One of the treasures at St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, best known as The Crucifixion Group, has just been restored.

A gift of Commander Fra Felicaja, it has been at the conventual church of the Order of St John since 1653. It consists of three larger-than-life, wooden figures - the Crucifix, the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist.

Woodworm infestation and weakness in the supports of the figures were extremely evident, St John's Co-Cathedral's curator Cynthia de Giorgio said.

During the restoration, which was entrusted to ReCoop - the Restoration and Conservation Co-operative Ltd - it emerged that the statues were coated in a layer of plaster that was much thicker than expected.

The fine chiselling and the impressive plasticity in the rendition of the anatomy could only be attributed to a great master, up till now unknown, she said.

Apart from recapturing the group's original beauty, the intervention could assist art historians to attribute the work more definitely to a particular artist, Ms de Giorgio explained.

The group of sculptures, an exquisite example of the High Baroque style, had been thought to be the work of Alessandro Algardi, one of the leading sculptors of the 17th century in Rome, who also received commissions from the Pope and other influential contemporary figures. Works of his are found throughout Italy, including the Vatican.

The restoration was sponsored by Alfred Mizzi Foundation, which seeks to promote and safeguard Maltese culture, heritage and environment.

The original cost of restoration had doubled due to unexpected, lengthy restoration procedures.

The generation of revenue for the maintenance and restoration of the co-cathedral's priceless works of art and artefacts was one of the major aims of St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, its president, Paul A. Attard, said. Funds were never enough and the initiative of Alfred Mizzi Foundation was certainly commendable, he added, auguring that it would set an example for other companies to follow suit, especially those that benefit from tourism.

The inauguration of the restored group will be held at the co-cathedral at 7.30 p.m. on Tuesday. To mark the event, a concert will be held by the St James Consort, playing Franz Josef Haydn's Seven Last Words. The public is invited to attend.

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