The antependium of the high altar at St Augustine church in Victoria is considered to be one of the most beautiful works by Abram Gatt 1863-1944. The gilded wooden frame was commissioned by Friar Salvatore Portelli, OSA.

This is verified by an inscription on the back of the altar frontal.

The wood framework (102cm by 213cm) was done by Vincenzo Vassallo of Vittoriosa. The name is written in wood at the back of the antependium.

Both the antependium and the embroidered front of the high altar have a historical context. They were inaugurated in 1931 during the celebrations marking the 15th centenary of the death of St Augustine. The golden lamé embroidery was made in Lyon, France, between 1926 and 1927 as shown at the back.

The antependium is part of the decorations used in the church for the feast of St Augustine on August 28 and St Rita on May 22.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.