Lecture and demonstration at Palace Armoury

Heritage Malta presents a unique chance to see and hear about the art of fencing as it may have been in the time of the Knights of St John. Italian fencing master and historian Giancarlo Toran will be giving a public lecture and demonstration at the Palace Armoury on Wednesday at 7 p.m. There will also be chance for those keen to try their hand at fencing to participate in a brief 'hands-on' session.

Toran is president of the Italian Fencing Masters' Association and teaches fencing at Busto Arsizio in Turin. He has been researching historic archives and literature on fencing and has published several books on the subject. His Introduzione alla Tattica Schermistica and Dispense di Spada are recognised as the main texts for the qualification of Maestro di Scherma at the National Fencing Academy of Naples.

The setting for this event, the Palace Armoury, is fitting: in its heyday, the Armoury was the pride of the Order of St John and held enough arms to equip thousands of soldiers. It still ranks among the world's greatest arms collections that are housed in their original buildings. It contains abundant armour of Italian, German, Spanish and French origin manufactured by master armourers.

The lecture and demonstration are part of Heritage Malta's programme of events aimed at making Malta's cultural heritage more accessible and relevant to the general public.

For further information, contact the Palace Armoury on 2124-9349 or e-mail: info@heritagemalta.org