An eventful weekend as Heritage Malta marks the European Heritage Days

Heritage Malta will be marking this year’s edition of the European Heritage Days with three intriguing events. An opportunity to celebrate the shared cultural heritage of the many different towns, regions and people in Europe, the European Heritage Days this year bear the theme Sustainable Heritage.

Heritage Malta’s first event will take place on Friday 7th October. Jonathan Borg, Head of the Heritage Planning Consultations and Restoration Monitoring Unit within the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, will be delivering a public lecture focusing on the Domvs Romana museum, its set-up, and Antonio Annetto Caruana’s efforts to bring in artefacts for preservation in the closing decades of the 19th century. This free lecture will be held at St Paul’s Catacombs in Rabat. Tickets are available at all Heritage Malta museums and sites, or online on www.heritagemalta.org/store.

On Saturday 8th October there will be three curatorial tours at Gozo’s Museum of Archaeology. Entitled Let the Objects Speak: Revealing Gozo and its inhabitants under Carthaginian and Roman occupation, the tours will start at 10:00am (in Maltese), 12:00pm (in English) and 3:00pm (in Maltese). Pre-booking is essential and tickets, at normal admission rates, are available at all Heritage Malta museums and sites or online on www.heritagemalta.org/store.

Also on the 8th of October, Heritage Malta will be opening the archaeological site of San Pawl Milqi, usually kept closed to the public. From 10:00am till 3:00pm, adults and children will have the opportunity to join archaeologists at work and help out with digging and bagging. Afterwards, from 3:00 till 4:30pm, there will be the pre-booked event Cibvs: Roman Food Experience, during which a curator will give a lecture about the food that Romans consumed and attendees will later be able to sample some typical Roman fare.

Tickets for general admission at San Pawl Milqi cost €3 for adults, seniors and students and will only be available at the door. Children up to 11 years old and Heritage Malta members will be admitted free of charge. Tickets for the Roman food experience cost €25 and are available at any Heritage Malta museum or site or online on www.heritagemalta.org/store.

San Pawl Milqi is a bee-keeping site. Attendees should refrain from wearing perfume, scented shower products and excessive sunblock. Attendees are also requested to keep away from the bee-keeping area and not to swat the bees.

During the same weekend, on the occasion of Birgufest, the Inquisitor’s Palace and Fort St Angelo will be offering extended opening hours on Saturday 8th October and a combo ticket for both sites at only €3 will be available on Saturday and Sunday. The Inquisitor’s Palace currently houses the additional attraction of the Dumnikani fil-Palazz exhibition, while at Fort St Angelo there will be the fascinating Dark Tales event on the 7th October as well as a spectacular Fjakkolata on the 8th. More information about Heritage Malta’s events during Birgufest may be accessed at www.heritagemalta.org/whats-on.