Restoration work to prevent the further degradation and collapse of the belfry of the Immaculate Conception Church has been completed.

The church was built by the Knight Rafel Spinola, who wished to have a church near the palace he had built in St Julian’s Bay in a locality now known as Spinola. The church was built in 1687 and enlarged at the beginning of this century while a new façade was given to it in 1914.

Over the years the stonework of the belfry had deteriorated considerably, mainly due to mechanical action from the salt-heavy wind. An open stone staircase gives access to the belfry through the south arch. The other three arches support a bronze bell in each opening. The bell in the east arch collapsed in January 2010, when the iron cross-bar from which it was suspended became dislodged from its support. The other two bells are smaller in size but supported in the same manner, namely by means of metal cross-members notched into the stone work at the springing of the arch. The rusting of the embedded metal has caused the ends to expand and erode the stone support. In January 2011, the Restoration Directorate (Ministry of Resources and Rural Affairs) was requested by the St Julian’s Parish, to complement Perit Victor Torpiano (TBA Periti) who had already been commissioned by the same parish, to repair the damage to the belfry and to execute other restoration works. On the internal part of the belfry, a concrete frame had previously been constructed to support the weight of the bell and to relieve the masonry from this weight.

Together with Perit Torpiano, Restoration Directorate personnel decided that this frame would be retained but the deteriorated masonry which makes up the architrave would be replaced. The rest of the stone work which was still in a very good state of preservation was retained, cleaned and repointed. The stone work which has been damaged due to the expansive action of the rusting steel was replaced while the old brackets which are made of good quality iron were cleaned from rust, treated with anti-rust paint and re-positioned into place. The roof of the belfry was cleaned from all biological growth and a new ‘deffun’ layer was laid to direct the rain water out. The coping above the parapet walls was repaired as was the broken base of the cross which stands on top of the pediment.

Once the work on the belfry was completed, works ensued on the side elevations of the church and will soon commence on the façade. The more delicate work will consist in the restoration of the entablature and pediment while the more intensive will concentrate on the restoration of the wall abutting the external staircase.