Samuel Bugeja was also a highly respected art restorer that studied in Rome and in the UK. During his restoration of the Sanctuary of Mellieha, he was convinced that the icon depicting Our Virgin Mary and her son Jesus, was not the original. Following various tests, approval was given to uncover what was underneath. Today one can see this 400 year old icon, one of the oldest Icons in Europe. During this period, Samuel Bugeja was also commissioned to create various large ‘bassorilievo’ (Bas-Relief) depicting the journey of St Paul’s Shipwreck in Malta and leading to the destruction of the Icon by the Turks (as legend has it). These can be seen all around the Mellieha Sanctuary.