Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici inaugurated restoration works at the Oratory of the Honoured in the Jesuit Church in Valletta. This restoration, costing €1,700,000 from national funds, covers both the Oratory of the Honoured and that of the Immaculate Conception, as well as the Sacristy. The restored oratories will be managed by the Jesuit Church Foundation for both cultural and religious purposes.
Emphasizing the importance of restoring these culturally significant sites in the heart of the capital, Minister Bonnici highlighted ongoing efforts since 2015, not only on oratories but also on houses, chapels, bell towers, and facades of the Church in Merchants Street, Archbishop Street, and St. Paul’s Street, with an investment exceeding €5 million.
While acknowledging the completion of the external restoration, the Minister stressed that the internal restoration process continues with an additional investment of €1,650,000. Bonnici affirmed the government’s commitment to preserving the national heritage, attracting visitors to experience Malta’s religious and artistic heritage.
Apart from the oratory works, paintings in the Oratory of the Immaculate Conception, a collaborative effort by Baroque artists Stefano Erardi (1630-1716) and Filippino Dingli (d. 1677), executed in 1650, were also inaugurated. President of the Jesuit Church Foundation, Rev. Dr. Nicholas Joseph Doublet, expressed satisfaction with visible results achieved in conserving and restoring the two oratories and sacristy.
The ongoing restoration not only gives back to the local community some of Valletta’s finest Baroque spaces but also creates a new cultural center in the city. This project aligns with the foundation’s cultural events, such as the ongoing Music & More season, promoting the artistic and musical talent of Maltese youth.
Mark Azzopardi, the architect overseeing the project, detailed the technical work, including careful attention to the restoration of the oratories’ structure and art. The project involved extensive preliminary studies, tests, and analysis of the painted surfaces, ensuring a meticulous restoration process.
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