Maintenance work on the balconies of the Manoel Theatre has unearthed paintings that could shed new light on its history, according to restorers.

Giuseppe Mantella, one of the six restorers from the team of Sante Guido Restauro e Conservazione di Opere d'Arte, said it was too early to date the designs on the balconies, but they would certainly serve to increase the knowledge and possibly change the understanding of the theatre as it developed over the centuries.

"It is too early for answers, but the new information could serve to re-create the history of the theatre as we know it to date," he told The Times.

The findings have emerged from beneath the flaking green paint on the top tier, but it is yet to be established whether they were also repeated on the lower levels.

Although the gallery was added in 1811, the restorers are not ruling out that the paintings on its balconies could match the lower levels and could, therefore, be the original designs, dating back to the inauguration of the theatre in 1731.

Nothing could, however, be established until scientific tests were carried out, possibly behind the panelling, which could easily be removed from the balconies without causing any disturbance, Mr Mantella suggested.

The balconies would appear to have undergone four interventions: the discovered paintings on the canvas layer; the green paint over them; the panelling; and the gilding above.

The discovery was made around three weeks into the start of the second phase of the theatre's restoration, which is being funded mainly by Malta International Airport. Other sponsors include Computime, Din l-Art Helwa and the Valletta Rehabilitation Project.

The second phase of the works, which followed the restoration of the panelling, includes cleaning, the removal of layers of dust and grime and repairing breakages in the wooden, gilded decorations that are split in many areas.

"It was once difficult to decipher the pictures on the panels - so much dust had accumulated and they sorely needed to be maintained," said Wilfred Kenely, the theatre's management committee chairman, when speaking to The Times about the success of the first phase.

The Manoel Theatre has informed the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage about the findings and is waiting to see how the restoration works should proceed, Mr Kenely said.

The idea would be to document and display the unearthed designs, so that visitors to the unique baroque theatre - a national, historic monument - would be able to appreciate them.

MIA chief executive officer Peter Bolech, who visited the site shortly after the discovery, expressed his "excitement" about the findings, which "could open up a new era in the history of the theatre... It is like looking into a new chapter of its life".

MIA has allotted Lm10,000 a year for three years to the Manoel's restoration, and its cooperation in the project has proved to be more fruitful than expected, offering the restorers challenging surprises, he said.

"If it were not for the private sector's financing, the hidden designs would have remained a secret," Mr Kenely said. As a result of the findings, new debates and research may open up, shedding new light on the cultural tastes of the time.

The unearthed designs could offer new information on the varying styles over the centuries, raising questions as to why the paintings were covered and what change in culture brought that about.

It was not known whether the discovery would stall, or prolong the restoration project, half of which is intended to be completed by the end of the summer before the theatre season reopens.

The next half of the boxes is scheduled to undergo maintenance next summer, starting in June.

"We have opened many fronts. We have many projects in the pipeline and we want to move on, without getting stuck. So far, the restoration project has been advancing well, but that is probably as a result of the involvement of the private sector," Mr Kenely said.

In the meantime, the Manoel Theatre is embarking on another major project - the redevelopment of its backstage facilities - which should also start this summer and is expected to last over a year.