Art of 700 years ago revived in St Mary's Church in 1954.

St Mary's Church; T.Millar &Co, Maryborough, Qld. Source: Image Gallery

In 1954 Luigi Gino Favrette visited St Mary's Catholic Church, Maryborough to demonstrate an ancient European art form.  Mr Favrette, according to the Maryborough Chronicle, studied in Milan, and took his diploma in architecture. He then renounced all of this to revive al fresco painting and to teach the story of Jesus to the congregation. He was specially sponsored to come to Australia to demonstrate this artwork to the local students and the congregation. Months of preparation were needed and Mr Favrette took two and half months to complete the works. He painted two murals in Brisbane and one in Gympie before coming to Maryborough (Maryborough Chronicle).

"The two panels on which he is engaged at the back of the altar in St Mary's Church represent Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and the Transfiguration of Jesus. Both are bathed in light and glowing colour. The figures of our Lady and Jesus are seven feet high and with attendant saints and angels, cover an area of 25 feet by 17 feet."(Maryborough Chronicle).

St Mary's Catholic Church in Maryborough, C. 1911. The Church was build in 1871 in Adelaide Street, facing Bazaar Street. It was remodelled in 1935. Source: Tom Ryan Collection Image Gallery

These murals fell into disrepair and were removed from the Church. An effort to get a picture of the al fresco murals for the Maryborough Mural project to recreate these images is underway.

If anyone has a picture of the al fresco artworks inside St Mary's Church in Maryborough, please let Fraser Coast Libraries'  Information Services Librarian know by ringing (07) 41905788.  

Post Script:
A Library customer has supplied this image of the Frescos.

Image of Fresco's at the back of the Church. Source F. Graves.

References
Maryborough Chronicle 22nd March, 1954 Luigi Gino Favrette retrieved from Trove 28th October, 2019.