Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1545873
6 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 17 JULY 2026 NEWS PN Gozo shadow minister Frank Anthony Tabone appointed to Gozo Affairs Committee NATIONALIST Party Gozo shadow minister Frank Antho- ny Tabone has been appointed as a member of Parliament's Permanent Committee for Gozo Affairs. Tabone announced the ap- pointment, thanking PN lead- er Alex Borg for nominating him to serve on the committee, which deals with policies, legis- lation and issues directly affect- ing Gozo. The committee examines matters linked to the island's economy, tourism sector, social affairs and infrastructure chal- lenges. "I welcome this responsibili- ty with humility and a sense of duty," Tabone said, adding that he would carry out the role with "dedication, energy and full commitment" in the interest of Gozo and Gozitans. The PN MP said the commit- tee has an important role in dis- cussing and analysing decisions affecting the island's future. Tabone currently serves as the Nationalist Party's spokesper- son for Gozo affairs. PN MP says the committee has an important role in discussing and analysing decisions affecting the island's future Europa Nostra says Fort Chambray is of 'outstanding European significance' THE British Barracks at Fort Chambray in Gozo should be recognised as a site of excep- tional European architectural, cultural and historical impor- tance, according to a new as- sessment by heritage organisa- tion Europa Nostra. The report argues that the barracks are not merely a for- mer military installation, but a rare surviving example of the wider transformation of Europe and the Mediterranean during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, when imperial pow- ers expanded military infra- structure and modernised their armed forces. Europa Nostra said the bar- racks possess "outstanding Eu- ropean architectural, cultural and historical significance" be- cause of their authentic state of preservation, their role within Fort Chambray's military lay- out, and their links to major historical developments includ- ing British imperial expansion, military reform and wartime medicine. The organisation said the site reflects Malta's transformation into a strategic "imperial for- tress" following the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, when the Mediterranean became a key route for British communi- cations with India and the wid- er empire. Fort Chambray, originally built by the Knights of St John in the 18th century, was later adapted under British rule as part of a wider network of mili- tary infrastructure across Malta and Gozo. According to the report, the barracks formed part of the modernisation programme linked to the UK Barracks Act of 1890, which introduced re- forms aimed at improving mili- tary accommodation, sanitation and welfare following concerns over poor conditions faced by soldiers during earlier conflicts. The report states that the bar- racks were already included in British Admiralty plans by 1895 and were in existence by 1903/04, placing them along- side other major military de- velopments in Malta, including Mtarfa and Pembroke. Europa Nostra highlighted the buildings' architectural value, describing them as an example of Anglo-Maltese colonial ar- chitecture that combined Brit- ish military planning with local limestone construction tech- niques. The organisation said the bar- racks also carry historical sig- nificance because of their role in military healthcare. During the First World War, Malta be- came known as the "Nurse of the Mediterranean", treating thou- sands of wounded soldiers from campaigns including Gallipoli and the Macedonian front, with Fort Chambray forming part of this wider medical network. The site later served a civil- ian medical role. From 1937 to 1956, the barracks operated as the Sacred Heart Hospital, a specialised isolation facility for patients with leprosy, reflecting changing approaches to public health and infectious disease management. Europa Nostra said the mul- tiple layers of history attached to Fort Chambray — from Eu- ropean military strategy and imperial expansion to health- care and social history — make it unique when compared with other Mediterranean strategic sites. The report warned that any redevelopment which com- promises the authenticity and integrity of the barracks would risk the loss of a site for which there is "no equivalent survi- vor" capable of representing the same historical processes. It called for the British Bar- racks and their surrounding setting to receive international recognition, including possible designation through the Euro- pean Heritage Label, and for the Maltese government to protect the site as a monument of ex- ceptional significance. The organisation said Fort Chambray represents the in- tersection of military moderni- sation, colonial administration, architectural exchange, med- icine and Mediterranean geo- politics, illustrating how even smaller territories such as Gozo became connected to the wider systems that shaped Europe be- fore the First World War. Fort Chambray PN Gozo shadow minister Frank Anthony