St John’s Co-Cathedral facade restored
● Inauguration celebration this Saturday
Restoration works on the façade of the iconic St John’s Co-Cathedral has come to an end just in time for the start of Valletta’s European Capital of Culture festivities.
Costing a total of around €660,000, works began in 2014 and involved the cleaning of some 2,000 square metres of masonry, along with the restoration of the cathedral’s belfries and clocks.
The three clocks on the façade show the time, date and day of the week, and are inscribed with the words ‘Clerici in Vernt’, believed to be a reference to the clockmaker.
Cynthia Degiorgio, curator at the cathedral, said that stains caused by moisture, grime, bird droppings, and paint had been cleaned off the façade, while stones in an advanced stage of deterioration were replaced.
Metal hooks that were damaging the stonework were removed, and various parts of the the wind vane on the right belfry were restored or replaced. Transparent spikes have been installed to deter pigeons from perching on the building.
Speaking at the inauguration yesterday morning, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said: “Through this work, people can enjoy this marvelous and historic building that has a meaning and a legacy for our country. We definitely won’t stop here; we will continue working to ensure that this majestic temple keeps getting better.”
Bonnici thanked the Restoration Directorate and those involved in the project, and praised the stupendous collaboration with the Church on this project.
Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Protection and Valletta 2018 Deo Debattista said that aside from being adorned with artistic jewels, such as Caravaggio’s The Beheading of St John the Baptist, the cathedral perfectly reflects Valletta’s identity, which will be strengthened throughout 2018 and thereafter. It is crucial for anyone involved in the European Capital of Culture to keep in mind what 2018 will leave behind, he said. “The Co-Cathedral is of great architectural heritage, a unique jewel admired by thousands every year, and it will now join a number of other projects as part of the infrastructural legacy Valletta 2018 will leave behind.”
Chairman of the V18 Foundation Jason Micallef enthusiastically encouraged the public to attend a celebration in St John’s Square this Saturday at 7pm. He said great effort had been made by local and international artists in organising the celebratory event, which will include a 140strong choir.
The president of the St John’s CoCathedral Foundation, Wilfred Buttigieg, explained that the restoration project was the first step in a 360-degree illumination plan for the cathedral, an iconic monument right in the heart of one of this year’s capitals of culture.”
Michael Pace Ross, administrative secretary at the Archbishop’s Curia, thanked the culture ministry and the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation on the Archbishop’s behalf.
The cathedral was designed by Ġlormu Cassar and opened in 1577. It is visited by an estimated 500,000 each year – roughly a fourth of all tourists visiting the island.