Restored bust to be removed from church façade

The bronze bust of Pope Innocent XII ordered by Grand Master Perellos to adorn the façade of the historic church dedicated to Our Lady of Victory, in Valletta is to be replaced by a replica.

The original, which has been restored, will be placed in a museum or inside the church, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit said when he visited the church yesterday.

The church, built in 1566 and reputed to be the first building in Valletta, is undergoing restoration by the Valletta and Floriana Rehabilitation Project with the assistance of PriceWaterhouseCoopers, which is financing part of the Lm75,000 project.

The restoration of the Perellos bust by restorer Sante Guido cost Lm8,000.

The restoration is being carried out in three phases: the façade; the paintings inside the church - with the assistance of the Courtauld Institute of Art of London University, and the bronze bust of Pope Innocent XII.

A historical note on the church by the heritage organisation Din l-Art Helwa says that the church was built by the founder of Valletta, Grand Master La Valette on the spot where the foundation stone of Valletta was laid on March 28, 1566. The building served as the first conventual church of the Order of St John from 1571 to 1577 until the completion of St John's Co-cathedral.

La Valette was buried in the church and his remains were later transferred to St John's.

The original structure was probably constructed by Francesco Laparelli da Cortona (1521-1570) and Gerolamo Cassar (c. 1520-1592). In 1572 the church underwent a number of structural alterations paid for by Gerolamo de Monteillieu, Bailiff of Majorca.

In 1837, the building became the official church of the Maltese army and of the foreign Catholic members of the other regiments stationed in Malta.