€100,000 needed for unique chapel's restoration

The unique Ta' Braxia Cemetery Chapel is in urgent need of restoration, but more than €100,000 are needed for that to come about, the Friends of Ta Braxia have been told.

The chapel was built 115 years ago as a memorial to Rachel Gordon, wife of Governor Sir Arthur Hamilton Gordon.

It suffered the ravages of time and World War II bomb blasts but had little or no maintenance until 2000, when the Friends of Ta Braxia Association was formed as a satellite of Din l-Art Helwa.

The association in partnership with the Department of Health has since coordinated the maintenance of the cemetery and carried out some works in the chapel including a renovation of its oak doors to the Chapel, rewiring of the electrical supply and regular fumigation of the woodworm-infested timbers in the roof space.

Many of the roof timbers and some external stone structure have, however decayed or eroded to such an extent that intervention has now become a matter of urgency, coordinator Chalres Gatt said.

The matter has been raised with the Department of Public Health, which is aware of the problem but lacks the funds to tackle it, Mr Gatt said.

He said the Friends have produced detailed plans of the building and the proposed restoration intervention. Architect Antonio Mollicone had established the need to replace eroded stone blocks with exact shape and dimensions of the original stonework or substitute stones having the same intrinsic qualities. There was also need to restore the roof structure including tiles, eaves and consoles, as necessary.

Mepa has approved the plan and given its go-ahead for the work.

"A number of contractors came to view the chapel to assess the work involved, but found it hard to provide an estimate. The unknown factor of what will be found when removing tiles and old timbers, together with the number of skills involved in the restoration, seemed to have scared them off," Mr Gatt said.

However an estimate produced by a well known restorer indicates a restoration cost in excess of €100,000. Mr Gatt said the association will be seeking sponsorships and other avenues to raise the necessary funds.