The Loġġja tal-Palju and (below) the 32-room World War II shelter complex, up for restoration.

Wirt Għawdex and the Gozo Ministry have signed an agreement of cooperation to restore two sites in Victoria – the Loġġja tal-Palju in Republic Street and a 32-room World War II shelter complex at the Citadel. The ministry will be forking out around €50,000 for this project.

The contract was signed at the Wirt Għawdex headquarters where Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana was briefed on the society’s aims and achievements in previous restoration projects.

Dr Caruana said: “These initiatives are part of an ongoing ambitious programme for our Gozitan heritage… together with Wirt Għawdex we continue to work to identify sites that require more attention and careful restoration.”

Il-Loġġja tal-Palju, or the Horse Racing Barrakka, was built in 1733 in upper Racecourse Street, now Republic Street, from where the palju or damask was presented to the winners of horse races.

The World War II shelters complex at the Citadel started being constructed in the summer of 1941. People who wanted some privacy and an assurance that they had a place where they could take cover were encouraged to dig cubicles at their own expense. The government only constructed corridors as shelters. The Citadel has two large complexes, one consisting of 20 rooms and the other of 32. The 32-room complex is underneath St Martin demi-bastion. The rooms were dug out along 150 metres of tunnels.