I refer to the article on the restoration project of the Chapel of Italy and would like to correct some of the wrong impressions given as a result of the interview with the current Curator of St John’s Co Cathedral Foundation, Cynthia de Giorgio (TMIS, 4 December).

This project was completely planned and executed by the Valletta Rehabilitation Project (VRP) in the Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure. The cathedral is administered by the Foundation and therefore all our work there is done in collaboration with it and the Metropolitan Cathedral Chapter.

The decisions taken with regard to the regilding and the other interventions on the wall, the paintings, the wall painting, the marble, the wood and the bronze elements were all the result of a lengthy planning and documentation process.

This process included discussions with representatives of the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro, an international scientific committee commissioned by VRP (which included Prof. Giorgio Bonsanti), Dott. Sante Guido, Giuseppe Mantella, the art historian Keith Sciberras, Claude Busuttil, Executive Secretary of the St. John's Co-Cathedral Foundation.and Daniela Apap Bologna, the Curator during the best part of the project.

The Italian government offered Euro 402,2000 for the project while the rest, circa Lm70,000, came from VRP funds. VRP was responsible for all that was done in the chapel except for the lighting system and the copy of Caravaggio’s St Jerome, both of which are the responsibility of the Foundation.

Ray Bondin