Determined to defend Qormi territory against the invasion of the Ottoman Turks in 1565, parish priest Dun Ġwann Cilia joined the battle but was beheaded and thrown into the Grand Harbour.
This is one of the theories behind his disappearance at the end of the Great Siege 450 years ago. His headless corpse was washed ashore at Vittoriosa and identified from a defect in his pelvic area. A document on electing a new parish priest attests to his death.
Dun Cilia is one of the protagonists of the Great Siege who will feature in one of Heritage Malta’s largest exhibitions, opening at the President’s Palace in Valletta next month. The exhibition will include at least 200 items, mainly from Malta but also Russia, Italy, Austria and the UK.
They include a book of prayers for the Maltese, published on orders by Queen Elizabeth in 1565.
The exhibition will take place between September 5 and December 6 in several rooms of the palace, including the chapel and the Grand Master’s bedroom, which have never been opened to the public.
Visitors will also be hosted to a multi-sensory experience in the Throne Room, where the frescoes telling the tale of the Great Siege will 'come to life'. The final part – the epilogue of the siege – will be displayed in the dining room.