Be the first to comment!President views restoration of Our Lady of Victory Church
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President George Abela visited Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta’s oldest church, where he was able to view the restoration project undertaken by Din l-Art Helwa which is well underway.
President Abela was greeted by Ms Simone Mizzi, Executive President of the organization, Ms Amy Sciberras, custodian conservator at Victory Church, and members of the DLH council who explained the various aspects of the work being carried out including the exploration of ground floor perimeter murals, the plans to endow the historic crypt where Grand Master de Valette was first buried with a dignified wrought iron grill, and the works of art already restored such as the Byzantine icon of the Virgin, and the painting of Pope Innocent XII.
President George Abela showed much interest in the progress on the 18C vault painted by the Maltese baroque artist Alessio Erardi in 1714 that depict episodes from the life of the Blessed Virgin. The vault paintings had suffered damage from water infiltration and inappropriate treatment over the years, and the vault itself had been shaken badly by the bomb that destroyed the neighbouring Opera House.
President George Abela who has a particular interest in restoration of historic sites, met conservators from the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, engaged by Din l-Art Helwa for treatment to the vault paintings as well as students attending the Master of Science Course in Conservation of Decorated Architectural Surfaces established by the Department of the Built Environment at the University of Malta.
The Master of Science Course which began last October, is a three year course and students have been given the opportunity of examining the various problems connected with the Erardi paintings under the supervision of Professor JoAnn Cassar.
President Abela was shown a short presentation giving him insight into the state of the paintings before and then after restoration. The conservation of the vault has been made possible through the support of the HSBC Malta Foundation and is expected to take another two years.
