Four beautifully decorated timber ceilings at Verdala Palace, dating back to the 19th century, are being restored to their former grandeur.

Launched in July 2009, the project is well underway with one ceiling fully restored and the remaining three expected to be completed by June.

The timber ceilings had been mounted to cover the beams and stone slabs of the rooms and were decorated with a central medallion, several painted frames, borders and coats of arms.

The wood was coated with lime-based paint and tempera magra, a pigment mixed with water-soluble glutinous materials such as size or egg yolk. Over the years, changes in temperature and humidity levels affected the moisture content of the wood which, in turn, caused the ceiling to contract and expand. The boards have been carefully dismantled from the ceiling as a considerable amount of the intervention was needed on the reverse side.

The restoration project at the Buskett palace, the President’s official summer residence, was initiated by President George Abela, financed by Bank of Valletta and is being overseen by Heritage Malta.