The picturesque black and white lighthouse in Delimara has almost been restored to its former glory. Veronica Stivala shines light on the arduous restoration process.

Restoration of the lighthouse was divided into three stages. Photos: Chris Sant Fournier

The lighthouse in Delimara is unique in Malta, because it is the only lighthouse on the island to work with a Fresnel Lens, of which more later.

The lighthouse is also unique because, following its restoration, it will be the first light-house to be turned into simple holiday accommodation. Imagine, having the picturesque village of Marsaxlokk as your extended backyard, the gorgeous surrounding bays as your swimming pool and, well, a lighthouse as your belvedere.

Though what is most extraordinary about this lighthouse is the restoration process which has taken close to a whopping 10 years. The task, which started in 2006, was so big that it had to be divided into three phases, of which the last has only just been completed.

The first phase of the restoration of this important testimony of Malta’s maritime history involved the restoration of the exterior and included repairing damage to the walls, roof and tower.

All the layers of cement that had been added had to be painstakingly removed and the mortar joint plastered with a special lime-based mix.

By the first months of 2008, the second phase of the lighthouse, which involved internal works like plumbing and electricity as well as the installation of a kitchen and bathrooms, was complete.

Restoration of the light mechanism and its housing, glass prisms and lantern mechanism took five years.

It isn’t obvious, but the lighthouse is over 150 years old. Commissioned by British Governor More O’Ferrall in 1850, the lighthouse was functional by 1855.

The third and last phase included the restoration of the light mechanism and its housing, glass prisms and lantern mechanism. It took five years for this work to be completed due to financial constraints but at the beginning of February this year, the works were finally completed.

Restorer Anthony Spiteri guides me through the arduous process he and his team went through for this last phase. Looking at the lighthouse from the ground beneath may be deceptive as the lighthouse looks smaller than it really is.

The massive top part of the lighthouse is a glass and stone structure which houses an equally grand brass mechanism which works in a similar way to that of a clock. This clockwork mechanism is driven by a weight hanging from the very top of the tower and when released it unwinds the drum of the mechanism and turns the gear train.

A word here must be said about the Fresnel Lens. The Delimara lighthouse is the only one in Malta to be equipped by a lens system using the Fresnel Lens which was invented by a French scientist of the same name in 1823.

What is most extraordinary about this lighthouse is the restoration process which has taken close to a whopping 10 years

The Fresnel lens reduces the amount of material required compared to a conventional lens by dividing the lens into a set of concentric annular sections. The one at the Delimara lighthouse is equipped with a lens very close to that of a third-order and with a focal length of 530mm and a height of 1.6m.

The lightsource at the Delimara lighthouse was provided by a pear-shaped paraffin tank made of brass. Half rounded rods, which end in a shape of a paw, reinforce the tank. This style is typically Victorian and was in vogue mostly at the time the Delimara Lighthouse was built.

Before restoration works could be started, various components – including brass plates for the roofing and the weather vane – of this upper part had to be dismantled and transported to a factory. One can only imagine the difficulty they experienced here with such huge pieces and at such heights.

Next came the cleaning process. Again, the process was not straightforward. Work here in-cluded manual cleaning to remove the rust, repairing the metal structure and replacing the gutter and other parts which were cast in bronze.

Obtaining parts proved difficult too as some could not be found in Malta (everything has gone metric). The structure was re-assembled at the factory and then transported to the lighthouse.

The list of restoration processes really is endless and some-times too technical for the layman but some highlights include a metalising process.

Because the metal was already deteriorated, completely preventing oxidisation was impossible at this stage, but at least the process (which involves spraying molten zinc) works as an added protection.

When it came to masonry, the first three layers of stone to which the housing was attached were changed because they were broken or had deteriorated. Built with hard stone (żonqor), the new stone had to be sourced from Gozo as the stone is harder there than it is in Malta.

As for the mechanism, this was completely dismantled, cleaned, with some parts custom replaced, lubricated, assembled and given the same coating and procedures used for the exterior housing.

In Spiteri’s words, this was a “laborious and ambitious job which took over three years to complete”.

Spiteri notes how the lighthouse can be said to have been practically restored to its former glory, but for the clockwork itself. You may have guessed the reason needed for further works to be carried out: money.

The third phase was made possible thanks to a sponsorship by Gasan Mamo who use a lighthouse as their logo.