Next Wednesday will see the launch of the refurbishment that has improved the appearance of Xagħra Square and the main street leading to it. The people who live in Xaghra and those who have a business in the surrounding area have been patient as the work created problems in their daily life. However, now the that work is nearing completion they can feel proud of the way the square has been revamped and improved in appearance.
Much work was carried out not only on the square itself, but also to the parvis and the main street, 8th September Avenue. In fact the project was a holistic one and as some new discoveries were made, this meant going back to the drawing board. The main aim of this project was to improve the infrastructure in the centre of this popular town, Xagħra – one of the busiest on the island since it has eight restaurants, two banks, one petrol station and a parochial office. Xagħra charms many tourists not only because it has a significant amount of attractions – Ggantija, Calypso’s Cave, Ninu’s Grotto with its stalagmites and stalactites, and Kola’s windmill. It is surrounded by breath-aking views, leads to the most popular beach, Ramla Bay and is quite a lively square at all times of the day and night. Therefore, one of the aims of this embellishment project was to improve the touristic product in this town, but first and foremost to give a more beautiful square to the people of Xagħra.
The main street, 8th September Avenue, leading to the town square, was reconstructed and included changing the place of W&E services. The square itself was laid with Porfido tiles and finished off with terracotta coloured asphalt to complement the surroundings of the square itself. Furthermore, the façades of the buildings in the square became more prominent and evident since the cables marring their full appearance were removed and relocated in a new culvert built specifically for them.
For some time, the church parvis had been in dire need of restoration. First the old electricity system was removed. The two statues at the entrance to the parvis were also removed and sent for restoration as nature had taken its toll on them. Then the cement tiles that covered the parvis had to be removed and also the debris found underneath it. Instead a solid concrete base was placed, which was then covered up with waterproofing membrane to mitigate against the problem of humidity. Then travertine pavers were laid on the parvis using two different colours to create a carpeting effect across the parvis, from the front steps leading to the front door of the church. Similarly, the cement-based stairs leading from the square to the church parvis now have travertine tiles. The cement balustrades and framework of the pillars surrounding the squares were also removed. These had deteriorated and were replaced by fresh work hewn out of local stone. The older versions of the balustrades once had lines etched into them but had been removed over the years. It was decided to have them in the new balustrades and now replicate the older versions in all their intricate beauty. The wall of the parvis was rid of its old cement and replaced with new plastering. When the work was completed, the restored statues were put back in their new splendid surroundings. The Ministry for Gozo, through its Eco-Gozo vote, paid for the material required for the restoration of the parvis.
As work progressed, a number of entrances leading to World War II shelters were discovered. These entrances were integrated into the design of the square, which will be open to the public in the future. This will be another tourist attraction and also serve as a more recent historical memorial.
All this work has been done to ameliorate the appearance of one of the loveliest and busiest squares we have on the island. Busiest not only because of the economic activity it generates on a daily basis but also because it is the square with the second largest number of activities in all of the Maltese Islands. The whole project, including the parvis, but excluding the contribution by the Xaghra Local Council, amounted to €826,820.
The Ministry for Gozo is engaged in several other projects involved in building up the assets of the island and focusing on its infrastructural needs. These include St Francis Square in Victoria and Għajnsielem Square. Attention is also being given to streets in Victoria and other localities such as Sannat and Nadur, long abandoned to the forces of nature and man. These will be discussed on another day.
The Ministry, once more, thanks the residents of Xagħra for their patience due to the time it took to accomplish this changeover in their hometown. We are happy to have finished the work in time for the celebration of the feast of Marija Bambina.
Dr Refalo is Minister for Gozo