Heritage Malta has for the past two years been working on creating a grand exhibition to commemorate the Great Siege of 1565, a heroic defence in the face of adversity.
At the time of the Great Siege, the old continent was not just under the threat of an Ottoman invasion but was also divided and at war within itself, between countries supporting and upholding Papal supremacy and the various Protestant states. These ‘internal’ religious matters were in the limelight and many European states slacked in defensive strategies against Ottoman expansion in Eastern Europe.
The Ottoman strategy now shifted to attack Europe from the south, using Malta as a platform, with the ultimate goal being Rome. Thus, the lifting of the Great Siege of Malta was the first good news for Europe, both Roman Catholic and Protestant, after practically a century – so much so that even Queen Elizabeth of England rejoiced upon hearing the news and ordered prayers and church bell ringing in thanksgiving to God for halting the Ottoman expansion into Europe.
Heritage Malta has thus seen it fit to include a contextual background to the siege – the inception of the Order of St John, the events occurring in Europe and in Turkey and North Africa, rulers and powers, and not least what was happening in Malta and the Maltese.
Over 150 historic items or groups of items have been selected for display in the exhibition, including Grand Master Jean de Valette’s four armour components and the Ottoman Spahi armour, both from the Palace Armoury. The Maltese archives, be they the Order’s, Notary and other historic institutions, provided primary sources of information and informative display material. Other Maltese Church and private museums, including the Cathedral Museum, have also provided historic and interesting artefacts.
The exhibition will also feature a number of artefacts from international sources. The Kremlin Museum will be lending Grand Master L’Isle Adam’s eight-pointed cross. From Leeds Royal Armouries, several components of decorated armour pieces are to be amalgamated for the first time after well over 200 years with their counterpart components from the Palace Armoury.
Palazzo Venezia and the Order of St John – both in Rome – will be lending historic items. Greenwich Maritime Museum will be lending two important paintings, one after Perez d’Aleccio documenting a now-partly-lost fresco painting at the Palace in Valletta.
From the Kunsthistorische Museum of Vienna, among other items, the armour of Ascanio della Ciornia, leader of the Gran Soccorso, will be displayed. Moreover, de Valette Rock Crystal Cross, a gift from the Pope after the siege, will be brought over from the Order’s museum at Clerkenwell, London, together with other items.
The exhibition, under the Patronage of the President of Malta, will be displayed in several rooms in the Palace. The Throne Room will set the scene of the siege itself and the Perez d’Aleccio frescoes, which form part of the display, will take the form of an immersive display.
The exhibition opens on September 4 and runs till December 6. For more information follow the event on Heritage Malta’s official Facebook page or the Great Siege blog www.heritagemalta.org/1565.