Statues of Immaculate Conception and St Roque to be restored through BOV’s Support

Two statues, one dedicated to the Immaculate Conception and the other to St Roque, found at the Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus (Ta’Ġieżu) in Valletta will undergo extensive conservation and restoration through Bank of Valletta’s support. The restoration works have been entrusted to Prevarti – Art Restoration and Conservation.

The 19th century statue of the Immaculate Conception, by renowned sculptor Xandru Farrugia, is a wooden statue that is currently showing a large number of aesthetical and structural damages brought about by use and age. Such damages include many abrasions that exist in the gold leaf large cracks within the gesso, gilding and wooden structure, causing the statue to become weak and fragile.

St Roque is considered to be the protector of those suffering from the plague. Legend has it that St Roque was himself infected by the plague but was cured by a dog licking his sores. That is why St Roque is always represented with a dog next to his feet. The statue shows signs of insect attacks, while abrasions and losses are present in the paint layers, uncovering the wooden base in some places. It seems that the original sculpture of the dog went missing and was later replaced with another dog sculpture made of stone.

Miguel Borg, Chief Risk Officer at Bank of Valletta, met with Fr Ramon Farrugia, Guardian of the Franciscan Friary, and Pierre Bugeja, Director of Prevarti, to witness the transportation of the statues from the Friary to the restorer’s studio.

“The Church of ‘Ta’ Ġieżu’ in Valletta’s most famous artefact is the venerated crucifix, however The Immaculate Conception, the entitled Patroness of the Franciscan Friary and St Roque, especially in the times of the recent pandemic, enjoy the devotion of many,” said Fr Ramon. “We are very thankful to Bank of Valletta for supporting the restoration of these two statues, that form part of a larger project that includes the restoration of the church and friary and a number of works of art found within.”

“This is another restoration project that the Bank is eager to adopt in line with its corporate responsibility and ESG commitments,” said the Bank’s CRO. “Malta’s rich history forms an integral part of our identity, and this project will ensure that these artefacts can be enjoyed by future generations while yielding more light on their history through the research undertaken during the restoration project.”