Caravaggio's masterpieces under media spotlight

A group of art journalists from the UK have just paid a brief visit to view the Caravaggio paintings at St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta.

The visit, arranged by the Malta Tourism Authority's London office, was made in conjunction with the National Gallery of London, which is currently staging a major exhibition on Caravaggio's final years.

Journalists from The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times and Time Out magazine were accompanied by the director of the National Gallery, Charles Saumarez Smith, the assistant curator, Xavier Bray, and the National Gallery's press officer, Catherine Hinde.

The two-day visit started with a private tour of St John's Co-Cathedral with Caravaggio expert Keith Sciberras giving the guests a short lecture on the two famous paintings by the Italian artist - The Beheading of St John the Baptist and the St Jerome.

During their stay, the group met Philip Farrugia Randon, author of two books on Caravaggio, and the Minister for Tourism and Culture Francis Zammit Dimech.

The visit produced extensive coverage for Malta within the context of the Caravaggio exhibition, the MTA said. The two Malta paintings were included in a special eight-page supplement published by The Guardian and are also prominently featured in the exhibition's official publication.

The Malta Tourist Office in London is using Caravaggio's Beheading of St John the Baptist as one of the images in its national press campaign.