Three precious paintings belonging to St George’s Basilica, Victoria, are being restored at the Prevarti laboratory at the Mosta Technopark.

The restoration of the 17th and 18th century paintings is being undertaken by Fondazzjoni Belt Victoria, which is also building a museum and cultural centre in the capital. Eighty-five per cent of the project is financed by the European Regional Development Fund.

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono recently visited the laboratory to inaugurate the restoration of two old registers belonging to the basilica and see the work being carried out on the paintings.

Dating back to the 17th century, the volumes – Liber Matrimonorum 1620-1710 and Liber Baptisatorum 1625-1680 – were restored with funds obtained by the Historical-Cultural Committee of the basilica as part of the Reviving our Roots project launched by the Ministry.

The project also included the disinfestation of over 70 volumes in the same collection and an ultra-modern apparatus for the digitisation of the oldest manuscripts.