Project Description
Lower Valletta
The Lower part of Valletta basically extends from the Due Balli area near Fort St. Elmo up to St. Mark Street on the Marsamxett Harbour side of the city. It is an area situated behind a line of fortification constructed in the 1570s by the Order of St John on the design of military engineer Francesco Lapparrelli, as part of the defensive lines that encase the city.
In 2018, the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation was entrusted with a €25 million European Funded regeneration project. This holistic project had to include various objectives from the cultural, social and economical aspects of this particular area.
Bastions
The Marsamxett side of Valletta’s fortifications consists of German Curtain, St. Sebastian Curtain, English Curtain and French Curtain. During World War II, many deep anti-air raid shelters were excavated in the live rock at the base of these walls, in which people sought refuge during the constant bombings. 12.5 square kilometres of fortifications were in dire need of restoration, which works also included the restoration of Jews’ Sally Port. Other than the restoration of these walls, the works include the replacement of all existing pavements and creating around 21M2 of pedestrian walkways, the replanting of Olive trees, Judas trees and Tamarisk trees and a new irrigation system.
Restoration projects were carried out on :
- Pilar Church,
- the Auberge de Bavière,
- the House of Catalunya,
- Auberge d’Aragon,
- the Carmelite priory
- the Carmelite Basilica dome
Social Housing projects
A number of old or dilapidated blocks along Fountain Street and St. Joseph Street were demolished in the late 1970s and rebuilt in the 80s. They were connected to French Curtain by a number of stone bridges which in time became deteriorated and an aesthetic eyesore. They were replaced by modern metal and timber bridges and which enhance the historical aspect of the area.
The residential area known as Fuq il-Blata which overlooks Sliema across the harbour consisted of dwellings with irregular or damaged timber or metal balconies. Below are a number of garages originally built as workshops. The entire façade of this area was restored, all timber balconies replaced or restored and painted in an attractive colour sequence and the 600M2 of terrace over the garages was repaved. Later, the entire garages had their façade restored and new doors installed.
As part of a better living scheme, 10 residences were rehabilitated for better living in Carmelite Street and 22 others in other sections of this area, 20 of which also had lifts installed.
(Insert Photos)
A major project on this aspect was the one involving a dilapidated old building at West Street corner to St.Christopher street. The façade was completely restored while the inside was totally rebuilt in order to provide housing units for independent living elderly people, complemented with all accessible features.
The housing blocks surrounding Mattia Preti square, housing some 160 apartments are currently having their facades and common parts upgraded and new windows and balconies being installed using energy saving materials, as well as lifts and other services.
As part of this work, 1600M2 will also be pedestrianized, including the upgrading of all underground services, new paving and street embellishments. Marsamxett Landing sees the crossing from Sliema to Valletta by ferry of many tourists and locals alike. As part of the Marsamxett Regeneration Project, in the coming months works will commence to give this area newly regenerated shoreline services also with a vertical access facility for the use of those coming in by sea from other parts of Marsamxetto Port or other parts of the island.
Ir-Riġenerazzjni tal-parti t’isfel tal-Belt u ta` Marsamxett.
In-naħa t’isfel tal-Belt fil-Port ta’ Marsamxett bażikament testendi miż-żona ta’ Due Balli ħdejn il-Forti Sant’Iermu sa Triq San Mark. Hija żona li tinsab wara l-linj ta’ fortifikazzjoni mibnija fis-sittax il-seklu mill-Ordni ta’ San Ġwann fuq id-disinn tal-inġinier militari Francesco Lapparrelli, bħala parti mil-linji difensivi li jdawru l-belt.
Fl-2018, il-Korporazzjoni għar-Riġenerazzjoni tal-Port il-Kbir ġiet fdata bi proġett ta’ riġenerazzjoni ta’ €25 miljun ffinanzjat mill-Unioni Ewropa. Dan il-progett holistiku kellu jinkludi progetti li jtejjbu u jirrigeneraw l-aspetti kulturali, socjali u ekonomici f’din il-parti tal-belt Valletta.
Fortifikazzjonijiet
Il-fortifikazzjonijiet tal-Belt fin-naħa ta’ Marsamxett jikkonsistu mis-Sur tal-Ġermanja, is-Sur ta’ San Sebastjan, is-Sur tal-Ingliżi u s-Sur Franċiża. Matul it-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija, ħafna xelters profondi kontra l-ħbit mil-ajru ġew skavati fil-blat fil-bażi ta ‘dawn is-swar, li fihom in-nies fittxew kenn waqt il-bumbardamenti kostanti. 12.5 kilometri kwadri ta’ fortifikazzjonijiet kellhom bżonn ta’ restawr estensiv, liema xogħol kien jinkludi wkoll ir-restawr tal-d-daħla tal-Fossa. Minbarra r-restawr ta’ dawn il-ħitan, ix-xogħlijiet inkludew it-tibdil tal-bankini kollha eżistenti u l-ħolqien ta’ xi 21 metru kubu ta’ bankini u passaġġi pedonali, it-tħawwil mill-ġdid ta’ siġar taż-Żebbuġ, siġar tal-Ġuda u siġar tat-Tamarisk u sistema ġdida ta’ tisqija.
Proġetti ta’ Restawar
Numru ta’ bini storiku u ta mportanza ġew restawrati bħala parti minn dan il-proġett. Dawn jinkludu:
- Il-Knisja tal-Pilar
- Il-Berġa tal-Baviera
- Il-Berġa t’Aragona
- Il-Berġa ta Catallunya
- Il-faċċata tal-kunvent tal-Karmelitani
- Il-koppla tal-Bażilika tal-Madonna tal-Karmnu
Proġetti Soċjali
Għadd ta’ blokki residenzjali, qodma jew dilapidati tul Triq il-Funtana u Triq San Ġużepp ġew imwaqqgħin lejn l-aħħar tas-snin sebgħin u nbnew mill-ġdid fis-snin 80. Huma għandhon aċċess mis-Sur tal-Franċiżi permezz ta’ numru ta’ pontijiet tal-ġebel li maż-żmien saru ddeterjorati u astetikament koroħ. Dawn ġew sostitwiti minn pontijiet moderni tal-metall u tal-injam u li jtejbu u jaqblu mal-aspett storiku taż-żona.
Iż-żona residenzjali magħrufa bħala Fuq il-Blata li tħares lejn Tas-Sliema, tikkonsisti f’residenzi b’gallariji tal-injam jew tal-metall irregolari jew bil-ħsara. Taħthom hemm numru ta’ garaxxijiet li oriġinarjament inbnew bħala mħazen. Ġiet irrestawrata l-faċċata kollha ta’ din iż-żona, il-gallariji kollha tal-injam ġew mibdula jew restawrati u miżbugħin f’sekwenza ta’ kuluri attraenti u li tpaxxi, 600metru kubu ta’ terrazzin fuq il-garaxxijiet giet ippavimentata mill-ġdi. Aktar tard, il-garaxxijiet kollha kellhom il-faċċata tagħhom restawrata u bibien ġodda installati.
Bħala parti mill-iskema ta’ għajxien aħjar, erba’ binjiet li kienu fi stat ta delapidazzjoni fi Triq tal-Karmnu ġew riabilitati u minnhom inhargu 10 units residenzjali li huma kumplimentati wkoll mill-istallazzjoni ta lift biex kienu accessibbli ghal kulhadd.
Proġett maġġuri iehor kien dak li twettaq fuq binja antika li tinsab fi Triq il-Punent kantuniera ma Tris San Kristoforu. Hawnhekk binja antika li kienet diga bdiet taqa, rat xoghol estensiv ta restawr fuq il-faccata u l-aperturi kollha, filwaqt li l-binja minn gewwa giet kompletament mibnija mill-gdid. B’hekk inholqu mat-22 unit residenzjali iehor mahsuba ghal uzu ta anzjani li kapaci jghixu b’mod indipendenti. Dawn ukoll kienu kumplimentati b’facilitajiet li jigarantixxu accessibbilta’ lil kullhadd.
Il-Blokki ta’ housing li hemm mad dawra ta Pjazza Mattia Preti u li b’kollox jammontaw ghal madwar 160 appartament qed ikollhom il-faċċati u l-partijiet komuni tagħhom imtejba u twieqi u qed jiġu nstallati gallariji ġodda bl-użu ta’ materjali li jiffrankaw l-enerġija, kif ukoll liftijiet u servizzi oħra.
Bħala parti minn dan ix-xogħol, 1600metru kubu se jkunu wkoll pedonali; inkluż it-titjib tas-servizzi kollha taħt l-art, pavimentar ġdid u tisbiħ ieħor.
Biex jinżamm l-aspett storiku u kulturali, 14-il statwa reliġjuża u niċeċ tal-injam ġew mgħotija t-tisbieħ li darba kellhom, il-biċċa l-kbira tan-niċeċ u anke l-istatwi kienu jeħtieġu xogħlijiet estensivi ta’ restawr.
——
Il-moll ta` Marsamxett jara l-qsim bil-lanċa minn Tas-Sliema għall-Belt ta’ ħafna turisti u nies u Maltin ukol. Bħalissa, jeżisti servizz ta’ l-karozza biex jitilgħu l-Belt, iżda ingħata bidu għal x-xogħlijiet preliminari fuq konnessjoni vertikali ġdida fil-Bastjun ta’ San Salvatore. Biex tiġi konkluża din ir-riġenerazzjoni fil-Belt Valletta, ġew ippjanati proġetti oħra li dalwaqt jibdew, fosthom ir-rigenerazzjoni tax-xatt tul il-bahar that is-swar ta Marsamxett.
