An exhibition of the altar of St George’s Basilica in Victoria, restored by AC Restauri from Naples, was inaugurated at the Italian Cultural Institute in Valletta this morning.

Present for the inauguration were the Italian Ambassador to Malta, Efisio Luigi Marras, the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono and H.E. Mgr. Mario Grech, Bishop of Gozo, among others.

The history of the altar, which is 5 tons of polychromatic marble, 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 will eventually constitute one of the most important exhibits in the upcoming museum conceived by Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria of Gozo.

The exhibition has been organised by Fundazzjoni Belt Victoria, eco-Gozo and the European Regional Development Fund, in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute and Italian Embassy.

The altar will remain on show in the Hall of the Italian Cultural Institute in St George’s Square, Valletta, from Monday, the 12th of December until Tuesday, the 31st of January 2012. Opening hours are 9.00am to 4.30pm. Admission is free.

Following the exhibition the altar will then be taken to Gozo.

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