Abbatija tad-Dejr fresco (2)

I refer to "Roamer's" comments on 'lifting' of a fresco at Tad-Dejr, now at the Museum of Fine Arts.

The facts, as I remember them, are the following:

The fresco was in a very bad state of preservation due to the damp atmosphere where it was and it had been vandalised a number of times when the place was open to the public.

Attempts had been made in the pre-war years to cut a trench at the back but its condition continued to deteriorate. I remember seeing a small painting reproducing the fresco and one could see how the fresco had deteriorated since the copy had been done.

The Museum Department sought expert advice from UNESCO and two expert restorers were sent to Malta.

They spent some time here restoring the fresco but after a time it deteriorated again. These experts were called back to Malta and they decided that the only solution would be to transport the fresco, which had been, in fact, our original suggestion. They said, however, they were not in a position to do it themselves. They were not sure anybody could do it, as there were great technical difficulties.

It was, in fact done, successfully, by Alfred Briffa, the museum restorer.

Transporting a fresco is not something one does lightly and it was a very difficult decision to take. It is only done when no other solution is possible, but it is something that has been done, and is still being done, all over the world.

Had it not been done at the time I am sure there would now be no Tad-Dejr fresco to write about.