Conservation of the wall paintings of the Chapel at Palazzo de la Salle, Valletta

Support the completion of the conservation of the stunning Baroque wall paintings of the Chapel of Palazzo De la Salle, Valletta, started by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the University of Malta in 2016. Such important paintings will be finally presented to the public after hundreds years of obscurity.

Dept. of Conservation & Built Heritage, UOM Culture November 26, 2018 at 9:00 am
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Project Description

Conservation of the wall paintings of the Chapel at Palazzo de la Salle, Valletta

The Project

Located in the lower part of the Republic Street, in Valletta, and built in the late 16th century, Palazzo De la Salle has been home to Knights of the Order of St John for over 200 hundreds years during the Baroque era. The magnificent Palazzo has been the seat of the Malta Society of Arts (MSA) since 1923, and is currently used for arts education, exhibitions and performances.

The little-know Chapel within the Palazzo is decorated with stunning 1730s wall paintings depicting the Coats of Arms of Fra Guillaume de la Salle, the eponymous resident of the Palazzo, Grandmaster Manoel de Vilhena, and scenes from the Life of St John. These paintings are highly significant as some of the few Baroque wall paintings in Malta to survive within a domestic context, but they are virtually unknown to scholars and the public alike, since the Chapel has been closed to the public since the early 20th century.

The Project entails the completion of the conservation of the wall paintings of the Chapel, started by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the University of Malta in 2016. Such important paintings will be finally presented to the public after hundreds years of obscurity.

Meet the Team

The Department of Conservation and Built Heritage of the University of Malta is a dynamic and growing department within the Faculty for the Built Environment, staffed by professional wall paintings conservators, conservation architects, scientists, archaeologists and curators, all with extensive professional experience in Malta and abroad. The Department has been carrying out the study and conservation of the Chapel since 2016, as a core component of the training of emerging professional conservators studying on its Master of Science programme in the Conservation of Decorative Architectural Surfaces.

In October 2018, the Department will entrust the completion of the project to two of its recent professional graduates, who have been a part of the conservation project since its inception. The project will be carried out under the continuing guidance of the Departmental professional staff.

The conservation project so far

From 2016, the Team composed of the staff of professional wall paintings conservators of the Department together with the MSc students carried out the study of the wall paintings of the Chapel, from archival research to documentation with innovative techniques to scientific analyses. This involved the collaboration of the Department with researchers and institutions in Malta and abroad.

Between 2017 and 2018, after the uncovering of the paint layer which was obscured by multiple layers of covering paint, the Team proceeded to the stabilisation of the wall paintings. The conservation treatments were carefully developed, tested and implemented on the basis of the study of the original materials and techniques and the deterioration phenomena encountered, always pursuing the highest standards in the conservation practice.

Why Crowdfunding?

After the hard team work carried out in 2016-2018, the final phase of the project will include the cleaning and retouching of the paintings, and is therefore a crucial stage of the work, since it will return full legibility and aesthetic value to the paintings, after 300 years of obscurity. This will require 6 months of full-time work of two recent professional graduates, after which the paintings will be presented to the public. The estimate of funds needed to complete this project is 25,000.00 € over a six-month period.

The Chapel will then house exhibitions related to the history of Palazzo de la Salle, the paintings and their conservation, where the work of the Department and its sponsors will be showcased. The Department and MSA are planning a wide-ranging dissemination campaign upon completion of the project, including a press release, public talks, and a variety of publications.

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Project FAQ

  • How do I collect my reward?

Events at Palazzo De la Salle: Go with your ZAAR receipt at Palazzo De la Salle on the day of the event: your receipt IS the ticket to go in!

Memberships/Courses: Go with your ZAAR receipt at Palazzo De la Salle to redeem your reward.
Manoel Theatre tickets: Go with your ZAAR receipt at Palazzo De la Salle: the tickets will be delivered to you there.

  • Why do the wall paintings of the Chapel need to be conserved? 

The beautiful wall paintings of the Chapel of Palazzo De la Salle are highly significant, being some of the few Baroque wall paintings in Malta to survive within a domestic context, but they are currently virtually unknown.  We want these important paintings to be finally presented to the public and their beauty enjoyed after hundreds years of obscurity.

  • What was done so far and what is missing?

In 2016-2018 The Department carried out study and documentation of the wall paintings (from archival research to documentation with innovative techniques to scientific analyses), uncovering of the paint layer (which was obscured by multiple layers of covering paint) and stabilisation treatments. The final phase of the project will include the cleaning and retouching of the paintings. It is therefore a crucial stage of the work, since it will return full legibility and aesthetic value to the paintings.

  • Who is going to be part of the Team for the final stage of the project?

Two of our recent professional graduates, who were involved in the project since the very beginning.

  • How long is the project going to be?

6 months of full-time work.

  • Will I be able to see the paintings after the completion of the project?

Yes, the Chapel will be open to the public by the Malta Society of Arts after the completion of the project. The Chapel will house exhibitions related to the history of Palazzo De la Salle, the paintings and their conservation.

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