Chapel, pipe organ to be restored

About Lm250,000 has been earmarked to restore the chapel of Italy in the Co-Cathedral of St John in Valletta and the 16th century pipe organ in the co-cathedral's oratory.

These and other details were given out yesterday by Ray Bondin, coordinator of the Valletta Rehabilitation Project during a visit to the chapel by President Guido de Marco.

The restoration is being funded under the fifth financial protocol with Italy. The two projects will be carried out with the cooperation of the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation.

The President's visit coincided with a visit by Dott. C. Bonvalsassina, director of the Istituto Centrale del Restauro of Rome, which will be supervising the work.

Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit, who also visited the chapel, said the co-cathedral required a vast investment of resources to strengthen the physical structure of the church and conserve the magnificent works of art.

The chapel of Italy was built in 1578 and the decoration in stone that adorns its walls, which is dotted with the monogram RC for Grand Master Rafel Cotoner, was carried out in the 1660s.

The altarpiece by Mattia Preti shows the mystic marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria, who was the protectress of the Italian Langue of the Order of St John.

The altar surround was created by Romano Carapecchia while Ciro Ferri designed the tomb of Rafel Cotoner.