Works at the Oratory and Caravaggio Wing at St John's Co-Cathedral

The St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation Inaugurates The Completion Of The Oratory Restoration Project And The Opening Of The Caravaggio Wing

A PROJECT MARKING THE 20 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE ST JOHN’S
CO-CATHEDRAL FOUNDATION

On Wednesday 21st July 2021, the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation inaugurated the completion of the restorative works in the oratory and the opening of the Caravaggio Wing, at St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

THE ORATORY RESTORATION PROJECT

The ambitious oratory restoration and conservation project consisted of:
The stone gilded carvings of the arch and vault in the apse, and the apse mural paintings executed in oil on stone technique representing scenes of the ‘Agony in the Garden’ and ‘Christ tied to the Pillar’;

The two lower paintings in the apse area, executed in oil on canvas technique which represent the first two rectors of the Order: the ‘Blessed Raymond’ and ‘Gerard Kneeling Before The Lamb of God’ and ‘St Flora and Donna Sancha Before The Virgin Mary’ and ten large window decorative frames and trompe-l’oeil adornments.

The variety of artistic techniques and supports employed in the manufacture of these multiple artefacts, as well as the complex series and levels of deteriorations that were present, made the project an exciting adventure.

The oratory has become a pulsating hub of interdisciplinary collaboration, with specialist conservators of the Foundation teaming up with other experts with the sole objective of ensuring the preservation of this important site for the benefit of both current and future generations.

HISTORY

The construction of the oratory began in 1602 during the reign of Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. The Confraternita della Misericordia were also involved and contributed for its construction. It was intended as a place of devotion and meditation for young novices and was completed by 1603. The confraternity used the oratory for their functions and for the investiture of the Knights and other ceremonies which culminated with the Feast of the Beheading of St John on 29 August.

The oratory was given its present appearance in the 1680s during a major decorative intervention between 1679 and 1690 ten paintings by Mattia Preti depicting Saints of the Order and a gilt wooden soffit were added. The marble cladding interior was added in 1740.

THE CARAVAGGIO WING

Besides the St Jerome Room, visitors can watch ‘Meet Caravaggio’: a short docu-drama on the life of the Artist in Malta between July 1607 and October 1608, first as a novice, later as a Knight of Obedience and his dramatic escape from imprisonment in Fort
St Angelo.

In 2019, when the historic doorway that once led to the Grand Prior’s house was opened, the former premises were reunited with the oratory.

The Caravaggio Wing project was part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund. Eighty percent funded by the European Union, and twenty percent by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation.

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