Vassallo Builders is to help Din l-Art Helwa for a second restoration of the statue of St Paul on St Paul's Island.
The statue, which suffers adverse environmental conditions and is open to vandalism, has been looked after by Din l-Art Helwa since 1994.
Stanley Farrugia Randon, a council member of Din l-Art Helwa said the statue is the work of two sculptors, Sigismondo Dimech (1780-1853) of Valletta and Salvatore Dimech (1805-1887) of Lija. It is about four metres high and represents St Paul holding a book in his left hand while holding high the right one. At his feet lies a snake which, according to the Acts of the Apostles, came out of the fire and bit his hand.
The statue stands on a platform 8.3 metres high, the work of Francesco Spiteri. On the platform a marble slab was fitted with the following words chosen by the Latinist Dun G. Zammit (nicknamed Brighella):
"To the Apostle St Paul, Master and Doctor of the Church of all People, Father and Patron of the Maltese. This statue is the same place where he was shipwrecked - together with 275 others - on this island where he had to come and teach the faith of Christ, as his friend St Luke says in the Acts of the Apostles Cap.XXVII. Salvatore Borg, in memory of this event - in the year 1845 - worked hard for its erection".
Borg was one of the promoters of the statue. The costs of the platform, including the sculptor's fees, amounted to 1,150 scudi. The five large stones used for the construction of the statue cost 171 scudi, while the sculptors were paid 333 scudi.
The statue was inaugurated and blessed on September 21 1845. The parish priest of Mellieha as well as clergy from St Paul's church in Valletta were invited.
In April 1994, two members of the Youth Section of Din l-Art Helwa, Dr Farrugia Randon and Ian Galea, prepared a condition survey for a thorough cleanup of the islands. Two months later an expedition was organised and 20 large bags of rubbish were collected and many pieces of barbed wire removed.
It was noticed that the statue was highly weather-beaten and the left arm was about to fall. The uplifted hand, which was not the original one, had two fingers missing and one of the previous owners of the island said they had been shot off by a hunter.
The left hand was replaced for the Pauline centenary celebrations and the statue was whitewashed, but vandals got at it again. The marble inscription was also smashed to pieces and had to be replaced. The altar below the statue was broken and was removed.
Din l-Art Helwa took the responsibility of restoring the statue. Nazzareno Vassallo, chairman of Vassallo Builders Group of Mosta, had agreed to underwrite the costs of a survey as well as some of the initial costs of the statue's restoration to mark the 50th anniversary of Vassallo Builders Group of Companies.
Since then the statue has suffered damages from weathering due to the adverse environmental condition it is in. The new restoration sponsorship will mark the sixtieth anniversary of the Group.
Mr Vassallo said his company was proud to sponsor once again the restoration of this important landmark representing Malta's religious and cultural heritage.