A double-handed sword dating from the first half of the 16th century has been donated to Heritage Malta by Francesco Pegoiani Penna from his private collection.

Heritage Malta plans to display it at the Palace Armoury.

Users of this type of sword, technically called Zweihänder,had to have particular skills and were even paid in excess of their usual pay. Such swords could easily cut through the period armour and sever an opponent in two with just one blow.

Such swords were used by the knights of the Order of St. John and by the mercenaries in the defence of Malta during the Great Siege of 1565. Their use  is documented in the wall painted frieze by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio in the Grand Council Chamber (Throne Room) at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta. 

The Palace Armoury holds two similar ‘hand-and-half’ swords which date to the same period. Even these swords were used during the Great Siege, as were the large quantities of issue plate armour and pole arms that are still preserved in the Palace Armoury collection, all dating to the same period.

The double-handed sword was received by the Curator of the Palace Armoury, Robert Cassar, and Senior Curator Emmanuel Magro Conti. It is now at the Heritage Malta Conservation Laboratories to be prepared for display at the Palace Armoury in the section representing edged weapons from the early decades of the 16th century together with the other hand-and-half swords.