Carved dome, wall mouldings and altar in part of St John’s Co-Cathedral is given a €150,000 facelift after damage by seeping rainwater destroyed its glory

The majestic German chapel in St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, has been given back its former splendour through a €150,000 restoration project funded by the German Embassy.

Restorers worked on the elaborately carved dome and wall carvings, the main altar, the altar piece and the paintings fitted into the lunettes.

The chapel was badly damaged when rainwater seeped through the dome, eroding some of the carvings and gilding. The lower part of the walls was damaged by damp and the carvings were covered by a thick layer of dust and candle soot deposits accumulated over the years.

St John’s Co-Cathedral curator Cynthia de Giorgio described the project as “challenging” and “complex”.

In the first stage of the process, the layers of dust and soot and other stubborn encrustations were removed. A layer of linseed oil applied during the20th century was also removed using poultices of alkaline solutions.

Loose stone carvings and mortar joints were fixed and the walls werethen prepared for regilding, adopting the same process used in the 17th century.

The beautiful chapel impressed German Chancellor Angela Merkel during her visit here last year, who commented on the overwhelming beauty of the church, describing it as “one of the most impressive monuments in Europe”.

Sponsored by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office on the initiative of the German Ambassador to Malta, Hubert Ziegler, the restoration started in November and took eight months to complete.

The newly restored chapel was inaugurated on Wednesday evening by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in the presence of Germany’s Minister of State for Europe, Michael Link.

Dr Gonzi said the restoration works were a mark of the strong ties between the two countries and pointed out that Malta and Germany had links that dated back centuries.