A significant piece of Malta’s heritage has just been restored in Casa Manresa, marking 275 years since the building’s opening. The titular painting inside the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Manresa – originally completed in 1748 – has undergone meticulous restoration.

The painting is the work of Antoine Favray and depicts St Ignatius of Loyola writing the Spiritual Exercises in Manresa. He is shown under the gaze of the Virgin Mary and Jesus, in a composition that follows the traditional sacra conversazione style. The restoration was carried out by Amy Sciberras and her team, bringing renewed clarity and detail to the artwork.

Casa Manresa was inaugurated on 16th March 1751 as a Jesuit retreat house, before later becoming a diocesan seminary that trained generations of Maltese clergy. Today, it serves as the Archbishop’s Curia and remains an important part of Malta’s religious and cultural landscape.

The building reflects late Baroque architecture transitioning into Rococo. Its façade features Our Lady with the Child Jesus, flanked by St John the Baptist and St Paul, bringing together key religious figures connected to Malta. Inside, the restored painting remains one of the chapel’s central highlights.

Have you ever visited Casa Manresa?