The Maltese Islands are said to be the site of the world’s first freestanding stones, some 5 000 years old. A thriving visitor attraction south-west of the capital Valletta highlights the culture and heritage still to be seen in the nation’s various buildings, monuments and artefacts hewn from honey-coloured limestone.
- 16 January 2010
We found funds from the EU very helpful in improving our services and making the attraction better value for money. The Limestone Heritage, Park and Gardens can now give its clients a better and more professional experience.
The Limestone Heritage, Park and Gardens project helped to enhance the existing site and features, including a digital update to the audiovisual show for visitors from around the world. It has also brought valuable new jobs to a rural area where employment has experienced decline over recent years.
Gap in the market
The Limestone Heritage is a family-run ‘living exhibition’, opened in May 2002 by Manuel Baldacchino with the support of his wife, son and daughter. It lies on the outskirts of Siggiewi village, close to a number of the nation’s other top tourist attractions.
The museum/park came about from a desire to contribute to the preservation of Malta’s heritage, by offering an insight into the key role of limestone. It traces the origins of the stone some 20 million years ago when the Maltese archipelago came into being, as well as the development of stonemasonry, traditional architectural features, and some of the tools and crafts associated with them.
The many exhibits and amenities found on the site are designed to familiarise visitors with every aspect of limestone. After taking in the modern visitors’ centre, they can walk across an ancient fossilised seabed, admire the internal structure of a typical Maltese farmhouse, and learn from a master craftsman about the back-breaking craft of stonemasonry. Further attractions include a 200 BC Roman/Punic tomb, discovered only recently on-site, a 10-metre waterfall, and examples of the heavy machinery used in the stone industry. The park has also been extended with the opening of a citrus grove, with rows of fragrant lemon and orange trees, offering a safe haven for local animals.
Enhanced visitor experience
Supported by EU and Maltese co-funding between 2004 and 2006, the Limestone Heritage exhibition was enhanced in several ways. The walk-through pathway was given new stone ‘cantagura’ slabs and more fitted display cases were added. The visitor centre received a new multilingual audiovisual system with cinema-style seating, a digital projector and energy-efficient lighting. The show was also digitised to enhance its quality and the website made more attractive.
The project’s latest work has paid handsome dividends. In 2008, it welcomed some 58 000 visitors, many of them schoolchildren, and was ranked second in Malta’s Best Visitor Attractions. The site also hosts cultural events such as concerts and folk dancing, and won an environmental award for industry in 2005 and a national award in 2007 for ‘best tourist shop’.