The restoration of Gozo’s Citadel has been shortlisted as one of 21 EU-funded projects that are in the running for the RegioStars Awards 2018 - a yearly competition that selects the best Cohesion Policy projects in five different categories and consists of a jury and public vote. The rehabilitation of the 15th century fort was one of 102 applications submitted this year, and it has now been selected as one of just five to compete in category 5: investing in cultural heritage! 

The work on Gozo's Citadel was completed in 2016 and included the restoration of facades, the ditch and pathways as well as the opening of a visitor's centre and the installation of an energy efficient lighting system inside and outside. You can vote for the project by clicking here – and you have until midnight on October 7th to do so!

The project that garners the most votes receives the Public Choice Award. Last year, a total of over 11,000 votes, from all over Europe were cast, and the award went to an EU-funded project in Spain aiming to support female victims of gender-based abuse and provide them with training. 

The RegioStars Awards is a yearly competition which seeks to identify good practices and recognise innovation in EU Cohesion Policy projects. Apart from the public vote, an expert jury will determine which project will receive the best in class, as per the following categories: achieving industrial transition; promoting a low carbon lifestyle; making public services better and more accessible; dealing with migration in the long term; and preserving the EU's cultural heritage. This year, the winners will be announced on 9th October.

The other projects in category 5 include Nant Gwrtheyrn, an abandoned quarry village in Wales which has been renovated as a centre to promote Welsh culture and language; a multi-media project on the border of Poland and Slovakia called Raised Bogs; the restoration of Vista Alegre Heritage Museum in Portugal, which is currently placing first in the public vote; and the Iron-Age-Danube project, a partnership of five nations aiming to highlight the centrality of the Iron Age in the history and archaeology of Europe. 

For more information, click here.