Birgu

Birgu

As the first truly 16th century coastal fortified city in Malta, Vittoriosa has hitherto failed to attract the attention it deserve as a historical site. It has similarly failed to attract cultural and tourism-related facilities.

Its ramparts and fortifications, as a result, have suffered considerably through neglect and misuse. This project was aimed at restoring both the decaying physical fabric of the fortifications (important examples of 16th-to18th century bastioned defences), the removal of modern accretions and additions that detract from the legibility of the historic assets and the rehabilitation of those areas currently unavailable to the public.

Such an investment helped to infuse new life into the Birgu/Cottonera area and its community and provided renewed opportunities for new economic and cultural activities. The restoration of the fortifications transformed the Vittoriosa enceinte into a major tourist attraction and allowed, for the first time, for the introduction of a heritage trail with access to all of the enceinte, including the Post of Castile, the site of the most important battle of the Great Siege of 1565.

The project also greatly assisted sympathetic commercial development on the western side of the city of Vittoriosa (currently being undertaken by the Vittoriosa Waterfront Group) and helped to link, through the landfront system of fortifications, with the eastern side of the old city looking onto Kalkara Creek.​

 ​