Ta’ Ġieżu church restored
Restoration works on the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta, costing some €600,000, have been completed. Works were carried out both on the church’s facades and roof level. The church was built in the 16th century.
The restoration of the Jesuits’ Church in Valletta, which cost around €600,000, has been completed, Justice and Culture Minister Owen Bonnici announced yesterday.
The church was built together with the Old University and had suffered damages following an explosion in 1634. Francesco Buonamici, the resident military engineer of the Order, was put in charge of restructuring and enlarging the church. He transformed the church in a more illuminated and decorated space and rebuilt the façade overlooking Merchants Street in Mannerist style.
Works related to the restoration of the roof included interventions on the dome, the belfry, large areas of the roof screed, and on the side cupolas that were severely deteriorated. This was the result of environmental agents as well as the inaccessibility of these areas and lack of maintenance. The works included the changing of the masonry, pointing works, the consolidation of deteriorated stones as well as the re-building of one of the lanterns and the restoration of roof screed (deffun) in some areas of the roof and the dome.
The façades overlooking Merchants Street, Archbishop Street, and St Paul’s Street have also been restored. These were characterised by a thick layer of dirt that accumulated through the years. There was damage to the masonry and signs of movement in the corner of Merchants Street and Archbishop Street. The cracks were monitored for a whole year to check for any further movement in this corner. Therefore, the works did not only include the changing of stones, the pointing of the joints, and the consolidation of deteriorated stones, but also the cleaning of the uppermost parts of the façade. Interventions were also carried out on the apertures on all façades.
The works commenced in March 2016 and were finished by January 2018.