The conservation of the chapel at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta wins the top prize in its category at the 15th edition of the Din l-Art Ħelwa Awards for Architectural Heritage

En Cor Jesu (Sacred Heart of Jesus), Anton Inglott, c. 1943, oil on panel.

The Malta Society of Arts (MSA), in collaboration with the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the University of Malta, recently won the highest prize in the Rehabilitation and Re-use projects category at the 15th edition of the Din l-Art Ħelwa Awards for  Architectural Heritage for the conservation of Palazzo de La Salle’s chapel.

The jury commented that it is an “extremely accomplished project […] an outstanding contribution to Maltese cultural heritage and the achievement of architectural excellence in Malta”.

This top Prix d’honneur was presented by Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton  Bartolo during a ceremony held on February 26 at Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta.

The voluntary organisation Din l-Art Ħelwa, which strives to safeguard the historic, artistic and natural heritage of Malta through its relentless work,  organises these awards to encourage excellence in  regenera­tion, rehabilitation, reuse, restoration and conservation projects throughout the Maltese  islands.

This is one of the earliest and finest examples of chapels situated in a private residence in Valletta

Din l-Art Ħelwa commented that this award given to the MSA and the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the Faculty of the Built Environment at the University of Malta is extremely important as the chapel houses some of the few early oil-on-stone paintings to survive from the Knights’ period and in a  domestic context.

Maria Grazia Cassar, who chaired the jury for the awards, explains that “the rehabilitation of this chapel includes the display of the MSA’s small, but important collection of sacred art.

“The synergy between the artworks by some of Malta’s finest artists from the previous century, and the chapel’s 17th century envelope is awe-inspiring, to say the least, and is particularly enhanced by their arrangement, and the specialist lighting which was installed.”

The chapel at Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta, which has been the seat of the MSA for almost a hundred years, is one of the earliest and finest examples of chapels situated in a private residence in Valletta.

Through this project, the paintings in the chapel can now be dated to the mid-17th and early 18th centuries.

Head of Christ and Virgin (left), Ignazio Cefai, undated, original plaster casts. Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (right), Francesco Saverio Sciortino, 1901, original plaster cast.

Their aesthetic and historic values have not been  compromised by excessive restoration. Collaborative work undertaken between the MSA, the University of Malta and other Maltese heritage institutions has further strengthened their understanding of the significance of the paintings and the history of the palace as a whole.

The chapel, which has been closed since the early 20th century, will be open to the public when current COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.  Entrance will be free of charge. On top of the wall paintings, visitors can also enjoy the most exclusive elements of the MSA’s  collection of religious works of art, including works by Cremona, Inglott, Bonnici, Alden and Sciortino. 

MSA president Adrian Mamo, who drove the chapel’s transformation, described the award as a great honour.

“The MSA and the Department of Conservation and Built Environment worked intensely for around two years on the conservation of these wall paintings, so we feel incredibly honoured to be recognised for this important project which required perseverance and determination from all sides,” he says.           

JoAnn Cassar, head of the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage, thanked Din l-Art Ħelwa for the award, but also the dedicated team who conducted the conservation meticulously.

For more details visit, www.artsmalta.org or www.facebook.com/maltasocietyofarts.