The President was treated to a detailed and at times fascinating tour of the restoration work at the palace by Mr Degiorgio, who fastidiously explained the various fine points of the process. The walking tour took the President to various rooms in the palace, all of which have been completely transformed.

The palace will house an extensive exhibition of items and priceless artifacts that have been found while the restoration process is taking place. Mr Degiorgio said that the original estimate for the work being carried out at Palazzo Falson was close to Lm400,000 and recent research had shown that the building was over 700 years old. He added that the exhibition hall is planned to hold some 4,000 items.

Mr Degiorgio described the work undertaken to expose old arches, restore floors, reconstruct windows, preserve an extensive library and a host of other impressive restoration touches. President Fenech Adami commented positively on the restoration of the walls, adding a few anecdotes about his home in the process.

The palace will be housing a religious and a maritime collection and will also include a number of interesting reproductions such as a four-poster bed, an antique writing desk, a collection of the original locks and a cafeteria together with a bookshop and a souvenir shop. Among the books found in the 2,500-item library, Mr Degiorgio identified a priceless volume that dates back to three years after the Great Siege. He added that the volumes in the library are being vacuum-cleaned to restore them to their original condition.

Mr Degiorgio said that the whole restoration project should be completed by the end of 2005 and he thanked the President for his interest in coming to visit the palace, thus showing support for the enterprise.

President Fenech Adami reiterated by calling the project “a labour of love and an excellent job, well done”.