Archbishop's Palace Valletta

09/04/2026

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03/03/2026

Conservation of the Alpheran Library Collection
With great care and patience, our dedicated conservators at the Archivum Archiepiscopale Melitae have been meticulously dusting and stabilising the volumes of the historic Alpheran Library, carefully returning them to their restored cabinetry.

Each book is handled individually — cleaned, assessed, and repositioned — ensuring that this historic ecclesiastical library remains preserved as a vital scholarly resource for researchers today and for generations yet to come.

As part of this safeguarding process, a professional anoxia treatment has been diligently carried out by Atelier del Restauro Ltd., protecting the collection from biological infestation while fully respecting the integrity of its materials.
Preserving a historic library is not simply about conserving books.

It is about protecting memory, scholarship, and the intellectual patrimony of the Church in Malta.

16/01/2026

Moving ahead with the second phase our Alpheran Library conservation project, which will now see the return of the books to the shelves. This project is being carried out by our own conservators and archivists from the Diocesan Archive, assisted by Atelier del Restauro.

07/01/2026

A glimpse into the meticulous reconstruction and conservation of the decorative ceiling and cornice in our Palace Sitting Room — expertly recreated in tempera using original historic techniques. This delicate intervention, masterfully executed by Atelier del Restauro, restores the room’s elegance and authenticity.

05/01/2026

A Biblical Masterpiece Reawakened
The Judgement of Solomon | Archbishop’s Palace, Valletta

Wisdom, drama, and human emotion return to the fore with the conservation of the monumental seventeenth-century painting The Judgement of Solomon, one of the most compelling narrative works preserved within the Archbishop’s Palace. Displayed on the piano nobile, this powerful oil on canvas captures the climactic biblical moment in which King Solomon’s divine wisdom lays bare the truth—rendered with theatrical intensity, expressive gesture, and striking chiaroscuro.

Time had inevitably taken its toll: accumulated surface grime, darkened varnishes, structural stresses to the canvas, and deterioration to the gilt frame had gradually muted the painting’s visual and narrative impact. Through a carefully planned programme of scientific analysis, disinfestation, structural stabilisation, cleaning, and conservation, the work is now being reawakened—restoring clarity, depth, and dramatic force, while ensuring its long-term preservation.

The conservation of The Judgement of Solomon is being carried out by Atelier del Restauro, under the masterful directorship of Valentina Lupo, and is partly sponsored by APS Bank, whose continued support plays a vital role in safeguarding Malta’s ecclesiastical and artistic heritage.

This intervention forms part of the wider, research-led conservation programme of the Archbishop’s Palace, revealing—artwork by artwork—the richness of a historic collection once hidden, now carefully brought back to life.

03/01/2026

Conservation of a Significant Artwork

As part of the ongoing conservation programme at the Archbishop’s Palace, we are pleased to share the conservation of an important eighteenth-century artwork from the Palace collection: the Portrait of Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena (1722–1736), an oil on canvas displayed on the piano nobile. This portrait is a key historical and visual testament to the close relationship between the Archbishops of Malta and the Grand Masters of the Order of St John, and to the Palace’s role as a space of representation and governance.

The artwork, together with its original frame, underwent a comprehensive programme of analysis, disinfestation, and conservation, addressing structural issues, aged varnishes, surface dirt, paint instability, and earlier deterioration, in line with internationally recognised conservation principles.

The conservation was carried out by Amy Sciberras (ASC Conservation Centre Ltd) and was partly sponsored by APS Bank, whose support contributes directly to the safeguarding of Malta’s ecclesiastical and artistic heritage. This intervention forms part of the wider, research-led effort to conserve, study, and responsibly present the rich collection of artworks housed within the Archbishop’s Palace.

30/12/2025

The Lights Are On | Archbishop’s Palace, Valletta

A new chapter in the conservation and interpretation of the Archbishop’s Palace has begun with the installation of a museum-quality lighting system across its historic halls and interiors. Carefully designed to meet the highest conservation standards, the new lighting enhances the preservation, legibility, and enjoyment of historic spaces and artworks, while fully respecting the architectural character of the Palace.

This bespoke lighting scheme has been conceived to ensure controlled light levels, accurate colour rendering, and visual comfort, allowing visitors to experience the Palace’s historic rooms as coherent, dignified environments, while safeguarding sensitive materials for the future. The intervention forms an integral part of the Palace’s research-led approach to conservation, where architecture, artworks, and interpretation are addressed together.

The works were carried out by Light Design, under the direction of engineering firm Camilleri & Cuschieri, with installation by electrician Richard Cauchi. This important milestone marks a significant step towards making the historic interiors of the Archbishop’s Palace more accessible, legible, and engaging, while ensuring their long-term protection.

27/12/2025

The Chancery | Conservation in Progress

Conservation works are currently underway in the historic Chancery of the Archbishop’s Palace, one of the most significant administrative spaces in the ecclesiastical history of Malta. Traditionally regarded as the heart of diocesan governance, the Chancery was the place where official acts of the Bishop were drawn up, authenticated, and preserved, and where the administrative memory of the Diocese was formed.

Situated on the piano nobile, this space functioned as the Bishop’s Curia until 1978 and, as indicated by its layout and furnishings, also served as the seat of the Ecclesiastical Court until the early nineteenth century. The room is characterised by its late seventeenth-century inbuilt timber cabinetry, surmounted by the coat of arms of Bishop Davide Cocco Palmeri (1684–1711), which historically housed important Curial archival fonds, including records relating to marriage legacies. The cabinatry crowned by the heraldry of Bishops Cocco Palmeri and the coffered ceiling bearing the coat of arms of Paul Alphéran de Bussan (1728-57), further reflects the institutional stature of this room.

The ongoing intervention, being carried out by Prevarti Ltd has included the scientific disinfestation and stabilisation of the historic timber cabinetry and doors through non-invasive microwave and anoxic treatment, as well as the installation of new marble flooring, reinstating the dignity and functional coherence of the space. The project now enters its final phase, which will include the careful polishing and finishing of the historic cabinetry, essential for its long-term conservation and presentation.

These works form part of the wider, research-led conservation programme of the Archbishop’s Palace under the direction of Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet, Architect Ann Marie Delicata, and Curatorial Studio, aimed at safeguarding both the architectural fabric and the administrative heritage embodied in its historic interiors.

24/12/2025

Amid Valletta's restored splendor, the Archbishop's Palace glows with faith's eternal light this Christmas, where history whispers peace and heritage embraces joy.

23/12/2025

The Mattei Library Conserved | Archbishop’s Palace, Valletta

We are pleased to announce the completion of the conservation of a second historic room within the Archbishop’s Palace: the Mattei Library, library which takes its name from Bishop Ferdinando Mattei (1761–1829), but with cabinatry that is much older.

At the heart of this intervention is the trompe-l’œil ceiling canvas depicting Bishop Mattei’s coat of arms, a monumental tempera painting on canvas dating to the early nineteenth century. During archival and architectural investigations, the ceiling canvas was identified by Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet, Diocesan Archivist, rolled and stored away, having long been removed from its original setting. Scholarly research confirmed that it once adorned the ceiling of this private library within the Palace.
The canvas was subsequently entrusted to Atelier del Restauro, where it underwent a rigorous, multi-phase conservation programme, including surface cleaning, consolidation, anoxic and biocidal treatment, structural reinforcement, and meticulous pictorial reintegration. Following extensive preparation and custom structural solutions, the ceiling was carefully reinstalled in its original location, restoring the architectural and symbolic unity of the Mattei Library.

This milestone forms part of the wider, research-led conservation programme of the Archbishop’s Palace and was carried out under the direction of Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet, in close collaboration with Atelier del Restauro and Curatorial Studio. The restored Mattei Library now once again stands as a tangible expression of episcopal identity, authority, and cultivated learning within the historic heart of Valletta.

22/12/2025