As part of its restoration programme to secure landmarks for the nation, Din l-Art Ħelwa will be restoring four important statues in Valletta: the De Vilhena lion in East Street, corner with Archbishop Street; the statue of St James in St Christopher Street, corner with Merchants Street; the statue of Queen Victoria in Republic Square, and St Roque's statue on the corner between St Ursula and St Christopher streets.

When Valletta was being planned by the Order of the Knights of St John, one of the building regulations was that corners needed to be embellished by statues or niches. Many of these are today in a precarious state. The De Vilhena lion, named after the coat-of-arms of Grand Master de Vilhena, is a prominent monument celebrating his reign.

It stands prominently in full majesty on a high stone pedestal between two streets, guarding a shield upon which is emblazoned the coat-of-arms of De Vilhena. The lion is also the heraldic emblem of this Grand Master, who reigned between 1722 and 1736.

De Vilhena enhanced the island's military defences by building Fort Manoel to protect the exposed flank of the city in Marsamxetto Harbour and the Manoel Theatre, another architectural gem.

The statue, which overlooks a magnificent view of the Grand Harbour, has suffered corrosion due to exposure and environmental pollution.

The restoration work will be carried out by conservators Ingrid Ross, James Licari and Frank Chetcuti, the latter two being conservators at Heritage Malta. It is being undertaken with the support of the Central Bank of Malta.

Din l-Art Ħelwa says securing the statues in Valletta is an ambitious task and one that needs to be undertaken on an ongoing basis. The heritage organisation is confident it will find sponsors who will ensure this work progresses and is grateful to the bank for kickstarting this initiative.