New initiatives in Baroque Studies

The International Institute for Baroque Studies (IIBS) at the University of Malta has taken the initiative to organise an interesting seminar entitled "The Triumph over Death - a Baroque Celebration", as part of the activities of the Manoel Baroque Festival.

This seminar, held at St James Cavalier last Monday, included contributions by the director of the Institute, Professor Denis De Lucca, who described The Baroque Festa Funebre, by Rev. Professor Peter Serracino Inglott, former Rector of the University, who discussed Baroque Philosophy and Death, by Professor Mario Buhagiar who talked about Images of Death in Maltese Baroque Paintings, by Dr Keith Sciberras, who gave a lecture entitled In Memoriam Principis concerning the monumental tombstones in St John's Conventual church, by Architect Shirley Cefai who discussed the documentation about Carapecchia's Cappella Ardente and by Mgr John Azzopardi, who described the contents of the musical archives of the Baroque era in the Cathedral Museum.

Another important initiative taken by IIBS was a series of lectures to MA in Baroque Studies and BE&A (Hons.) students about the Baroque architect Guarino Guarini who was a master in handling the relationship between architectural form and light in 17th century Italy. The lectures discussed three themes associated with the study of Guarini - Personality and Style, Geometry and Light and Achievement and Legacy. The lectures were delivered by Professor James McQuillan who was invited by the University.

The director of IIBS said that the Institute plans to publish the contents of both the seminar and Professor McQuillan's lectures.