19. Entrance to Museum
The entrance to the Museum is home to the monumental bronze sculpture of Christ the Saviour. It was commissioned from Alessandro Algardi, the famous Bolognese sculptor, working in Rome. The statue arrived in Malta in August 1639 and was originally installed in a large free-standing niche at the Grand Harbour. Originally Christ the Saviour held a globe in one hand and had the other raised, blessing those who arrived and departed from the Grand Harbour of Malta.
About the year 1712 the niche was removed and the statue was placed on the façade of a newly built church along the quay of the harbour. In 1853, this church was pulled down and the sculpture was placed on the pediment of the façade of St John’s Co-Cathedral. In the process of one of these re-installations the statue was remodelled and the original torso and hands were removed and a drape added as seen in its present arrangement.
The sculpture has recently undergone restoration and for preservation reasons is kept here indoors. A replica of the original sculpture was placed on the pediment of the façade.