The Medieval Chapel of Santa Ċeċilja, the only chapel of its style in Gozo, collapsed after years of neglect in spite of various appeals by citizens, voluntary organisations and media clamour over the past few years to the Gozo Ministry to take action and restore it.
The chapel was one of the best preserved chapels of its style, which once dotted the local landscape.
“Minister for Gozo Giovanna Debono remained silent, ‘studying things’ and did not take any action with the result that now the only medieval chapel left in Gozo has now caved in,” Alternattiva Demokratika (AD) secretary general Victor Galea said in a statement issued yesterday soon after news of the collapse came out.
Wirt Għawdex, the non-governmental organisation working to safeguard the sister island’s heritage headed by Magistrate Paul Coppini, has been pleading with the Government to protect the Chapel for more than eleven years now.
Galea said it was useless that the Gozo Ministry and the Tourism Ministry are expecting the niche of tourists that visit our country precisely because of its historical heritage to grow while at the same time they are witnessing this destruction.
“If none of the ministries would like to spend €23,000 to safeguard this monument, then similar sites should be transferred to voluntary organisations.
“Moreover, the process to get historical heritage under the protection of the state should be quickened, in spite of the fact that the minister might be afraid of losing a vote or two,” the AD secretary-general, who is also the party’s spokesperson for Gozo, insisted.
He also accused the Labour Opposition of remaining silent in Parliament about cases of national importance like these.
Although the chapel was somewhat dilapidated, the outer wall still retained evidence of sea vessel graffiti. The first records of this chapel date back to 1615, at which point the only decoration within the chapel itself was a crucifix.
It was restored in 1630 but was desecrated shortly after, in 1644. A wide circular band hewn into the rock in the floor of the chapel suggests that at some point after this date the chapel was reutilised as an agricultural store and for wheat grinding.