Great Siege monument restored

Ray Bondin

Sep 8th 2010, 16:52

My firned Michael Bonnici has his facts wrong. Even James Licari himself stated twice that more than water was used in the past to clean the monument. The monument was always cleaned by the Valletta Rehabilitation Project prior to the 8th September ceremony. During the 20 years that I lead this Office only water was used and this with great care.
The monument was once cleaned by street cleaners on request of the Valletta Local Council before a 7th June concert was held there. It was reported that they well meaningly but certainly misguided that they used detergent. When this was pointed out to VRP an roder was given, and obeyed, to stop this immediatedly though damage had already been done.
I pointed out this error to James Licari more than a week ago when he stated this wrong fact on PBS but he still unfortunately repeated it in an article last Saturday on the Times.

James Licari

Sep 8th 2010, 11:48

In the name of the team, I would like to thank you all for your praise. I would like to also make a slight correction to the article beneath the video, as I am not an 'Architect' but rather a 'Conservator-Restorer'.

My professional status also includes:
Working for Heritage Malta as a lecturer and a conservator-restorer.
Having been appointed on the board of the Malta Association of Professional Conservator-Restorers [MAPCo-Re]; on the board of the International Council of Museums [ICOM]; and the International Council of Monuments and Sites [ICOMOS].

Conservation is an academic profession which follows a scientific approach towards these individual works of art, similarly to a medic who treats his patient with individual attention.

Thank you all, once again.

Once again I would like to thank FIMBANK for showing their support and faith in our work; DLH for their constant dedication to Malta's Heritage; Rehabilitation Projects Office for the scaffolding and all those who helped in/directly.

Let’s all strive to conserver and maintain all our outside monuments and niches, within the ethical boundaries of our times.

alfred curmi

Sep 7th 2010, 20:03

Well done: a beautiful piece of work. But please remove the hawkers from cheapening the environment around and in front of it.

A Camilleri

Sep 7th 2010, 18:17

Having seen ways how other EU countries preserve their monuments and other bronze and marble sculptures that adorn buildings and squares, I believe that it is good to emulate such methods.

The sculptures are covered with chicken wire to prevent pigeons from resting on them thus eliminating the droppings that have such a corrosive effect on these outdoor works of art. I am convinced that this would be less costlier and would make more sense than giving the pigeons a clean location where to leave their disgusting and corrosive droppings for another year.

Stiefnu De Battista

Sep 7th 2010, 17:48

Well done FIMBANK, Din l-Art Helwa & Heritage ResCo!
keep up the good work!

R.Borg

Sep 7th 2010, 16:14

Prosit and thanks to everyone involved in this big restoration project.
Now, will we continue to see the street vendors selling their wares in front of this important national monument and facing our lawcourts?
If yes, this is a grave injustice to the Monti hawkers and families.

Michael Bonnici

Sep 7th 2010, 14:36

A very good professional restoration indeed. What a difference. A carefully planned initative that merits praise.
This monument worked out by our national artist Antonio Sciortino is one of the very few that we have in Malta and which adorns one of our squares in the heart of Valletta.

Around ten years ago Governemnt employees on the eve of the 8th September washed out this monument with water to remove pigeon droppings and then applied linseed oil to the whole monument with the consequence of an amount of oil spreading on the pure white lime stone (zonqor) base. It was a big shame.
Similary in Zebbug the white lime stone base of Dun Karm's monument was white washed with water paint. Stupidity at its best.
At least nowadays we have the Antiquities (Protection Act) for the superintendence, conservation and managment of cultural heritage in Malta and matters ancilliary with, which prevents such vandalisim on our precious heritage.

Jesmond Micallef

Sep 7th 2010, 12:43

Nice, very interesting indeed. Of particular interest here is the Bronze which is mainly a metal alloy of Copper and Tin. I understand that a customised treatment has been applied here and modern day technology does exist in order to determine the precise composition of the bronze alloy enabling a specific solution to be applied in the conservation of this Great Siege monument. Hopefully, this current intervention together with the preventative aspects of its maintenance will conserve this very imposing monument for generations to come.

Well done to FIMBank plc, Din l-Art Ħelwa, Heritage ResCo and Architect James Licari.