Project Description
The land front fortifications of Senglea are a series of defensive that once spanned the front of the peninsula from Galley’s Creek facing Vittoriosa to French Creek facing Corradino Heights. The first fortifications were built as a result of the Ottoman attack of 1551 with Fort Saint Michael commenced a year later. The majority of the fortifications were built over the next decade, and although a quasi-barren city, Grand Master Claude de la Sengle honoured it with the title of Citta la Sengle or Senglea as better known. Modifications continued until the 18th century, although large sections of the fortifications in French Creek were demolished between the 19th and 20th centuries.
The city’s main entrance is through St. Anne’s Gate which is protected by St. Michael Bastion with its casemated walls and large echaugette (gardjola). A demi-bastion and a counterguard that had originally linked St. Michael Bastion facing Corradino were demolished in the 19th century. The prominent clock tower that was added in 1906 served to tell the time to all the workers and ships at the Admiralty’s dockyard. St. Michael Cavalier was originally Fort Saint Michael, which was demolished in 1921, of which only a small part of its base has survived. In 1924, the government decided to build a school and another section of the fortifications and most of the forts were lost. Further damage was sustained from aerial bombardment in World War II can still be seen on the curtain wall and the Macina. By the time, the inclined road leading to the city was restructured and a large arch was opened by St. Anne’s Gate to facilitate traffic. In later years, a second arch was added to allow the free movement of traffic in and out of the city. St. Anne’s Gate then became for pedestrians only.
Following the post-war repairs and reconstruction, little changes were made to these walls, other to some refurbishment in the late 1970s.
In April 2020, the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation initiated works at Senglea to regenerate this part of the city. These works were undertaken mainly consisted in the restoration and embellishment of the existing walls that were in a precarious state and dangerous in some parts, the clock tower and the gardjola.
The project was split into two phases; the first phase included the restoration and embellishment of the gates into Senglea and the restoration of the clock tower. These works included the restoration of 4,500m2 of fortifications, and 2,000m² of the belvedere above, where stone masonry was cleaned from overgrown vegetation, stains, and biological growth while damaged stone features were repaired or replaced, depending on their condition. All restoration and replacement of timber and metal apertures were faithful to their original design.
The second phase was the regeneration of Piazza Giorgio Mitrovich, which from an overdue facelift was regenerated into an open space to be enjoyed by the locals and visitors to this historic city alike.
A brand new architectural lighting system will be installed to complement the existing lighting, street furniture, CCTV cameras and embellished with indigenous shrubs.
The project will be completed in December 2022 with an investment of €3.1M.
Is-swar ta’ l-faċċata tal-Isla
Is-swar tal-faċċata tal-Isla huma sensiela ta’ difensivi fortifikazzjoni li darba kienu mifruxa tul il-peniżola minn Galley’s Creek li jħares il-Birgu sa French Creek li jħares lejn Kordin. L-ewwel fortifikazzjonijiet inbnew bħala riżultat tal-attakk Ottoman tal-1551 u l-Forti San Mikiel imbeda sena wara. Il-maġġoranza tal-fortifikazzjonijiet inbnew matul l-għaxar snin ta’ wara, u għalkemm belt kważi għerja, il-Gran Mastru Claude de la Sengle onoraha bit-titlu ta’ Citta la Sengle jew Senglea bħala kif inhi magħrufa. Il-modifiki komplew sas-seklu 18, għalkemm sezzjonijiet kbar tal-fortifikazzjonijiet fi French Creek ġew imwaqqgħin bejn is-sekli 19 u 20.
Id-daħla prinċipali tal-Isla hija minn Bieb Sant’Anna li huwa protett mill-Bastjun ta’ San Mikiel bil-ħitan b-embarżuni u gardjola. I d-demi-bastjun u kontrogwardja li oriġinarjament kienu jgħaqdu s-Sur ta`San Mikiel ta` faċċata ta Kordin ġew imwaqqgħin fis-seklu 19. It-torri prominenti b’l-arloġġ li ġie miżjud fl-1906 u serva biex jingħad il-ħin lill-ħaddiema u l-vapuri kollha fit-tarzna tal-Ammiraljat. Il-Kavallier ta’ San Mikiel kien oriġinarjament il-Forti San Mikiel, li twaqqa’ fl-1921, u li minnu baqgħet biss parti żgħira mill-bażi tiegħu. Fl-1924, il-gvern iddeċieda li jibni skola u sezzjoni oħra tal-fortifikazzjonijiet u l-biċċa l-kbira tal-forti ntilfu. Aktar ħsarat inġarbu mil-bumbardament mill-ajru fit-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija u għadhom hemm traċċi jidru mas-swar u l-Maċina. Maż-żmien, it-triq inklinata li twassal għall-Isla ġiet ristrutturata u nfetħet arkata kbira ma ġemb il-Bieb Sant’Anna biex jiffaċilita t-traffiku. Fis-snin ta’ wara, ġiet miżjuda it-tieni arkata biex jippermetti l-moviment ħieles tat-traffiku ġewwa u barra l-belt. Il-Bieb ta` Sant’Anna mbagħad sar pedonali biss.
Wara t-tiswijiet u r-rikostruzzjoni ta’ wara l-gwerra, sar biss ftit tibdil f’dawn il-ħitan, minbarra xi xogħolijiet fl-aħħar tas-snin sebgħin. F’April 2020, il-Korporazzjoni għar-Riġenerazzjoni tal-Port il-Kbir (GHRC) bdiet xogħlijiet fl-Isla biex tiġi riġenerata din il-parti tal-belt. Dawn ix-xogħlijiet li saru kienu jikkonsistu l-aktar fir-restawr u t-tisbiħ tas-swar eżistenti li kienu fi stat prekarju u perikolużi f’xi partijiet.
Il-proġett inqasam f’żewġ fażijiet; l-ewwel fażi inkludiet ir-restawr u t-tisbiħ tad-dahliet ta l-Isla u r-restawr tat-torri tal-arloġġ u tal-gardjola. Dawn ix-xogħlijiet kienu jinkludu r-restawr ta’ 4,500m2 ta’ fortifikazzjonijiet, u 2,000m2 tal-belvedere ta` fuqhom, fejn il-hitan u strutturi tnadfu minn veġetazzjoni, tbajja, u tniġġiż bijoloġiku, filwaqt li ġew imħarsa l-karatteristiċi kull fejn saru tiswijiet jew bdil ta` l-ġebel orriġinali, skont il-kundizzjoni tagħhom. Ir-restawr u s-sostituzzjoni kollha tal-aperturi tal-injam u tal-metall kienu fidili għad-disinn oriġinali tagħhom.
It-tieni fażi kienet ir-riġenerazzjoni ta’ Piazza Giorgio Mitrovich, li minn xogħolijiet li saru snin ilu, qed tiġi riġenerata fi spazju miftuħ biex jitgawda kemm min-nies tal-lokal kif ukoll mill-viżitaturi ta’ din il-belt storika.
Ukoll bħala parti mil-proġett, ser tigi nstallata sistema ġdida ta’ dawl arkitettoniku biex tikkumplimenta d-dawl eżistenti, bankijiet u għamara oħra, kameras tas-CCTV u msebbħa b’arbuxxelli indiġeni. Il-proġett mahsub jitlesta f’Dicembru 2022, b’investiment ta’ €3.1M.
