The Chapels dedicated to the Langues of France, Provence and Anglo-Bavaria at St John’s Co-Cathedral are currently undergoing extensive restoration, another initiative of The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation.
These are the final three chapels to be restored, a process that commenced in 2005.
The Chapels of the Langues of France and Provence are on the left side of the Co-Cathedral’s main altar. The Chapel of the Anglo-Bavarian Langue forms part of the Chapel of Provence.
The Cicada Foundation for Art and Education established recently with the main scope of promoting and financing the restoration, conservation and preservation of the artistic heritage of the Maltese Islands, donated €97,786 to cover the costs of the restoration of the Chapel of the Langue of Provence.
In presenting the donation, Mark A. Miggiani, one of the foundation’s administrators, explained that the restoration of this chapel was the original motivation for the setting up of the Cicada Foundation.
He said that while serving as ambassador of Malta to France he and his wife Caroline realised that there were many French nationals, lovers of the art of Malta, willing to participate in the restoration of an artistic and architectural jewel so closely related to France. The donation was assembled through the assistance of Suzanne Wolfe Martin, long-time friend of Malta and art connoisseur Daniel Moquay.
The chapel of Provence received its first baroque decorative embellishment in 1646 and it consisted of a new reredoss. It was among the first to undergo this form of decoration which set a precedent and others were to follow.
The next decorative scheme took place during 1661 and 1664, the original benefactor of the chapel was the grand commander and prefect of the armoury Fra Jean Jacques de Verdelin. His donation is celebrated by many carvings that recall motifs from his coat-of-arms especially on the walls and dome of this chapel.
The restoration of the chapel consisted of cleaning the dome and walls of dust, soot and wax deposits which settled over the years. Through the passage of time the chapel suffered extensive deterioration due to rain water filtering through the dome and the effects of rising damp. Through this restoration process the gilding and the intricate wall carvings are being cleaned and losses restored. The altar painting depicting St Michael the Archangel and the lunette painting The Apparition of St Michael within the Chapel of Provence are being restored.