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An immersive exhibition exploring the iconic 1749 slave conspiracy will open in September at the Palace of the Inquisition and the National Museum of Ethnography.
The exhibition “Betrayal and Revenge: The Slave Conspiracy of 1749 in 19 Historical Images” will mark the 275th anniversary of the failed slave revolt of 1749.
The exhibition analyses one of the most interesting and turbulent periods in Maltese history through more than 58 press slips exchanged between Paolo Passionei, Inquisitor and Apostolic Delegate, and the Vatican between 1748 and 1751.
The exhibition will feature 19 contemporary paintings, each of which vividly depicts the tension and brutal aftermath of the conspiracy.
Recently restored by Heritage Malta, these precious illustrations form the core of a narrative that delves into the political, social and cultural dynamics of 18th-century Malta.
Visitors to the exhibition will travel back in time to explore the dramatic events that followed the arrival of the rebellious Ottoman galleon, the Lupa of Rhodes, in the Grand Harbour on 2 February 1748. The exhibition will delve into how the subsequent escape and revenge by the galleon’s owner, Mustafa, High Pasha of Rhodes, dramatically changed the course of Malta’s history.
In addition to the gripping story of the conspiracy itself, the exhibition will delve into the broader themes of power, diplomacy, treason and the complex relationship between East and West during this period. Historical documents, including contemporary reports, sermons and the latest literature on the subject, will provide rich context and deepen visitors’ understanding of the era and the impact of this event on collective memory.
A spokesperson for Malta’s Heritage Authority said: “Malta’s Heritage Authority encourages all interested parties to mark September 20 on their calendars and to keep an eye on the authority’s official channels for further updates and previews before the exhibition opens.”
The slave conspiracy dates back to the uprising of February 1748, when Hungarian, Georgian, and Maltese slaves aboard the Ottoman ship Rupa captured more than 150 Ottoman soldiers, including Mustafa, Pasha of Rhodes.
The captured ships were sailed to Malta and the prisoners were enslaved. Mustafa was placed under house arrest at the insistence of France, which was allied with the Ottoman Empire, and was eventually released. He converted to Christianity and married a Maltese woman, and was therefore allowed to remain in Malta.
In the mid-18th century, there were about 9,000 Muslim slaves in Malta under the rule of the Knights Hospitaller, who enjoyed religious freedom.
Mustafa planned a slave revolt on 29 June 1749 (the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, L-Imnarja), by gathering 100 palace slaves to poison food at a banquet at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta and assassinate Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca in his sleep.
The plan was to free the Muslim slaves in prison, attack Fort St. Elmo and seize weapons from the armory. The Ottoman Beys of Tunis, Tripoli and Algiers were to send fleets to invade Malta.
The plot was discovered on June 6, three weeks before it was to be carried out. The slaves met in a Valletta café to enlist the support of the Maltese guards. An argument ensued and the owner, Giuseppe Cohen, a former Jew turned Catholic, overheard them mention the rebellion.
The slaves were arrested and, under torture, gave details of the plan. Thirty-eight were sentenced to death and executed. Another 125 were hanged in Valletta’s Palace Square, while eight had the letter R (for ribelli, ‘rebels’) branded on their foreheads and sentenced to life on board ship.
At the insistence of France, Mustafa Pasha, the mastermind behind the rebellion, was not executed but was taken back to Rhodes on a French ship.
Tickets for the exhibition are included in the entrance fee to the Palace of the Inquisitors and the National Museum of Ethnography. Due to the structural limitations of the historic buildings, the exhibition halls may be difficult to access for people with reduced mobility.
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