Page 205 Anybody on the horizon? Changing the Static, Moving the unchangeable. by Camilla Massara ABSTRACT Does a site have an a-priori meaning given to it by history and the events connected to it, or does each one of us attach its own meaning to it? Certainly there are almost uncountable ways of perceiving a site and its value. This paper will try to illustrate the different usage of a geographically well defined site in Gozo, the Dwejra region, as well as the way it is presented to the tourist industry and the im- portance it holds at a more local level. Local people can often have a perception of their heritage and the way it relates to them that differs from the generally accepted views interpreting and presenting sites to the public and the tourist industry. This research intends to encourage the involvement of local communities living nearby heritage sites in order to promote awareness of the “living heritage approach” to site management. I will therefore address some different aspects of the site as a whole, starting from an overview of Dwejra Tower to examine wider social, cultural and economic issues. I hope this research will offer the opportunity to broaden the understanding of “modern traditions” in Dwejra and complement the information we already have of the site and its users. ARTICLE INFO Introduction The value of a place stems primarily from what people make of it, be it something related to the past, present or future, it will always be the result of the interaction between people and places and the influence that they have on each other. This relationship is of course itself Keywords the result of a dynamic development of both the place and the above-mentioned people. This is why it is not easy to Dwejra, Azure Window, Inland Sea, Gozo, Malta, Sense put a label on heritage and even more on what should be of Place, Heritage Management, Cultural Tourism, Local considered valuable about it. But what is a value? And Community. how do we estimate its variability? How does it relate to what actually is on the ground and to the resources avail- How to refer to this article able? What is it that makes a place distinctive and who is to decide what is to be kept and what can be changed? Massara C., Anybody on the horizon? Changing the Static, Economics and finance are essential factors for both con- Moving the unchangeable, 2008, Omertaa, Journal for serving and, unfortunately, valuing a site as well, but a OMERTAA 2008 Applied Anthropology, http://www.omertaa.org/archive/ cross-cutting section of the values of a place can depend JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY omertaa0027.pdf on much deeper cultural elements. Page 206 In order to be able to manage all these values it is imper- tion of the site rather than its economic exploitation. In my ative to take an anthropological approach, rather than research I tried to focus on three main areas: Dwejra Tower, an economic one, to develop and promote the local econ- the Azure Window and the Inland Sea, along with tourist re- omy by making the effort to encapsulate also who one sources and the use of recreational space. I hope this study is trying to manage and the importance of the territory will be inspirational for further initiatives and will open up as a whole, its significance as a place of cultural expres- a discourse for a bottom-up approach to heritage manage- sion, both tangible and intangible, belonging to both the ment and community involvement in the area. past and the present. It is this complex interaction be- tween people and their land, let alone the controversial Research issues of visitors in a foreign country, that this article is going to address. Dwejra Tower: History, Heritage and a “Sense of Place” As Gozo is one of the “contestants” to the status of Calyp- At Dwejra, on the Western Coast of Gozo island, peculiar so’s island, I would like to describe this research of mine geological events have created a landscape made of stun- as a personal Odyssey, a journey undertaken in the spirit ning rock formations and landscapes that are at the heart of exploration, of different lands and contexts, one that of the character of this place. Inscribed on the Tentative has indeed expanded my horizon. Trying to use my per- List to become a World Heritage Site in 1998, Qawra or sonal experiences and a bit of an improvised “compass”, Dwejra combines fascinating geology, both in its terres- it finally got me home, where I now start writing what I trial and maritime elements, as well as being a landmark have seen. of cultural importance to the history of the island as a whole. The seascape features under-water caves and sub- “Because every second of the search is a second’s encounter...” merged structures, that have formed overland centuries ago and later collapsed below sea level, and above ground (Paulo Coehlo) archaeological remains in the area span from the 3rd cen- tury BC to the 19th century AD (UNESCO, 2007). It is Methodology however the general wilderness of the place that particu- larly impresses onlookers. This research is the result of a three-week stay in Gozo (Malta) in August 2007. During this period I tried to come Built in 1652 during the time of the Grand Mastership of closer to different aspects of Maltese, or rather, Gozitan, cul- Jean Baptiste Lascaris de Castellar (1636-1657), the con- ture. To use a less controversial word, I tried to understand struction of Dwejra Tower (or Il-Qawra) was funded by their way of living and daily occurrences during a summer the University of Gozo, as part of a major project of cos- season in Gozo. My base was a village called Xlendi on the tal defences by the Knights of the Order of Saint John. It South-Western coast of Gozo, from which I was able to stands on a 13m sq at its base and is a two-storey building. travel around the island; I would like to thank the Gozitan The first floor was a guardroom leading up to a roof where people that I came across during my stay, as through them the gunpowder was stored. Its main purpose was to guard I was able to see different nuances of their life in Gozo. Re- Dwejra Bay from enemy attacks and impede unauthorized search results therefore derive primarily from my personal landing from intruders on Fungus Rock (or Il-Gebla tal- observations during visits to sites, as well as fortuitous en- General - the “General’s Rock”), today a natural reserve, counters, informal interviews with members of the local where one can find the endemic plant “fungus melitensis” community, with people involved in the tourist industry and (cynomorium coccineum), a parasitic flowering plant that with tourists themselves. While a comparative analysis of was thought to be a fungus with medicinal properties. At these results represents, I feel, an honest spectrum of the the time of its construction the Tower was armed with guns use Gozitans make of cultural and natural heritage in their and ammunition and it would have normally had a garri- ordinary lives, the information in this article should be in- son of three. It was never involved in major attacks, but terpreted as a personal experience and fieldwork. Due to the was occupied intermittently until recent times and became limits of time and space during my stay in Malta I engaged an observation post during World War II (Din l-Art Helwa, principally with the investigation of my case study and some 2007). It was not until 1997, however, that it was involved of the main “characters” involved with it. I therefore decided in a restoration project, to repair the heavily eroded stone OMERTAA 2008 to partly overlook purely economical factors at this stage, by wind and salt, as well as restoring internal parts, such JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANTHROPOLOGY as this research is primarily concerned on people’s percep- as the cistern, pipe-work and the well. The Tower dominates the landscape in an obvious yet dis- Page 207 The Tower was also part of a major European project funded by LIFE, initiated in April 2004 to create a Herit- tant way that makes it pass almost unnoticed. I cannot age Park.The main partners involved in this project were help wondering if this is the way it wished to be seen in the Nature Trust (Malta) as beneficiaries and responsible to past, not to be perceived by potential enemies, just like a the EU together with Malta Environment and Planning protecting genius loci, guardian of this place. Are today’s Authority (MEPA) and WWF Italy. The project aimed at tourists enemies then? Today’s threat to the spirit of this reversing the severe degradation process that had worn place? Funny enough tourism seems to be the second reli- away parts of the building during the past centuries and gion of this island, almost sacred to the economy of its peo- at promoting the management of the area, to develop en- ple. It is interesting to explore the way in which in history vironmental awareness and the establishment of a visitor this island has tactfully dealt with its colonizing nations or centre for the benefit of both the local community and the potential dominators in the past and how it now scans the tourist one. Stakeholders involved in the development of horizon to carry people to its shores. It is indeed the sea the project included the Ministry for Gozo, San Lawrenz itself that acts as a primary attraction to this sun-blessed Local Council, The Tourism Authorities of Gozo and Mal- Mediterranean island and is becoming its primary eco- ta, the Diving associations, locals employed in the boat- nomical resource.