It's our turn to eat cake

It is not right or just that our community always takes the flak but never the cake!

Among the hustle and bustle of Paceville there is a hidden masterpiece that few care to notice. Spinola Palace in St Julian’s was built in 1688. The building takes its name after Fra Paolo Rafel Spinola, who commissioned its construction.

Currently the palace is not only vacant and abandoned but in urgent need of maintenance. According to recent newspaper reports, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean has handed over its keys to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In view of the fact that the palazzo’s legacy is intertwined with St Julian’s heritage and is one of the few remaining local icons, the St Julian’s local council has lodged a formal request for the government to pass this property on to the community.

The unanimous decision is to convert this abandoned masterpiece into a one-stop community centre. Our proposal has featured in both the PN and PL parties’ manifestos of the last local council elections.

What does a ‘one-stop community centre' entail, one may ask?

Our proposal envisages not only that the local council offices would migrate to the palace to enable it to give a better service (the current offices are inadequate) but also to have a number of incorporated services.

Although St Julian’s is a mecca for tourists and entertainment, ironically there is no official tourist information centre from where visitors would not only be able to learn about Malta and its rich history but also to be made aware of the multitude of activities that take place throughout the year. Sadly, to fill this void, many unsightly booths have mushroomed instead, degenerating the area further.

Furthermore, if the palace is turned into a one-stop community centre it will host a small berġa (clinic). By the term berġa one is not foreseeing the setting up of a full-fledged polyclinic. On the contrary, a berġa is a typical small clinic to cater for the elderly who need monthly visits to check their blood pressure, diabetes and other medical attention. Currently, the locality’s berġa is hosted at St Julian’s police station premises. Sadly, it is quite common for our elderly to end up waiting outside the clinic in the same queue as those being called in by the police.

Many have expressed their uneasiness and discomfort. On the contrary, having a berġa at the palace will not only give our elderly a more dignified service but will encourage others to use such services.

Sadly, some emphasise that hosting the elderly will downgrade the palazzo’s status. Is our senior citizens’ welfare considered a social liability? Have we reached the stage where serving our residents is considered downgrading? Or are our elderly valued only as a political support base?

Our proposal also envisages the opening of a small public library. One possibility for users is to enjoy a good book in the palazzo’s front garden. I am sure the current restaurateur, situated within the palace’s compound, would be more than happy to welcome guests while they enjoy their book.

In my opinion, the library and the palace’s front garden would serve as an oasis in the midst of Paceville’s boisterous environment.

Another valid proposal is to turn the sala nobile into a community hall. Many a time, Paceville is associated with rowdy and unrestrained visitors. Welcoming local and international artists to exhibit their talents would be refreshing. Turning part of the palazzo into a cultural hub would be welcomed by many. Organising concerts in the sala nobile and in the surrounding palace grounds would surely be an added value to the locality. On the other hand, the community hall could serve as a community meeting point.

In our opinion, this is not a hotchpotch proposition but a well-planned holistic response to our community’s concerns.

It would be shameful if the building were to be turned into yet another ‘boutique’ hotel or club. It would also be a missed opportunity for the government to host some State entities’ offices. If this were the case, then this would be the ultimate offence to a community which is paying a hefty price for the country’s economic success and in accommodating the compulsive greed of some.

On a daily basis we have to put up with the irresponsibility of the many unrestrained visitors. Vandalism, graffiti and theft are on the increase. Parking and pavements are being taken up for outside catering venues. Our shoreline has become one whole private beach concession. Open spaces are limited, and with all the mega developments and proposed tunnels, our locality is turning into one mammoth construction site engulfed in noise, dust and cranes dotting our skyline. Even our core village is not being spared the rape!

Surely, we deserve much better.

So it stands to reason that solely on this point the government ought to return Palazzo Spinola back to the community. It is not right or just that our community always takes the flak but never the cake!

It’s our turn to eat cake!

(This article was published on The Sunday Times of Malta – 20 October, 2019)