Conservation Of 18th Century Via Sagra Cycles Of Ta’ Ġieżu Churches
The conservation of Malta’s earliest Via Crucis cycles found in the Ta’ Ġieżu churches of Rabat and Valletta is currently underway, with the Valletta restoration recently completed.
The Via Crucis, or Stations of the Cross, depicts 14 moments from Christ’s journey to Golgotha and is traditionally placed in churches or along pilgrimage routes.
In Malta, the earliest of these cycles were introduced at the Ta’ Ġieżu churches in Rabat and Valletta in two Franciscan churches that played a crucial role in nurturing this particular devotion on the Maltese islands.
They were made by important Maltese artists of the 18th century, Gio Nicola Buhagiar, Johannes Gini and Francesco Zahra. The conservation of these cycles was entrusted to Atelier del Restauro Ltd.
The restoration of the cycle in Valletta was finished in February 2024 and the cycle in Rabat is currently undergoing treatment.
Each stage of the restoration has been thoroughly documented which will definitely be an invaluable source for future researchers and conservators.
Will you be visiting to see the newly restored cycles?
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