The Vodafone Malta Foundation will be donating Lm15,000 over three years to Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti for the restoration and restructuring of Palazzo Falson in Mdina as well as the conservation and restoration of its 45 collections.

The first donation of Lm5,000 was presented by foundation chairperson Gemma Mifsud Bonnici to Patrimonju's president, Maurice de Giorgio.

Mrs Mifsud Bonnici recalled that the project to restore Palazzo Falson, also known as the Norman House, began in 2001 following an agreement between the Captain O.F. Gollcher Art and Archaeological Foundation and Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.

Through the agreement, Patrimonju was entrusted with managing Palazzo Falson with the aim of re-opening it as a historic house-museum.

Mr De Giorgio said that since being established in 1992, Patrimonju has built an unrivalled reputation in promoting and preserving Maltese culture both in Malta and overseas.

"Through putting on prestigious exhibitions of treasures that form part of Malta's cultural heritage, the foundation has brought to the public a vast range of previously unknown hidden artefacts. Patrimonju is also responsible for the well-established magazine Treasures of Malta, published three times yearly, and also publishes books connected with Malta's cultural heritage attracting contributions from erudite historians," he said.

Palazzo Falzon was bought by Olof Frederick Gollcher OBE (1889-1962) in 1927. Mr Gollcher dedicated himself to the conservation of Malta's cultural heritage. His interest in archaeology resulted in the formation of The Mediterranean Institute of Underwater Archaeology, which was successful in recovering numerous artefacts. During his life, Mr Gollcher was also an ardent collector of objets d'art including paintings, silver, furniture, jewellery, oriental rugs and armoury.