Around 150 objects relating to the Order of St John and to the Great Siege of 1565, are being displayed in an exhibition at the Palace State Rooms of the grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, which will run until 6 December 2015.

The exhibition is set up as a timeline, taking the viewer on a journey of events, from the formation of the Order of St John to the Great Siege in 1565, which is being celebrated today.

“The exhibition portrays the context of Malta in relation to the formation of the Order. It aims at explaining to viewers the lifestyle, the currency, and architecture and defence mechanism of Malta during the Middle ages,” Senior Curator Emanuel Magro Conti said, in comments to The Malta Independent.

The rooms used in the exhibition also have a story to tell.  The Paladini Chapel room was used by the Grand Masters for their private devotion.  In the Throne Room, originally serving as the Hall of the Supreme Council of the Knights, special effects will help visitors relive some of the most momentous stages of this colossal battle.  The room is known for being decorated with the Great Siege frescoes, painted by Matteo Perez d’Aleccio in order to commemorate this battle.

A number of objects have been brought from Rome, Vienna, Moscow, Wollage, Leeds and London for the exhibition, with curators accompanying the objects on the trip.

For the exhibition, several objects have been restored by conservators at Heritage Malta’s Conservation Division in Bighi.

The exhibition is a joint effort between Heritage Malta and the National Library.

Items on exhibition

Armour: Among the objects on display, one finds several pieces of armour and weapons, believed to have been used during the Great Siege. Scratches, dents and bullet holes which are found on the armour pieces act as a strong witness to what their owners have been through.  Some of the armour on display was used by the knights while in Rhodes.

De Vallette’s armour:  Perhaps the most important object on display is what is thought to be armour used by Grandmaster De Vallette. The breast plate is displayed at the Palace Armoury, but the helmet was later found in Museo Nazionale del Palazzo di Venezia, in Rome.

Gonne-Shield:  The gonne-shield is thought to be part of the gift of arms sent by King Henry VIII to the Order in 1530. Such a shield used to be armed with a pistol which protruded from a hole in its middle. The aim behind this weapon was that it could be both an offensive and a defensive arm.

Jannisary axe: This is a weapon that was used by Jannisaries; a military unit of the Turkish army which was organized in the 14th century.

Documents:   The exhibition has a number of documents dating back to the 1500. These include documents on the formation of the order, old maps of Malta, the book of prayers of Henry VIII, as well as congratulating letters from royalties, which were received by the order following the end of the Great Siege.

Gifts:  On display are a number of gifts that were given to the Order of St John, including a gold chalice.

Currency:  A number of coins, used as currency at different periods of the Order are on display.

The exhibition also displays items which were never exhibited before, such as a Portolon Map.

 

Photos: Jonathan Borg