€2 m for Valletta’s first church

Heritage organisation Din l-Art Ħelwa has appealed to the public to help save the historic church of Our Lady of Victory by contributing towards restoration works, estimated to cost around €1.5 million.

Known as Tal-Vittorja, the church, which is situated just opposite Auberge de Castille, is in dire need of restoration after suffering centuries of neglect. Its vault was badly shaken by a WWII bomb that destroyed the nearby opera house and was affected by water infiltration and damp over the years.

Simone Mizzi, president of Din l-Art Ħelwa, said the church – the first to be built in Valletta – was intricately linked to the country’s history and to the capital city.

“Its destiny is a matter of national conscience – its history is tied to the war, religion and Malta’s geographical position,” she said.

The church was built by the Knights on the foundation stone of Valletta in 1566 and was dedicated by Grand Master de Valette to the Virgin Mary in thanksgiving for the victory in the Great Siege. In fact, the Grand Master was first buried there and his remains were later transferred to St John’s Co-Cathedral.

The “ambitious” restoration project would be very complex and multi-faceted and carried out over a number of years, Mrs Mizzi said.

Among other jobs, the sacristy and choir area urgently need to be disinfested from termites, while the church organ needs to be reassembled and restored.

The organisation, which was given guardianship of the church, is also planning to set up a small museum to exhibit its artefacts. That project is expected to cost another €500,000.

She appealed to the public to help Din l-Art Ħelwa to save the church which “has been forgotten” by the State and the Church. “Previously there was very little awareness of the importance of its symbolic and physical context but now things have improved,” she said.

Donations will go towards the conservation of the ceiling paintings, restoring the ground floor walls, uncovering any existing murals on the perimeter, treating the infested woodwork and halting the ongoing decay of monuments and altars.

Din l-Art Ħelwa has already been working on the church for a number of years, including research. Between 2000 and 2004, the structure’s external walls were restored, an essential process to protect the precious vault paintings by Maltese artist Alessio Erardi.

Donations can be sent to HSBC Account 008-082166-001 or by sending a cheque to the Treasurer, Din l-Art Ħelwa, 133, Melita Street, Valletta. An alternative is to use the donation box at the church.