€10 million Grand Master’s Palace restoration project inaugurated

A restoration project on the Grand Master’s Palace costing a total of €10 million was inaugurated yesterday.

Culture and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici said that the majority of the funds, 80%, will be used for this initiative are European funds for culture which are obtained in a competitive manner.

Above others, the works will focus on the restoration of the façade, and the improvement of the armoury which Bonnici said will “give it back its glory of many years ago”.

An open day to view restoration works which have been undertaken so far, and to also observe “the works that need to be done” will be organised this coming Sunday 6 May from 9am.

Praising the funds, Parliamentary Secretary Aaron Farrugia said that the whole of the cultural funds received have gone towards other restorative initiatives, such as the restoration of Fort St Elmo.

“If the funds weren’t there, our dreams wouldn’t happen,“he said.

Farrugia informed that next week a cultural heritage project together with local NGOs will be announced.

Speaking at the event, Parliamentary Secretary for Valletta 2018 Deo Debattista called the work an “asset to Valletta”, especially since it “coincides with the year when Valletta is the cultural capital of Europe.”

The palace, which Debattista hailed a “national treasure,” was commissioned in 1569 by Girolamo Cassar.