Restoration and conservation work has started on the statue of St Paul, which has endured adverse weather conditions standing tall on St Paul’s Islands for the past 162 years.

The restoration and conservation work is being undertaken by the Vassallo Builders Group of Companies, together with the national trust of Malta, Din l-Art Helwa, which has looked after the statue since 1994.

Vassallo Builders have put up scaffolding around the statue and the restoration and conservation process is now under way. This involves studying, documenting and treating the statue.

The team of qualified conservator-restorers is made up of Ingrid Ross, James Licari and Frank Chetcuti. Din l-Art Helwa council member Stanley Farrugia Randon is coordinating the project.

Nazzareno Vassallo, chairman of Vassallo Builders Group said: “On the occasion of the group’s 60th anniversary, we are proud to once again sponsor the restoration of this important landmark representing Malta’s religious and cultural heritage.”

Vassallo Builders Group had agreed to underwrite the costs of a survey as well as some of the initial costs of the statue’s first restoration in 1996.

The large statue of St Paul is the work of two sculptors – Sigismondo Dimech (1780-1853) from Valletta and Salvatore Dimech (1805-1887) from Lija.

The statue alone is about four metres high and represents St Paul holding a book in his left hand and his right hand up high, with a snake lying at his feet. Tradition has it that St Paul survived the bite of a snake when he was shipwrecked in Malta and that this is why no poisonous snakes now exist on the island.