Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (SB)
Mangaluru, Apr 13: The historical paintings of the St Aloysius College Chapel are going to be restored. Informing about the restoration work to the media here on Thursday, April 12, Fr Dr Fr Dionysius Vas said, “The 120 year-old paintings are badly damaged due to age as well by rain water seeping through the walls, dust and fungal growth,”
“They were restored by specialists from INTECH-ICI, Lucknow from 1991 to 1994 under the supervision of Dr Agarwal, the director who also recommended then that the paintings be renovated every 20 years to maintain them.”
“After the passage of more than 20 years of previous restoration, the authorities of the chapel contacted INTACH to review the status of preservation of paintings and suggest conservation measures that may be required. A visit was therefore conducted by Nilabh Sinha, principal director, INTACH Conservation Institutes, Art and Material Heritage division to our college on March 29, 2016 to assess the condition of the paintings,” he added.
“He found several damages and suggested that immediate remedial measures have to be taken to correct them. The restoration work will need about 18 months and will need a budget of around Rs 1.5 crore,” Fr Vas informed.
“The restoration work has already begun. Experts from Delhi have been deputed for undertaking the work. Nilabh Sinha visits the Church regularly to monitor and guide the experts. Some recent visitors from Italy, one of whom is a painter, expressed his satisfaction about the restoration work,” he added.
Nilabh Sinha, principal director, INTACH, Fr Leo D’Souza, former principal and Fr Denzil were present.
The walls of the chapel of St Aloysius College, Mangaluru built in 1880 were transformed into admirable work of art by the Italian Jesuit master painter, Antonio Moscheni SJ at the end of the 19th century.
Within just two and a half years, he completed the work of painting of whole church covering a total of 829 sq metres with exquisite frescoes and canvasses. Running down the high ceiling are a series of panels depicting the life of Saint Aloysius Gonzaga after whom the College is named. The large frescoes on the walls and ceiling of the side ships portray the life of Jesus. On the upper and lower arches are depicted various saints of the Catholic Church.
Thousands of people visit the chapel and appreciate the paintings.