War-damaged statues repaired

Three of the six wooden statues that were once used to decorate the main altar of the parish church of Cospicua during the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary have just been restored.

These statues and other wooden artefacts belonging to this confraternity were severely damaged, along with the building, during the Second World War. Before the war, they used to be stored at the oratory of the confraternity, which was situated in front of the parish church.

A number of wooden artefacts, including these six statues, were salvaged from the debris and eventually stored in one of the upper rooms of one of the houses next to the parish church.

Older people recount how these statues were stored away, in secret, to be saved from destruction - since damaged items were supposed to be burnt by their owners after they had received war damage compensation for them.

The statues are the work of 19th-century sculptor Luigi Sisner, who was commissioned by the confraternity of the Rosary. Felice Gauci, a carpenter, was commissioned to make the wooden plinths or so-called pedestalli.

The project was ready by May 1871 and Sisner was paid 125 scudi (around €24) for his work. The next step was the gilding of the statues. The confraternity only had to buy the silver-leaf as the work was to be carried out, for free, by Antonio Ellul. These statues were modelled on the silver apostles found at the Mdina Cathedral.

After more than 60 years in a loft, the statues started to be restored three years ago. The statues are of yellow pine and the wood once belonged to the Admiralty Dockyards.

The rest of the figures representing St James, St Thomas and St Andrew should be completed by the end of this year.

It was decided that these statues would be left entirely in their original wooden patina state except for the application of a preservative coating of a matt lacquer finish. Simon Mercieca is co-ordinating the restoration work.