The 18th century altar that used to stand at St George’s Basilica in Victoria up to 1960, is currently undergoing restoration by AC Restauri srl of Naples. This artistic opus, made in precious marble by the Durante family, “used to be considered as the most beautiful altar on the island of Gozo,” the Parish said. It was substituted by the current basilica altar and canopy between 1960 and 1967.
The restoration project is being funded as part of a special scheme for NGOs by eco-Gozo, which is working for an ecological re-assessment of the island of Gozo, within the Ministry for Gozo. Moreover, this project is being carried out within an ambitious creation of a museum funded by ERDF to the tune of €1 million. This museum project, is being created by the Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria and is well advanced in its construction in Victoria. Its co-financing means that it is enjoying both European and Government funds.
The history of the altar goes back to the middle of the 18th century, when the Durante sculptors, hailing from Sicily, were very active in the Maltese islands. It is said that the altar was made on the designs of Maltese artist Francesco Vincenzo Zahra, according to Tridentine Council dispositions. Zahra as well as the Durante brothers were also the artists involved in the creation of the altar dedicated to Our Lady of the Souls in Purgatory (Ta’ l-Erwieh), commissioned by Can. Gian Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis who was a priest at St George’s. Though dedicated by Bishop Fra Paolo Alpheran de Bussan on 21 September 1755, recent research has confirmed that work on the main altar had been concluded some years earlier.
The altar under restoration had undergone some modification in the early 20th century, when a splendid girandola was removed and the two-stepped altar was raised by another lower step. The current restoration will see the girandola, made of precious marbles, back in its original place and the altar will eventually constitute one of the most important exhibits in the upcoming museum.
Work on the altar started with the delicate task of collecting its bits and pieces, carried out by Mr Frank Mizzi. In late 2010, the fragments amounting to over 300 were collected and analysis started to be carried out until, with the issue of the relative tender, the altar started to be restored. On the initiative of Heritage Malta chairperson Mr Joseph Said, in collaboration with Mgr Joseph Farrugia, who is the co-ordinator of the works being carried out, the Italian restorers are working at the Bighi restoration centre in Kalkara, which kindly offered space and use of its equipment for the project, permitting a further benefit through the participation of students on a short internship.
The project is expected to be concluded by the end of November. Mr Aurelio Talpa says that “this is one of the more important works of the kind that AC Restauri is currently carrying out. AC Restauri is very active in restoration works being carried out in Pompei, Rome and other important Italian cities. It had been involved also in the restoration of the 19th century Crucifix which is kept in St George’s Basilica.”
Mgr Farrugia has visited the restoration site several times in the past days, accompanied by Mr Charles Cassar, member of the Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria’s working group.