The restoration project on the façade, dome and bell towers of Naxxar Parish Church has been completed, a project carried out with an investment of € 155,500, 80% of which was co-financed by European Union funds.
The project was inaugurated today by Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi and Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Chris Bonett.
Through this project, to which the parishioners of Naxxar also contributed, the stone of the façade and the bell towers and some of the stones, in particular the one at the top, which had it is replaced due to deterioration of the stone as it has been exposed to natural elements and air pollution.
The wooden and iron openings on the façade have also been restored and some of them have been rebuilt. During the process, intensive work was also done on the dome from the outside in order to prevent further damage to the stone and to restore the church to its original beauty.
During the inauguration of this project, Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Galea Curmi said that during these two years of pandemic, the church has continued with the conservation and restoration projects in various parishes and churches. This is because the church takes this commitment very seriously and constantly encourages the people to cherish the Catholic cultural heritage, which is reminiscent of the ancient and beautiful religious history of the Maltese people.
Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bonett said that through the European Regional Development Fund we are investing four million euros to be used by the Archdiocese of Malta to carry out restoration projects on 33 churches in Malta with the aim of carrying out conservation, and for the protection and promotion of the ecclesiastical cultural heritage. “In this case, and like other localities, the Collegiate Church of the Virgin Mary of Naxxar deserved restoration and therefore the government saw how it did and with the help of European funds we invested in this heritage not only Naxxari but also Maltese heritage “, stated Chris Bonett.
Present for the inauguration were Archpriest Rev. David Gauci and the Administrative Secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta Michael Pace Ross, who explained how the work done on the Naxxar church is part of a restoration program. churches and chapels and the conservation of works of art launched three years ago.
He announced that more projects will be inaugurated in the coming weeks and months and that the Archdiocese will issue calls for tenders for the last few remaining projects in this schedule. Naxxar Parish Church, which is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, was built in 1630 to a design by architect Tommaso Dingli.
