Last Saturday over 10,000 persons visited Heritage Malta museums and sites in Valletta which were opened free of charge. The most popular venue was the National Museum of Archaeology which was visited by nearly 4,000 persons. Visitors had an opportunity to handle original artefacts and learn about their uses and purposes during the evening. The Palace Armoury was also very popular with nearly 3,500 visitors. The National Museum of Fine Arts was visited by over 1,500 persons.
The Heritage Book Fair at the Heritage Malta Head Office also proved to be a success as many took the opportunity of viewing Anthony Catania’s painting exhibition ‘The Pied Piper’ which will remain open to the public until the 19th of October.
Visitors also thronged to admire the collection of ecclesiastic silver displayed in the charming Pilar Church in West Street. The church was decorated in such a way so as to highlight the baroque decorations in the form of angelic sculptures, columns and statues.
The church was built in the 1670s at the expense of the Knight of Malta Felix de Ayerbe. When he died in 1691, aged 70, his mortal remains were buried in this church. The structure later sustained damages during an earthquake which struck Malta in 1693. It was later restored and partly rebuilt in the early eighteenth century, particularly the main facade, after designs by the Roman architect Romano Carapecchia, the resident architect of the Order. The church was also patronised by the Valencian Grandmaster Ramon Perellos y Rocaful (1697-1720) and other high ranking Knights of Malta.
In the mid-nineteenth century the church served as a centre for the teaching of catechism and was later taken care of by the Franciscan sisters.
The church underwent extensive restoration and conservation works in 1989-1991 and has been officially handed over to Heritage Malta in November 2007.