Fondazzjoni belt Victoria was set up in 1998 wit hthe aim to develop and administer Il-Ħaġar | Heart of Gozo Museum and Cultural Centre in Victoria (Rabat), Gozo, and to be a leading promoter of culture, the arts and education within the community.

Il-Ħaġar recounts the history of this island through its people: their beliefs, their abilities and their artefacts.
Il-Ħaġar is the result of a major crowdfunding effort by the people of Victoria and numerous persons and corporate entities that contributed towards its realisation. It was also the recipient of significant financing through the European Regional Development Fund; Cohesion Policy 2007-2013 (Operational Programme 1: Investing in Competitiveness for a Better Quality of Life. The Museum and Cultural Centre was opened officially in 2013. It houses the significant artistic and historic patrimony of St George’s Parish Basilica, with which it is very closely associated, and donations and bequests it has received since the constitution of the Foundation. Among these, one finds various liturgical objects, historical items and documents, and the unique donation by Prof. Joseph Vella (1942-2018) consisting of his entire ouvre spanning over 60 years: original classified works (156 compositions). The Joseph Vella Music Archive also includes the relevant sketches, CDs, memorabilia and critical historical material.

Apart from the permanent collection, the Centre also includes a temporary exhibition space, a number of Audio-visual rooms, a Rooftop terrace bar providing spectacular views of St George’s Basilica, the Castello with the skyline of Victoria, and the rural landscape of Gozo. Run and operated entirely by volunteers, the Centre is open seven days a week from 0900h to 1700h and is very active in the cultural and artistic scene of the island. The management of the centre is run by a wide spectrum of volunteers ranging from students to retirees, hailing from different backgrounds, including the business community, academia, the financial sector, education, science, technology, and others.

The Centre is very active, organising events of its own, such as landmark exhibitions, public lectures, educational (particularly children’s) activities. It also launched the series ‘The Joseph Vella Memorial Lecture’ after the benefactor’s passing. This is a yearly lecture given in his honour every February. The Centre hosts temporary exhibitions by third parties, private events and community initatitives. Il-Ħaġar also boasts a good number of publications, among which a recently-launched series named ‘Il-Ħaġar Gems’, of which this publication is the ninth one. Il-Ħaġar is fully accessible for persons with limited mobility, and is looking forward to expanding its experience to persons with different needs. All contributions – including expertise – in this regard are most welcome.
Il-Ħaġar also strives to bear witness to the Christian heritage of the people of Gozo and to propose the Christian way of life as a viable proposition in today’s world.

The Foundation board operates on a voluntary basis. Il-Hagar|Heart of Gozo Museum and Cultural Centre, is also run by volunteers, with a select group of members forming an administrative committee, and a technical committee (also on a voluntary basis), who manage the operations of the museum and its assets. The administrative committee is composed of 8 members, who are themselves professionals in various fields from both the private and the public sector, and having an extensive experience in the management of EU funded projects and initiatives. The same applies to the technical team, who are responsible for the technological aspects of the museum. In addition, another group of volunteers form a roster operating the museum during its opening hours, managing the premises, providing information and tours to the visitors and attending to all needs that arise. These volunteers are regularly trained by professional historians and tour guides about the collection and exhibitions, in order for them to be able to provide the best service possible to visitors.

Il-Hagar|Heart of Gozo, organises a wide range of events to the benefit of the community. Apart from its permanent collection and reserve collection, the museum organises several events of general interest, such as temporary exhibitions, concerts, children’s events and public lectures. A series of publications entitled ‘Il-Hagar Gems’ is also issued periodically, documenting the major exhibitions which are held at the museum. The museum has also embarked on a project, which is still in its initial stages, of capturing Gozo’s oral history. Members of the museum, bring with them a wealth of experience gained in other institutions, both professionally and voluntarily. This ensures that the management team has a wealth of competencies, and the good implementation of the projects organised by the museum.

Earlier than the last 3 years, the foundation successfully implemented an ERDF project which reulted in the development and opening of the Museum and Cultural Centre which it operates, through a financing of € 850,000 from the European Union. Further information is available at https://investinginyourfuture.gov.mt/project/heritage-and-tourism/the-making-of-a-people-a-cultural-and-historical-eco-museum-33947690.
In their professional activity, members of the Foundation and of the Museum administration are very much involved in a large number of EU funding projects and initiatves running into tens of millions of Euro.