The Ħal Millieri frescoes and Maurice Caruana Curran

Abstract

The cycle of frescoes of Mal Millieri constitutes a unique treasure-house of inestimable value in Malta's cultural heritage. Along with Din l-Art Helwa, the association founded and presided over by him for more than thirty years, Maurice Caruana Curran played a crucial role in the discovery and preservation of this treasure. His role in the discovery and initial measures for the restoration and valorisation of the Annunciation church and its frescoes are dealt with in other contributions in this volume. Because of word limit constraints, I shall also refrain from going into much detail about the excavation which was conducted by Tom Blagg, Anthony Luttrell and myself in the spring of 1977, the conclusion of which might, or might not, have contributed to the change of the state of health of the frescoes. My contribution will dwell on that episode in the history of Din l-Art Helwa's guardianship of the Annunciation Church of Mal Millieri concerning the urgent measures that needed to be taken to preserve this cycle of paintings after a serious alarm was raised on their deterioration. The solutions that were presented to the Association and the solutions it selected reflect the important and fundamental shift that took place at that time concerning the methodology of preservation of fresco painting from one of 'restoration' (including radical intervention) to the current one of 'conservation' (based on minimal intervention and reversibility).