Studied design and modelling under Robert Caruana Dingli and Antonio Sciortino respectively at the Government School of Arts. Soon he started receiving commissions for ornamental sculpture. During the early post-war years, at his studio in Paola, Montebello made a large equestrian statue of St George killing the dragon for his native village. Montebello was also commissioned by the Augustinian friars of Valletta to supervise the restorations of their baroque church and, after a recommendation by Sciortino, he made the statue of St Augustine for the facade of the same church. His name became synonymous with excellence in sculpture and every parish church started demanding his services. In the early fifties Montebello sculpted the large statues of Our Lord for St Vincent's Hospital, Luqa, and of Pope Alexander VII for Zabbar's main square. He later was commissioned to work four large statues of the four evangelists for Zebbug parish churchyard and, in the early sixties, the Madonna for the M.U.S.E.U.M. rotunda at Blata l-Bajda. Montebello enriched our island's heritage when he produced twelve large statues representing the apostles for the facade of Mosta's Rotunda. Montebello's other major works include the statue of St Francis on top of the belfry of the Franciscan church at Villambrosa, the altar-piece of St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, and the organ balcony of the basilica of Our Lady of Victories at Senglea. Montebello's works are also found outside Malta, especially among Maltese communities. A beautiful stone sundial decorated with roses and Maltese crosses, made in 1970, adorns the garden of the Royal National Rose Society at St Albans, England. Montebello only took part in one collective exhibition: 'Maltese Sculptures and Ceramics' at Gallerija Fenici (1981). Montebello was twice married in 1935 and 1950 and he had three sons and a daughter.
Submitted by Mark Montebello
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