Emvin Cremona painting restored after peeling away from church ceiling

A canvas by artist Emvin Cremona that got detached from the ceiling of a cupola at the Balzan parish church two years ago has been restored.

Costing €25,000, the restoration was completed in mid-June, in time for the village feast of the Annunciation last month. One of Cremona's last works before he died, the painting shows various incidents from the life of the Virgin.

Painted in the 1980s, the canvas peeled off the ceiling and crashed down, almost hitting orchestra members.

The heavy canvas, which was fixed to the ceiling with a mixture including lead, brought down an oil-lamp with it.

Balzan parish priest Kalċidon Vassallo appointed a committee made up of architects and restoration experts to look into the damage and try to determine what had led to the incident.

The committee concluded that the painting could have come off the ceiling as a result of climatic fluctuations caused by one or more of various factors such as air-conditioning, water seeping through the roof or the ageing of the paint, which lost adhesion.

The commission appointed Alfred Briffa, who started restoring the painting last year. Fr Vassallo said the rest of the painting had been peeled off the cupola before putting it back in its place. He said a second cupola covered with another painting by Cremona will be looked at to ensure it does not fall victim to the same fate.

A third cupola, with a painting by Giuseppe Calì, is also expected to be restored.