SPEECH BY THE HON. LOUIS GALEA, MINISTER OF EDUCATION, ON "ARMOUR CONSERVATION PROJECT", SPONSORED BY THE BANK OF VALLETTA AND THE ROYAL ARMOURIES OF LEEDS

I would like to underline the importance of this event, and the significance of the project as an example of how state collaboration with non-governmental sectors can lead to fruitful results in the conservation of our cultural heritage.

The conservation project is the result of discussions between the Museums Department and the Millennium Project Committee of the Bank of Valletta. This project originally started in November 1999 when a team of conservators from the Royal Armoury (Leeds) were invited by the Museums Department to provide advice on a number of problems related to armour conservation.

This visit by such esteemed specialists in the field of conservation, attracted the attention of the Bank of Valletta which expressed its support for the armour conservation project along lines originally proposed by the Museums Department. At the time, Mr. Robert Smith (Head of Conservation, Royal Armouries), Mr. Chris Smith and Alison Draper (Conservation Department, Royal Armouries) were introduced to the Bank Of Valletta Millennium Project Committee where they discussed the merits and potential of the proposed project.

As Mr. Portanier has indicated, this particular project is the second one in a broader Bank of Valletta financial package that also included the restoration of Antonio Sciortino' s Kristu Re.

The Armour Conservation project differs from that of the Kristu Re project in a number of ways. While the first project focused on the restoration of a prominent public monument, the Armour Conservation project aims at conserving 5 very important suits of armour. These originally belonged to two Grandmasters, Martino Garzes (1595 – 1601) and Alof de Wignacourt (1601 to 1622) and three prominent members of the Order of St John: one reputably belonging to the Grand Commander Jean Jacques de Verdelain, another manufactured by famous Milanese armourer Pompeo della Cesa; one other which has no attributions yet is an important "Cuirassier" armour of the later period.

A very important part of the project consists in a skills transfer programme whereby the staff of the Palace Armoury will benefit from first-hand experience in the art of armour conservation.

Given the historical links between Malta's National Collection at the Palace Armoury and the Royal Armoury Collections at the Tower of London and Leeds, Mr. Smith and his colleagues accepted the invitation to take the project in hand, and in doing so, waving aside professional fees.

On behalf of the Ministry and the Museums Department I would like to personally thank the Royal Armouries Conservation Department for this most generous donation of their time and expertise. Without this contribution, the project may have had to be scaled down significantly or abandoned altogether. In particular, I would like to extend my thanks to Mr. Guy Wilson, Master of the Armouries, for being so instrumental in making available such valuable resources and expertise.

In their usual positive manner, the Bank of Valletta group decided to support this wonderful initiative by providing equipment and the necessary hardware required for the entire project. The Bank also provided conservation materials and covered additional expenses related to travel and accommodation.

In this regard, I would like to thank Mr. Joseph Zahra (Chairman, Bank of Valletta), Mr. George Portanier and other members of the Bank Of Valletta Millennium Project.pr