More than 350 people attended Malta International Airport’s (MIA) annual shareholders’ event on Wednesday, marking a record turnout for the gathering, MIA said in a statement.
This year’s event focused on the Foundation’s support for Malta’s artistic heritage, highlighting conservation projects involving medieval frescoes at Ħal Millieri and historic Stations of the Cross paintings in Valletta.
The event opened with a presentation by Prof. JoAnn Cassar and Dr Jennifer Porter from the University of Malta’s Department of Conservation and Built Heritage, who outlined ongoing conservation work on the medieval frescoes inside the Chapel of the Annunciation at Ħal Millieri.
The speakers thanked Din l-Art Ħelwa, which acts as guardian of the chapel, for entrusting the department with the project, as well as the Malta Airport Foundation for its financial support.
Cassar noted that projects of this kind serve a purpose beyond safeguarding historic works, providing aspiring conservators with valuable practical experience and learning opportunities that may otherwise be difficult to access.
Claudette Buttigieg, chief executive officer of the University of Malta’s Research, Innovation and Development Trust (RIDT), which is partnering in the Ħal Millieri conservation and research project, also addressed the event. She thanked the organisations and individuals involved, highlighting the expertise and work required to carry out such initiatives.
The programme continued with a presentation by Valentina Lupo of Atelier del Restauro, who explored the origins and development of the Via Crucis tradition in churches before turning to the 14 Stations of the Cross housed at the Church of Saint Mary of Jesus in Valletta.
The historic paintings underwent restoration between 2023 and 2024 with the support of the Malta Airport Foundation.
Lupo explained that the 14 paintings forming a Via Sagra were often commissioned separately by patrons who funded individual stations or groups of works. As a result, collections frequently brought together paintings by different artists.
Six of the paintings in the Valletta church’s collection are attributed to Francesco Zahra, one of Malta’s prominent 18th-century Baroque artists.
The event also highlighted the Foundation’s collaboration with Heritage Malta, with attendees given the opportunity to register for a complimentary Heritage Malta membership or a Heritage Malta Senior Passport. The initiative aims to encourage greater public engagement with the island’s cultural heritage.
Established in 2014, the Malta Airport Foundation invests in projects dedicated to safeguarding Malta’s cultural, artistic and environmental heritage, particularly its marine heritage.