PM opens restored 16th century chapel

The Cappella d'Italia at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta - restored thanks to Italian protocol funds - was officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday.

The project, carried out by restorers Sante Guido and Giuseppe Mantella, cost €402,200, forked out by the Italian government under the fifth protocol. Another Lm70,000 came from the Maltese government.

Work on the chapel of Italy, built in 1578, started more than two years ago under the coordination of the Valletta Rehabilitation Project and was completed in two phases.

The chapel of Italy includes a work by Mattia Preti, showing the mystic marriage of St Catherine of Alexandria.

The altar was designed by Romano Carapecchia and Ciro Ferri designed the tomb of Rafael Cotoner.

The chapel of Italy used to house the St Jerome by Caravaggio, now exhibited at the oratory in St John's. In its place hangs a high resolution photographic copy of Caravaggio's original.

The main altar at St John's had also been restored under the fourth Italian financial protocol.

Dr Gonzi said the aid Malta received from Italy through five financial protocols was proof of a special relationship between the two countries.

Though the government was investing heavily to protect Malta's historic monuments, the cost of the work was far beyond what Malta on its own can achieve. "It is precisely for this reason that we have always been extremely grateful for the assistance shown by the Italian government who has always treated us as privileged neighbours," Dr Gonzi said.

A public seminar will be held today at noon at St John's Co-Cathedral as part of the inauguration programme. It will be addressed by Prof. Guido, St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation curator Cynthia Degiorgio and VRP coordinator Ray Bondin.