GozoNews.Com

The Citadel clock bells in Gozo, which have been chiming the time in their present location since 1858, are silent for a short while whilst undergoing restoration.

The work has been commissioned by the Ministry for Gozo as part of the ongoing restoration of the Citadel.

According to a detailed research exercise undertaken recently, the oldest of the two bells is the quarter strike bell which is attributed to the early 18th century founders Luca and Mederico Menville of the Ferreria of the Order of St John. Probably, this bell previously hung in the old clock tower in the Cathedral Square.

The hour strike bell bears the date 1819 and is attributed to the Sicilian bell-founder Ferdinando Leotta who worked alongside with his brother Sebastiano in Għajn Dwieli after the Ferreria of the Order was closed down when the French expelled the Order from Malta.

Restoration work on these bells will be carried out by campanologist Kenneth Cauchi who has carried out similar works on most of the historic bells in Malta including those at the Mdina Cathedral, St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta and the Gozo Cathedral within the Citadel precincts.

A third bell of smaller dimensions, previously belonging to the Order’s Hospital in Victoria and recently removed from Gozo General Hospital will also undergo the necessary restoration. It is a product of the Ferreria as well and probably dates to the late 1600’s.

Whilst the bells are undergoing restoration, urgent maintenance work will be carried out on the roof structure of the clock turret, time movement and chiming mechanism by employees of the Department of Projects and Development of the Ministry for Gozo.