The kilometre of bastions around the Gozo Citadel will start being restored in the coming months, as part of the facelift envisaged for the Citadel. Annaliza Borg writes.
This will be the first full restoration programme for the same bastions, which so far has only had a cosmetic job and limited localised restoration work from time to time due to lack of resources. The Citadel will once again be given its due importance as the old fortified town on the island of Gozo, as also outlined in the master plan for the town.
“For the first time, the master plan has allowed us to consider the Citadel in its complexity, aiming for a complete revival,” said John Cremona and architect Ivana Farrugia, two Gozo Ministry officials who were responsible for coordinating the master plan, which was drawn up by a multi-disciplinary team led by Politecnica (Italy).
Ms Farrugia pointed out that the master plan is not a standalone document but will be backed by additional projects under the European Regional Development Fund programme. This extensive restoration work is being carried out thanks to close collaboration between the Restoration Unit in the Resources and Rural Affairs Ministry and the Gozo Ministry. A tender for the restoration of the Citadel’s land front fortifications closed on 29 July and four bidders have filed their proposals. This tender will be followed by a second one covering the restoration of the Citadel’s medieval enceinte and the consolidation of the underlying rock bed foundation. Composed of blue clay, globigerina limestone and green sand, the fortification’s rock foundation is quite friable and therefore not very stable. Consequently, it must be consolidated. In 2002, a considerable mass of rock came away from underneath the Citadel, Ms Farrugia noted. This tender is linked to the preliminary geotechnical studies carried out in the master plan, which studies categorised areas into major, medium and low risk.
The restoration of bastions alone, including 2-D and 3-D drawings and geotechnical surveys which have already been carried out, will cost around €7 million.
Back to the master plan, and to the historical value of the Citadel, it is interesting to note that the whole population was obliged by law to seek the security of the Citadel’s bastions at night, especially in the summer months, up till the early 17th century. In 1551, when the population numbered between 5,000 and 6,000, the Turks attacked and took some 5,000 prisoners. A number who had managed to escape to Malta or hide in caves eventually went back. Yet today, only two families live in the Citadel.
Unlike Mdina, the Citadel lost some of its original characteristics as a fortified inhabited town over the years.
Half of the Citadel’s internal space, the previously habitable spaces, is in ruins. Dwellings fell into disuse and eventually became ruins after the inhabitants abandoned them and are now bare open spaces with walls.
The master plan focused on the best way to rehabilitate these areas. Most of the land is private property and there are limitations to what can be done. The Gozo Ministry is planning to acquire the land, clean it up, conserve it and present it as ruins. Visitors will be able to experience the very small spaces sometimes used as dwellings and not simply have them walking on bare land trying to guess what the walls were for. Moreover, possibilities of archaeological investigations are huge as very important archaeological layers, which would help understand past occupations, are preserved underneath the same ruins.
Due to such possibilities, and basic restoration concepts, intervention should be kept to the minimum. The philosophy is to try and conserve and reuse a falling stone in the bastions not change it. Similarly, restorers should not try to build up the ruins as they once were because that would be reconstruction work rather than restoration and conservation, ministry officials said.
The master plan also mentions road resurfacing in the Citadel. But before this is done, all service connections, water pipes, electricity and telecommunication cables must be passed underground, rainwater will also be channelled and problems with drainage connections must be addressed. In the early 1900s, the Gozo Civic Council carried out maintenance work on all the streets and built stairs in many places. The plan is to recreate the Citadel’s original slopes, creating more accessibility for people with reduced mobility.
The master plan, concluded at the beginning of summer, is currently, a policy document outlining what needs to be done. This is a detailed document characterised by an 18-month wide public consultation process. It includes the input of a number of local and foreign experts that addressed the various and varied aspects of the Gozo Citadel. The way forward is now being planned in consultation with authorities and stakeholders, including the National Commission for Persons with a Disability, to name one.
For this reason, the total cost of implementing the recommendations of the master plan has not yet been calculated although an outline development application has been filed with the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. However, ministry wishes to have the first phase of the project, comprising of infrastructural works, carried out under the 2007-2013 EU funds programme and is in the process of applying for the required funds.
The ministry’s intention is that in the immediate future, the Citadel’s internal spaces will be tackled by the 10 key actions outlined in the master plan document. Creating an interpretation centre at the main reservoir situated at the Citadel’s entrance before the gate is a top priority. This reservoir is not simply a large well, but a most imposing structure with impressive arches and a vaulted ceiling, in many ways reminiscent of what the Citadel once was.
The ditch will also be made more accessible and turned into an ideal space for performances. It will not be resurfaced with tarmac, while its slopes will be respected. Indigenous plants will decorate it.
The breach in the ditch wall opened in the 1990s will be bridged over to recreate the original walkway on the fortifications’ outworks and it is proposed that the large archway opened in Cathedral Square in 1956, will be closed possibly with a large door which would only be opened on special occasions. Parking in the square will no longer be allowed and, once the archway is closed, entrance will be from the original gate, and visitors can experience the feeling of entering a fortified and enclosed space.
The original level of the Cathedral Square had been significantly lowered in 1956. In the past, part of the square was at level with the Law Courts. Eventually, the square will be turned into a more aesthetically pleasant and functional space surrounded by splendid baroque architecture and the proposed alterations will be carried out in agreement with the Cathedral Chapter
The Citadel has many subterranean spaces such as the knights sally-ports, the charnel house, war shelters, the large reservoir and silos; all are another important aspect that should also become much more accessible.
The Gozo Ministry has embarked on this project knowing full well that the Citadel is the most visited site in Gozo and that its potential is not being fully tapped. Interpretation panels are to be installed all along the way especially for people making their own way around.
Eventually, this will inject new life into the Citadel, while its quiet ambience will be respected. Outlets making and selling traditional craft including lace and filigree will be encouraged and the potential for organising more cultural activities in the Citadel should grow. The fortified town’s historical value will also be highlighted once the project is concluded.
Author: Annaliza Borg | Source: The Malta Independent [August 08, 2010]