Situated on Malta's sister island Gozo, the Cittadella is a small fortified town, which until the 17th century provided a safe dwelling space for the island's inhabitants. Today, the Cittadella is one of Gozo's main tourist attractions, visited by around 500,000 people every year. But despite its popularity, centuries of neglect and decay have taken its toll on the site. Several attempts have been made to restore the fortification, but without a holistic approach, it has been difficult to carry out sustainable renovation works.
"When we heard about the EEA Grants, we saw the opportunity to finally create a multidisciplinary master plan, which would take into consideration all aspects of the site," said project coordinator John Cremona. With over €250,000 in grant support from Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, the plan is now under development. "This project is not just about conservation, it is also about sustainable management," added project architect Ivana Farrugia. "What we are now able to do is to create a long term policy framework, to cover issues ranging from geology, ecology, tourism, land use, and traffic management to economical sustainability," she continued.
With funding for the master plan safely in place, the site has now been granted further EU funds to begin the initial renovation works. "What we want for the Citadella is to make it a living site," said Cremona. "Tourists come there by default these days, but we want to transform it to an interactive experience, to allow people to feel the real spirit of this historical place," he concluded.