During ongoing restoration works at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta carried out by Heritage Malta a series of wall decorations were discovered in a balcony – on which restoration works were completed a week ago – overlooking Archbishop Street.
The painted decorations were discovered beneath several layers of paint and were likely hidden when the walls and balcony were whitewashed in the early British period.
The national agency for museums, conservation practice and cultural heritage stated the decorations were probably executed during the French rule in Malta (1798-1800), which would place them among the very few known painted works produced during this period.
“Painted works executed during the French period in Malta are very few and far between,” says Heritage Malta.
The paintings depict scenes from classical mythology and popular allegories of the late 18th century, such as those of the continents, which were in high demand during the French revolution.
The balcony also serves as a passageway between two of the three halls that were recently opened to the public, and its decorations are understood to be of a similar style and theme as those exposed in the three halls.
“The French Republican emblems were painted in local parish churches but only one of them survives at the Mdina Cathedral Museum,” says Heritage Malta. “The recently restored Grand Master’s carriage at the Grand Master’s Palace bears four oval images containing emblems of the French Revolution.”
The three halls recently opened to the public are the Four Continents Room, the French Room, and the Room of the Order of St Michael and St George. These are part of the nine rooms opened for the first time since last June as part of extensive restoration works at the Palace, from the repair of decorated wooden ceilings and frescoes to flooring made of marble and flagstones.
Photography: Heritage Malta
