Marsa chapel nearly restored

Over Lm100,000 have been invested in the restoration of chapels in the first six months of the year, said Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit yesterday.

Work on the Ceppuna chapel in Marsa - one of the six that have undergone restoration - is expected to be completed soon. It is being carried out by the workers of the restoration unit within the ministry.

The chapel was built in the 15th century and its most important historical moment was when, in 1534, the corpse of the first Grand Master, Philippe Veliers de l'Isle Adam, was left in it for a night during the funeral procession when it was moved from Mdina to Vittoriosa.

The edifice suffered extensive damage in World War II when it was used as a store and also had humidity, as well as structural problems, evident in its façade.

A room that had been added to the chapel has been removed, restoring it to its original form, while the level around it has been lowered so that its floor would be on a higher level to reduce the humidity problem.

Mr Zammit said the restoration work on the inside was in its last phase, while the paving of the parvis and the façades should be ready in the coming weeks.

The work was carried out following an agreement between the Marsa Sports Club, where its is located, the Ministry and HSBC Cares for Malta's Heritage Fund, which is donating part of the funds required for the project.