One of Gozo’s last artillery military batteries will soon be restored into a visitor attraction.

Located between the bays of Qbajjar and Xwejni, Qolla l-Bajda Battery was built by the Order of St John in the early 1700s to defend Gozo from  pirate attacks. It is the only part of a chain of fortifications which survived till this day.

The battery was abandoned by the British in the 19th century, but they later used it as an observation post during World War II.

In the 1970s, it was converted into a a discothèque and snack bar known as Rook, but it was abandoned in the early 2000s and has remained in a dilapidated state ever since.

However, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has now signed a Guardianship Deed with Din l-Art Ħelwa, entrusting the heritage NGO with restoring the battery and converting it into a visitor attraction.

Din l-Art Ħelwa Executive President Patrick Calleja described Guardianship as "a landmark day for Gozo's heritage.”

"The Qolla l-Bajda Battery is a site of extraordinary historical value, and we will now begin the detailed planning and restoration work, ensuring that the battery is not only saved from neglect but opened to all as a living monument to our island's history," he said.