The project to restore the Crucifix Hill bastions in Floriana is well underway, with more than 4,500 square metres of the bastions having been restored so far.
These bastions, which can be found around 800m away from the ones in Valletta, were designed by military engineer Pietro Paolo Floriani in 1635, during the reign of Grand Master Antoine de Paule (1622–1636), in order to protect Valletta from the ever-increasing range of artillery attacks.
The section of the bastions overlooking the Grand Harbour and the cruise liner terminal was in particularly bad shape. The stone had deteriorated; pieces had started to fall off, and the rock was also fractured.
The works carried out included changing and consolidating weathered and deteriorated stones, and carrying out interventions to strengthen the rock. A lot of work was done on third-party properties, so special precautions were taken to ensure that no damage was done.
Works are being carried out by Irrecs Ltd, under the supervision of the Restoration Directorate within the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government. It is estimated that the total works will amount to around €600,000.
