Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037786
14 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 10 OCTOBER 2018 CULTURE FROM Friday to Sunday this week, during the Birgufest cel- ebrations, Heritage Malta will be offering a reduced com- bined admission fee to the public to visit the Inquisitor's Palace, the Malta Maritime Museum, and Fort St Angelo. On Friday 12th October, a combined ticket for the price of €2 will provide access to the Inquisitor's Palace and the Malta Maritime Museum. Opening times are from 5pm to 11pm. On Saturday, a combined ticket for the price of €2 will provide access to the Inquisi- tor's Palace, the Malta Mari- time Museum, and Fort St Angelo. Opening times will be from 9am to midnight, with the last admission at 11.30pm. On Saturday, there will be an exclusive Curator's tour of the Inquisitor's Palace at 6pm, and two guided tours at Up- per Fort St Angelo at 8pm and 9.30pm. On Sunday, a combined tick- et for the price of €2 will pro- vide access to the Inquisitor's Palace, the Malta Maritime Museum, and Fort St Angelo, open between 9am and 5pm. Purchased tickets are valid on the day only. Children un- der 12 years enter for free. More information is availa- ble at Heritage Malta's website www.heritagemalta.org Birgufest Reduced combined admission fees for Birgu Heritage Malta sites PHOTO: MARIO CASHA PHOTOGRAPHY Fort St Angelo THE 17th Century miraculous crucifix found at the Francis- can Church of St Mary of Je- sus (Ta' Giezu) will undergo an extensive conservation by the Arts Conservation Con- sortium through the support of Bank of Valletta. Attributed to Frate Inno- cenzo da Petralia, (1592-1648), the work of art is carved in such a way that it depicts the aftermath of the hits that the body of Jesus Christ suffered during his ordeal. Legend has it that the art- ist woke up one morning and found the head of the statue complete, making it excep- tional and unique. The crucifix falls under the responsibility of the ArchCon- fraternity of the Miraculous Crucifix, a brotherhood with the sole aim to focus on the proliferation of the devotion for this crucifix. The Arch- Confraternity was set up in 1646 and boasts GrandMaster Manuel Pinto de Fonseca as one of its rectors during the mid-18th century. Under ex- pert advice, the ArchConfra- ternity commissioned the Arts Conservation Consortium (ACC), a consortium set up appositely for the restoration of the crucifix, and all experts in their field to study and re- store the crucifix, the cross and the niche. Contextual study that will accompany the physical resto- ration of the work may throw new light on its authorship and on the historical and artistic contexts in which it was made. Head Conservator Charles Vella explained that this will be an extensive conservation programme that will include: an in-depth scientific/physical diagnostics and identification of constituent materials used; scientific and technical studies of the structure; and scientific and physical examinations of the pictorial layers. Last but not least, the programme will also include a number of measures for preventive con- servation. Other conservators forming an essential part of the project are Adriana Alescio and Mi- chael Formosa. Perit Andrew Ellul is responsible for the architectural surveys of the chapel and the niche in which the Crucifix is exhibited. This will help the monitoring of the relative humidity and temper- atures. This conservation process will be curated by Cynthia De Giorgio, a qualified curator and current Chief Curator of St John's Co-Cathedral. This Scientific/diagnostic pro- gramme has been authorised by the Catholic Cultural Herit- age Commission of the Arch- diocese of Malta. "The national significance of the crucifix was one of the main factors why Bank of Valletta eagerly adopted this project," said Bank of Valletta CEO Mario Mallia. "We say adopted rather than sponsored as we closely follow the progress of the project as part of our responsibility to- wards the Maltese community, to which we owe our exist- ence." Miraculous crucifix to be restored through BOV's support