A chapel at St John's Co-Cathedral will reopen for prayers after a nine-month restoration process.

The restoration of the chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament, formally known as the Chapel of the Virgin of Philermos, was financed by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation at a cost of €113,000.

The restoration was carried out by the Italian firm Giuseppe Mantella Restauro d'Opere d'Arte, which also contributed to the restoration of the Chapel of the Langue of Italy.

Foundation curator and CEO Cynthia de Giorgio said the main cause of deterioration was infiltration of rainwater from the dome, which caused the irreparable loss of the gilding and the erosion of some of the carvings.

The lower strata of the walls had lost most of their gilding as a result of water infiltration and rising damp.

The remaining carvings and gilding had severely deteriorated and were covered with a thick layer of candle soot deposits as well as dust and grime that had accumulated over the years.

Three paintings depicting important events in the life of the Virgin Mary were also restored by Francesca Muscat, conservator at St John's.

The restoration process brought some interesting features to light, such as the carvings of the dome, which carry symbols of the various titles of the Virgin Mary.

The Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament was the most important chapel for the Knights of St John on account of the great devotion they had towards the Virgin Mary.

This small chapel constituted the hub of daily religious observance which accounts for its rich material endowment.

In this chapel lie the remains of some of the most noble knights, among them Fra Flaminio Balbiano, one of the patrons of the chapel, and Fra Giovanni Francesco Abela.