Fil-Knisja Parrokkjali tal-Kalkara nsibu sett ta’ erbatax-il stazzjon tal-Via Sagra bi kwadri tal-irħam li jdawru l-istess Knisja. Il-pittura tal-istazzjonijiet saret mill-artist Taljan Attilio Palombi u ġiet impittra lejn l-aħħar tas-seklu dsatax. Oriġinarjament dan is-sett kien sar għall-Knisja ta’ San Pawl fil-Belt Valletta, iżda tneħħa minn hemm meta saret il-Via Sagra tal-bronż, xogħol Pietro Tavani. Il-pittura ngħatat lill-Knisja Parrokkjali tal-Kalkara fil-bidu tas-snin ħamsin, eżattament kif intemm il-proċess tal-bini tal-istess Knisja. Għalihom inħadmu sett kwadri tal-irħam ġewwa Pietrasanta fl-Italja.
Matul dawn is-snin kollha l-pittura tal-istazzjonijiet qatt ma ġiet restawrata u għalhekk din ġarrbet ammont ta’ ħsara fit-tila u anke telf ta’ żebgħa. Fil-jiem li għaddew l-Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara tat bidu għal proġett ieħor ta’ restawr ta’ dawn il-pitturi. Ftit tal-ġranet ilu, nofs il-pitturi tniżżlu minn posthom fil-Knisja Parrokkjali u ttieħdu ġewwa l-bottega ta’ Restawr Arti fejn taħt is-superviżjoni tar-restawratriċi Semira Bugeja nbeda x-xogħol meħtieġ ta’ restawr fuq dan is-sett tant important u artistiku fil-Kalkara. Dan il-proġett qed isir mill-Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara b’kollaborazzjoni mall-@Parroċċa San Ġużepp Kalkara #parroċċakalkara u huwa kofinanzjat minn fondi tal-Unjoni Ewropea taħt il-programm LEADER 2014 – 2020.
Restoration of a set of fourteen stations of the Via Sacra in the Kalkara Parish Church
The Kalkara Parish Church has a set of fourteen stations of the Via Sacra with marble frames. that surround the same Church. The paintings of the stations were done by the Italian artist Attilio Palombi and were painted towards the end of the nineteenth century. Originally this set was commissioned for the Church of Saint Paul in Valletta, but it was later replaced by a bronze Via Sacra, works of Pietro Tavani. The paintings were given to the Kalkara Parish Church in the early fifties, exactly as the process of building the same Church was concluded. A set of marble frames was made in Pietrasanta in Italy.
During all these years the paintings of the stations were never restored and therefore suffered a lot of damage to the canvas and even loss of paint. In the past few days Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara has initiated another project to restore these paintings. A few days ago, half of the paintings were taken down from their place in the Parish Church and transported to the Restawr Arti workshop where under supervision of the restorer Semira Bugeja, the necessary restoration works started on this very important and artistic set in Kalkara. This project is being carried out by Assoċjazzjoni Wirt il-Kalkara in collaboration with the Kalkara Parish of Saint Joseph and is co-financed by European Union funds under the LEADER 2014 – 2020 program.
