Summer Treasures

Treasures of Malta

Giovanni Bonello, ed., Issue 90, Summer 2024, Volume XXX, Issue 3,

Publisher Heritage Foundation Maltese

One of the most sacred treasures of the Knights is the relic of the right hand of St. John the Baptist. It is also one of the most worth seeing items for many distinguished visitors who are attracted to the island. In addition to the other great treasures of the Knights, Our Lady of Philemosit was taken away by Grand Master Hompesch, and both were eventually sent to a monastery in the Black Mountains.

Prolific German scholar Thomas Frehler has delved into the history and transformation of this relic, which is traditionally believed to have been a gift from the Turkish Sultan Bayezid III to the Archbishop of Rhodes in 1484. Curiously, however, there are records of visitors seeing the right hand of John the Baptist in Rhodes in 1413. Furthermore, the saint’s other right hand is still on display in Istanbul’s Topkapi Palace. In the Middle Ages, people were madly snapping up relics, which, in addition to their sacred value, attracted pilgrims to various holy sites, and every imaginable and unimaginable item mentioned in the Bible could be found throughout Europe, sometimes more than twice as many.

Issue 90 Treasures of Maltaflagship publication Malta Heritage Foundationas usual we were so happy to have it home, especially on these hot days as it gave us a perfect excuse to stay indoors and flip through it in the cool.

Francesco Maffei (c.1605–1660), The Beheading of Saint John.

Giovanni Bonello investigates Caravaggio Beheading The influence on the depiction of the subject in the Baroque style was enormous. His revolutionary impact on the subject imagery left a deep mark on the minds of many artists, some small but significant, and others more obvious. Among the artists inspired by Caravaggio, Bonello mentions Paladini, Pasquale Buhagiar, Casarino and several others. However, as can be expected, no one has ever reached the sublime level of the original.

Nicolas Joseph Dublette’s favourite item is a hat that once belonged to Blessed Ignazio Falzon (1813-65), which now resides in the Jesuit church in Valletta. It is a typical 19th century tricorn hat that has been fully restored from its precarious state and is considered a second-class relic by the Church. Falzon considered himself unworthy of holy orders and therefore remained a priest, spending his life in service to others, particularly in missionary work with Protestants. When he died In the divine scenthis brothers donated his property to St. Catherine’s Monastery in Valletta.

Blessed Ignazio Falzon’s hat before and after restoration.

The Verdara and San Antón Palaces contain 18 paintings by the Mexican artist Juan Patricio Morlete Ruiz (1713-72) depicting views of Mediterranean ports and French and Italian landscapes, based on black-and-white prints by other artists. Three of the paintings depict Mexican landscapes. Ruiz’s set first appears in an inventory dating back to 1826, and it is unclear how the only complete set of his works came to Malta.

As usual, we are delighted to receive the 90th issue of Malta Treasures at home, especially during these hot days as it gives us a perfect excuse to stay indoors and flip through it in the cooler weather.

David Dandria pays tribute to Guido Lanfranco (1930-2021), who made an outstanding and pioneering contribution to the teaching and popularization of science, especially biology. But everything to do with Malta was a source of him and his curiosity. In the process, Lanfranco enriched the islands he loved and which he was saddened to see being ruthlessly exploited. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy, the result of his boundless passion for teaching.

Lanfranco was a man of great affability and good humor, with whom I had the privilege of lecturing for a few years, but all too briefly. His seminal publications remain influential today, illustrated by his very fine drawings.

Later, when he included folklore in his interests, he published many outstanding studies and became famous for his fascinating Childish– Drawing style.

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