Din l-Art Helwa has announced the reaching of another milestone in its mission to safeguard Malta’s artistic heritage – the completion of renovations on a painting by Mattia Preti at Sarria Church.
The restoration of “St Michael the archangel’s victory over Evil” was carried out with the sponsorship of Sparkasse Bank Malta by Giuseppe Mantella Restauri.
Work has been completed, and the lunette returned to its position at Sarria Church, Floriana.
Of the paintings present in the building, restoration of this one is said to have posed the most serious challenges, to such an extent that prior to restoration, multi-technique diagnostic analysis and 3D surveying needed to be carried out on it with the collaboration of the University of Malta and several Italian Universities.
In the painting, the archangel can now be seen “in all his glory” wearing the robes as a Knight of the Order of Malta. He is accompanied by a host of angels defying the crowd of devils.
The church housing the painting, and all the other paintings adorning it were a thanksgiving pledge by Grandmaster Nicolas Cotoner to the Immaculate Conception and the Saints for the freeing of Malta from the Plague of 1676.
“It is hoped that the completion of restoration will see the end of the COVID pandemic which brought life to a quasi-stand still”.
St Michael’s victory over evil was the second painting which’s restoration was covered by the bank. The first was “St Nicholas”.
The support comes after, in 2017, the bank committed to support Din l-Art Helwa in its restoration of paintings by Mattia Preti found at the Sarria Church.
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