Did you ever wonder what is required to keep the numerous oil paintings, statues and abundant artefacts in Malta in good condition? A drive to Kalkara, to the part known as Bighi, will lead you to the place where decaying and damaged works of art are carefully and patiently restored to their former glory.

Dr Martina Caruana at the Malta Centre for Restoration provides all the information on the centre.

Dr Caruana obtained her doctorate in History of Art from Sorbonne University, researching 12th to 18th century illuminated manuscripts in Malta together with related manuscripts in various European libraries. She is both the deputy director dealing with the day-to-day administration of the centre as well as the director of studies, which means that she coordinates the various courses, from short introductory courses to Masters degree level. The centre also collaborates on PhD programmes.

“We get students from different fields and different walks of life, from graduates to people coming out of Sixth Form to others who have a job but want to try something completely different, especially as this kind of thing wasn’t offered in the past. They need an ‘A’ level in chemistry apart from the general entry requirements normally required for university.

“However if they wish to enter the degree programme they must also do the introductory course. This helps them to prepare for the entrance exam which tests their manual dexterity, one of the components that is required of a conservator.” There are six divisions: the Institute for Conservation and Restoration Studies, Conservation and Restoration Projects Management, Conservation and Intervention Division, Diagnostic Science Laboratories, Documentation Division and the International Office.

There is vocational training for those who want to work in stone, leading to a Certificate in Stone Heritage Skills and for students who want to work on site.

“As part of their practical training there are real projects and they are doing hands-on work conserving buildings. In the vocational courses there are four levels: riffied and sewwej where the students are under complete supervision by conservation architects, mastru where the student starts to take on a bit more responsibility and eventually we are planning the kapumastru level where the level of responsibility is increased even further.”

When it comes to our limestone, Dr Caruana points out that Malta is one of a kind.

“We have a virtually unique problem. They have stone similar to ours in Lecce if I’m not mistaken. When we receive students on internships here it is a whole new learning experience for them.”

For those wishing to read for a Bachelor’s degree there are four areas of study:

• paintings and polychrome sculpture

• ceramics, glass, metals and stone

• textiles

• books and paper

“Students will have a mix of theory and practice, with the practicals being real case studies. Naturally if the artefact cannot be moved, the students have to go together with their supervisors on site. They also have the opportunity to go abroad and have experience in other countries.”

The main lab space is for easel paintings and polychrome sculptures where works of art come from parish churches, religious foundations and even private collections. One of the graduates gave a brief demonstration of the kind of work required to restore a large frame and explains, “Insect damage is a big problem and so is the considerable fluctuation in humidity and temperature. When the object has been restored we then have to ensure that it is going back to the same conditions as it had here, otherwise it will become damaged again. We also do a lot of preventive conservation, which is intended to prevent the work of art from deteriorating further. The problem is that museums have limited finances so they cannot always afford to do the restoration. The good thing is that it is never too late because you can always salvage something.”

The Bighi premises is quite impressive to look at and its history is fascinating. Dr Caruana explained that this Baroque villa, with its large expanse of gardens, was originally built by Fra Giovanni Bichi (hence the name). It is an appropriate site to house a restoration centre because it is one of Malta’s finest examples of neo-classical architecture from the early 19th century. Situated as it is, overlooking the grand Harbour, the British later decided it would be suitable to use as the Royal Naval Hospital. They constructed two lateral wings to accommodate more patients.

After the British left Malta it was used as a trade school and then in May 1999, it became the Malta Centre for Restoration “We tried to retain the old functions of the place. What was a surgical block is now where the interventions take place, what was the kitchen is now our canteen, and so on. The place lends itself pretty well, it is a very large space, which is a luxury, compared to conservation centres abroad, which are usually in pokey holes. A lot of conservators from abroad remark about that, in fact. We get people from all over the world to lecture here and we also get interns for a short work experience. At the moment we have around 70 students.”

Dr Caruana pointed out that conservation is a multi-disciplinary field. The conservator needs the support of a number of specialists, including scientists because he needs to understand the materials that constitute a work of art. The analysis of the materials used can also give a good idea as to the technique involved.

“He needs to understand what is causing the deterioration and what materials can be used to counteract it. He also needs to understand the treatment to be used from the scientific point of view as well.” With its pristine appearance, powerful microscopes, X-ray machines and other sophisticated equipment, this division really does look like a hospital. The sight of staff walking around in white lab coats continues to bring home this similarity. In fact, the objects of art are treated like ‘patients’ even to the extent of keeping files on their ‘medical history’.

One particular microscope, of which there are only three on the island, magnifies the size to the extent that one can actually see the elements of the object so one can understand the chemical composition of a sample the size of a pinhead. “Just like a doctor might need to take a sample of your blood for a better diagnosis, we do exactly the same thing with material objects. Where we see it will be of benefit, we go ahead and perform a ‘surgical intervention’ to preserve it. If you are analysing a sample of stone, for example, and you are trying to see what the salt content is – which is something that concerns Malta a lot – you would use ion chromatography to determine if it is sodium chloride or another type of salt, and its quantity. If there is too much, we have to intervene.” The sophisticated techniques used in the documentation division include 3-D imaging, where a scan of a site is reproduced on computer so that you can map the area of deterioration and ‘look’ at it from all angles.

The work going on at the Malta Centre for Restoration is significant on an international scale as well. The Ikonos project includes the transmission of the introductory course via satellite as well as video conferencing.

“We get everyone from bankers, auctioneers, scientists, engineers, students – it’s a really lovely mixture. You’re giving a lecture, they’re following it in real time and they can ask you questions. We’ve had students from Greece, Jordan, Nigeria and Morocco so it’s interesting to see the interaction of the different cultures as well.”

The Malta Centre for Restoration is an excellent example of how something can work when there has been vision and careful planning. In the space of five years, the Centre has managed to create professionals capable of handling Malta’s cultural heritage. The priority was to get people qualified and trained in this specialisation and this investment is now bearing fruit. The other departments have gradually developed to support the initial structure.

Dr Martina Caruana is one of many people who have been instrumental in ensuring that our artefacts will be preserved for years to come.

For more information on the courses at the Malta Centre for Restoration go to www.mcr.edu.mt or phone 2180-7675/6