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Vigilo - Din l-Art Ħelwa Issue 55 • MAY 2021
People Joe Degiorgio I am one of the volunteers at Mamo Tower, or Torri Mamo, in Marsascala. As volunteers at a historical site our work permits the site to be accessible to the public. We also keep the site clean and help with identifying areas that may need attention, such as maintenance or repairs. I always had a passion for our local history. A few years ago, while scrolling through a social media app, I saw a call for volunteers and decided to do something about it. By joining as a volunteer, I am now doing something tangible and contributing part of my time towards the safeguarding of our heritage. For me, the best part of this experience is the opportunity to meet other people and share with them the beauty of our immense history. As a member of another voluntary organisation active in the research and representation of our history, the Compagnia San Michele, I often strive to merge the historical site with historical representation, thus giving additional context to the site itself. This also contributes to keeping alive the collective memory of the nation.
Martin Vella I am the curator at the Wignacourt Tower in St Paul’s Bay. In 2001, I met Stanley Farrugia Randon who encouraged me to join Din l-Art Ħelwa as a volunteer. Between 2016 and 2019 I was the site manager during the restoration works at the Torri l-Abjad site in Mellieha. What I enjoy most about my role at Din l-Art Ħelwa, is welcoming visitors at the Wignacourt Tower and explaining its historical background to them. I also enjoy doing general maintenance and keeping the other volunteers involved in the daily running of the site. Presently, we are considering ways in which to revive the Wignacourt Tower once again once the present social restrictions due to the pandemic are lifted. Who knows what the future has in store.
