Restoration works at Siġġiewi parish church completed

Restoration and conservation works on a 1700 painting and crucifix forming the ‘Golgotha Group’ at the Siġġiewi parish church have been completed.

[attach id=977036 size="medium" align="right" type="image"]The Siġġiewi Golgotha Group in place at the parish church.[/attach]

The project, supported by Bank of Valletta and executed by Agatha Grima Conservators, was primarily aimed at structurally strengthening both works. The painting is attributed to Michelangelo Marulli, a Maltese artist practising in Rome, while the crucifix is the work of sculptor Giovanni Battista Vanelli.

While presenting the conservation and restoration process during the project’s inauguration, head conservator Agatha Grima explained how the works were fragile, having suffered greatly as a result of their immediate environment and aggressive previous interventions. Non-invasive optical imaging techniques, ranging across high-resolution digital photography, ultraviolet visible fluorescence, transmitted infrared and x-ray radiography, were used to support this.

[attach id=977048 size="large" align="left" type="image"]Grima showing an X-ray of the crucifix (see detail on the bottom) to Charles Azzopardi,...