Mdina gets €1 million LED lighting upgrade

Project costs to be covered using funds from golden passport scheme

A €1 million LED lighting project for Mdina using citizenship fund money has been announced by the National Development and Social Fund.

The project, which is part of a €3 million investment to embellish key buildings and landmarks in Malta, will be led by Infrastructure Malta, minister Ian Borg and citizenship parliamentary secretary Alex Muscat announced.

Mdina was Malta's first capital city and is the second most visited city by tourists in Malta. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In the first phase of the project, exterior lighting will be installed around main buildings in Mdina that are currently unlit or poorly lit. These include the Mdina Cathedral, the Carmelite Church, the city’s main gate, the gate of the Greeks and Vilhena Palace.

The project's second phase will see lighting in the actual city being changed, to enhance Mdina and its architectural beauty. 

In the third phase, the lighting around the fortifications and Howard Garden will be replaced.

Borg said that the government was committed to ensuring that Maltese sites remained a centre of attraction at both European and international levels. Muscat added that the investment will improve Mdina’s aesthetic value as well as the social and historical values of the city.

The project, he said, would not have been possible without residency and citizenship funds deposited with the NSDF.

The NSDF gathers a portion of fees paid by applicants seeking to purchase Maltese citizenship or long-term residence.