NGO Hbieb il-Kappelli Maltin (The Friends of Maltese Chapels) has drawn the attention of the authorities to the sorry state of repair and abandonment of the San Mikiel is-Sancir chapel, located in the countryside in the area known as Fiddien, just outside Rabat.

The chapel dates back to mediaeval times and the NGO has warned that if it is not taken care of, “it may soon collapse and be lost forever”.

The NGO has noted that several cracks and vegetation can be seen on the chapel’s walls and that some of the roofing slabs have already fallen.

Hbieb il-Kappelli Maltin adds: “It is surrounded by all sorts of rubbish, which surely is not befitting a place of historical and cultural interest, and its door is blocked by cane. The chapel needs immediate restoration and the lane which leads to it also needs re-surfacing.”

The NGO said it has a detailed study of what needs to be done to restore the chapel and its surroundings “so the country does not lose this gem of its national patrimony”.