Mattia Preti's St George on Horseback will be displayed in an exhibition to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the birth of King James in Valencia, Spain.

The painting, which hangs in the chapel of the Langue of Aragona, Catalogna and Navarra in St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, was commissioned by Grand Master De Redin. It was executed between 1655 and 1656 in Napes and sent to Malta.

The chapel itself is dedicated to St George, whose relics, it is believed, assisted the victory of the Crusaders at Jerusalem at the time of the foundation of the Knights Hospitallers, later becoming the Order of St John.

The painting depicts St George on horseback in the process of rescuing a maiden from a dragon terrorizing the town of Selina in Libya. Above, angels carry the insigna of the Knights of the Langue of Aragon.

The background scene is thought to be the Battle of El Puig which was a key event in the history of Valencia as it led to the creation of the Kingdom of Valencia by James I.

The exhibition, which will run from next Thursday till February 11, is being organised by the Cultural Secretariat of Valencia.

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