There is no better way to celebrate the heritage of the Order of St John than with the refurbishment and extension of the museum at St John’s Co-Cathedral.

The Knights of St John were the driving force behind the making of Malta’s modern history. Their conventual church served as the epicentre of their existence and the most visible statement intended to perpetuate the Order’s legacy.

Unlike most other churches and chapels in Malta and Gozo, St John’s became a microcosmic reflection of European art and culture. The precincts that have evolved to house St John’s, its adjacent buildings, art galleries and spaces are an important landmark in a cultural landscape that resonates beyond Malta’s shores. This is our heritage – it belongs to the Maltese nation, and with that comes the responsibility to take care of it and make it accessible to the public.

The beauty and cultural significance of St John’s has endured more than the military exploits of the Order, including turmoil and war. One does not need to be an art connoisseur to appreciate and admire the richness with which this baroque church was adorned. Thousands of hours were invested by Maltese craftsmen in an era during which everything was built, carved or painted by hand.

St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation started off with its long-term project of restoration and preservation 10 years ago and this is showing its fruits now. Many came forward to donate time, money and their skills to try and recapture the long lost glint this church once had.

The foundation, after accomplishing its first objective to restore the interior to the splendour it should always be kept in, is now prepared to embark on its second initiative, that is, to refurbish the museum and exhibit the artefacts, many of which are not on display due to lack of space.

The preservation of St John’s Co-Cathedral and its priceless art collections are the focus of the extension and refurbishment of St John’s Co-Cathedral museum. The baroque style of architecture and art in this church is one of a kind in the world. It is adorned with unique pieces, including tapestries, vestments, reliquaries, silverware, choral books and other forms of art.

The foundation has always had a constriction on the number of pieces to show in its museum as space is very limited, and this is where the current project stemmed from.

The new museum extension project was announced last February. It is specifically designed to meet three pressing challenges.

First, to relieve the church from overcrowding and therefore to reduce conservation pressures on one of the world’s most important baroque interiors. The sensitively designed museum will make use of all the spaces within its existing footprint and thus greatly improve the circulation of its visitors. This will also provide space and ways to give visitors an educational and comfortable visit that is now expected by experienced travellers.

This is our heritage – it belongs to the Maltese nation, and with that comes the responsibility to take care of it and make it accessible to the public

Secondly, to create a chamber to exhibit the set of Flemish tapestries, a set that is the largest 17th-century series based on the creations of world-renowned artist Peter Paul Rubens.

It is a national duty that the tapestries are cared for, studied and interpreted with the highest standards and made available to the public. The display of this dazzling set of tapestries in the correct conservation environment where they can be enjoyed and studied – after the painstakingly delicate and costly restoration – will be a unique experience.

An imposing staircase will lead directly to the Tapestry Chamber on the first floor. The tapestries must not be subjected to sunlight, which harm their delicate silk threads; Therefore the chamber will not have any windows or apertures to the outdoors.

Thirdly, to install a Caravaggio Centre. St John’s owns the largest and most important work by Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. In this age and time, with all the technological advances that are at hand, there is an overwhelming need to enhance the visitors’ experience with the use of projections, feature films, connections to tablets and other modern mediums.

The Caravaggio Centre will be highly informative, where visual, interactive, educational means will arouse curiosity and provide an exciting and enjoyable experience that appeals to all ages and levels of knowledge. The centre will serve to reaffirm Malta’s contribution to international art historical studies.

The Bartolott crypt, which lies beneath the Oratory and is not currently accessible to the public, will be transformed into an area that will house and display church silverware that is not currently available for viewing.

The entrance and exit will be from Merchants Street through the modern arches built in the post-World War II decades. Probably few are aware that St John’s Co-Cathedral was metres away from being destroyed in World War II. Several bombs fell very close to the building, and in fact, a big chunk from adjacent buildings that were three stories high on Merchant Street was completely lost and never rebuilt as it once stood.

This area will provide space for a much-needed welcome foyer for visitors who at present queue up in the street. A commemorative monument to the knights who fell in the Great Siege will become the focus of attention as visitors enter the courtyard.

It will neither be covered, nor built on. No desecration or disrespect will take place. The monument will indeed be given the attention it deserves, as the visitors’ tour will start from this point with an explanation on the audio guide highlighting its history.

The concrete platform built in the 1960s will be redesigned to evoke interest to the space and allow better circulation around the monument. The specifically designed elegant marble podium will be engraved with the names of those knights who are said to have had their remains transferred here from Vittoriosa.

The view provided from street level on Merchant Street into the courtyard will be enhanced. Passersby will be able to enjoy the view of the interior space, which will be appropriately furnished and lit during the evening.

The museum will exhibit other treasures not on display due to lack of space. These include a reliquary that holds a fragment of the True Cross that was brought to Malta from Rhodes by Grand Master Philippe de Villiers de L’Isle Adam in 1530.

Another two beautiful works of art that are currently not being displayed are a coral monstrance and a crystal one. The coral monstrance has a unique design which has been attributed to the Sicilian school in Trapani. The school is particularly known for the use of precious red coral to adorn sacred objects d’art used for liturgical functions. The exquisite crystal monstrance was used during the liturgy to display the host.

The Cappella Ardente, which has been fully restored and is presently in storage, will have its own dedicated space in the new museum. This wooden structure used to be set up in the middle of the conventual church when a Grand Master or an important dignitary, such as, a pope, died.

The structure was commissioned by a French knight Fra Joseph de Robins de Barbantane in 1726 to Italian architect Romano Carapecchia, and made by Maltese craftsman Michele Camilleri. The elaborate design also included 230 candles.

It is high time that the museum provides the space and means to give visitors an educational and comfortable visit that is now expected by the experienced traveller

Its importance lay in the fact that it was designed as a truly baroque structure intended to create a feeling of awe and intense spirit­uality. The spectacle created on funeral occasions was closely related to similar occasions held in Rome by the Church.

Current vestments and others that are in storage will be housed in the Carapecchia corridor, which was originally intended as a bigger sacristy where numerous knights could dress for various occasions.

Each grand master, within five years of his election, had to give a ‘gioia’ – a gift to the church of St John, from his own wealth. For this reason the church possesses a quantity of magnificent vestments made from silk brocade cloth and exquisitely embroidered with gold and silver threads, with ornate and intricate flower designs, embellished with the coat-of-arms of the order and those of the respective donors. They are particularly striking due to their extensive use of symbolism, an important artistic tool used during the baroque period to educate, elevate and enthral. There are 13 recorded donations of these sets of vestments. With the current museum layout some are, in fact, not exhibited.

The enhanced museum will not only open new doors and places that visitors have never seen but will also provide an air-controlled environment that is greatly needed. With the new projected layout and with air conditioning, closing various rooms due to overheating will be a thing of the past.

The museum will provide accessibility for the physically challenged.

The extension will have no direct impact on the church, designed is such a way that will allow flexible opening hours of the museum.

Thus, priceless collections will be exhibited as well as conserved for future generations to appreciate.

The museum will pay homage to the Knights, who built this outstanding monument and embellished it with precious works of art, by providing the mandatory exhibition spaces, conservation conditions, correct display and didactic information of the works of art that belong to this church. Its visitors, the majority of which are tourists, will leave St John’s with an enlightening experience they will remember.

The museum renovation project will also bring about a new dimension to the cultural level of Valletta.

The foundation is continuously investing all its proceeds towards the restoration and conservation of the treasures and building that form the Co-Cathedral and museum. The way in which visitors prefer to look, listen and learn has changed radically.

For this reason it is high time that the museum provides the space and means to give visitors an educational and comfortable visit that is now expected by the experienced traveller.

The foundation considers this project as one of national importance and will ensure that all Maltese citizens will be proud of this unique heritage site.

Cynthia de Giorgio is curator, St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation.