
Mr Baron has since asked the planning authority to revoke the permit, saying the new evidence he had discovered showed that the approved permit was based on “misleading information”. The regulator must now rule on the appeal.
Mr Farrugia insisted access to Grand Harbour views would not be impaired, with only the saluting battery section requiring payment.“The public will be able to enjoy the Grand Harbour views for free, together with explanatory billboards.”
Mr Baron has said that the pro-ject was a smokescreen for FWA to rake in extra revenue from weddings and other private events.
Mr Farrugia rejected this outright. “Receptions are a headache for us. We would do without them if we could but we have to raise money somehow and if we didn’t hold the odd event, ticket prices would skyrocket.”