Gozitan construction tycoon Joseph Portelli may not be a saint, but in his hometown of Nadur he enjoys his own religious painting.  

A likeness of Portelli, painted before 2019, caught the eye of passers-by in Nadur this week as it was erected in one of the main streets of the Gozitan town for the feast of  St Peter and St Paul.  

The pavaljun (standard), was painted by Nadur artist Adonai Camilleri Cauchi. 

Photo: Facebook.

Contacted on Saturday morning he told Times of Malta that Portelli’s likeness had been used to depict St John the Evangelist.  

He said that he had painted all the apostles for the Nadur feast as he was artistically responsible for decorating some of the locality's streets for the religious parish feast.  

All the apostles, he said, had been painted using the likeness of festa helpers and donors. 

Joseph Portelli. File photo.

Portelli, arguably the most prolific Gozitan property developer, is a patron of more than just Nadur arts.  

In April, he scored a debut goal for football club Nadur Youngsters, converting a penalty 11 minutes from time to help the newly-crowned GFA Division One champions to a 1-1 draw against Kerċem Ajax.