The Gobelin tapestries that drape a dark room in the President's Palace, Valletta, have seen the light, with the launch of limited-edition prints of their photographs from the archives of the Department of Information.
Only 500 sets of numbered prints, depicting the 10 tapestries and costing €150, are available from the DOI and the Gozo Cultural Office. They are contained in sealed folders and carry a certificate of authenticity.
Printed on special paper measuring 46cm x 32cm, they are aimed at art collectors, said DOI assistant director Publius Agius, adding that more initiatives of the sort were in the pipeline to unearth the department's rich, 50-year archives for the public.
The tapestry photographs were shot by Martin Attard and they have also been turned into a calendar and a desk dairy so the Maltese can enjoy their prestigious patrimony, Mr Agius said.
The prints were launched on the 300th anniversary of the commission of the Gobelin tapestries by Grand Master Ramon Perellos. The works of art arrived in Malta two years later, in 1710, and only left for restoration in Paris at the turn of the 20th century. They were away for 10 years - longer than it took to create them - returning to Malta in 1910.
The DOI is currently undergoing a restructuring process and the parliamentary secretary in the OPM, Chris Said, said its website, which has received 35 million hits between last January and September, will soon be revamped.
So too is the next issue of the Government Gazette in January - it is being produced on recycled paper and has a more user-friendly format.
The DOI is also carrying out the laborious process of digitalisation of its 16mm films, to be made available to the public on DVD.
Dr Said said he was meeting journalists and their associations over the coming weeks in a consultation process that aimed to respond to the needs of the media.
He referred to Parliament's move out of the President's Palace, allowing it to be transformed into a museum as it deserved.
The Gobelin tapestries are the palace's most important attraction, he said, adding they would now be more accessible to the public through the prints.
Order forms for the sets can be downloaded from www.doi.gov.mt and sent to sales.office.doi@gov.mt, or by fax on 2125 0582.