The Malta Tourism Authority’s London office recently hosted a group of art journalists from the UK for a brief visit to Malta to view the Caravaggio paintings at St John’s co-Cathedral.

The visit was coordinated in conjunction with the National Gallery of London, which is currently staging a major exhibition on Caravaggio’s final years.

Journalists from The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Times and Time Out magazine were accompanied by National Gallery director Charles Saumarez Smith, assistant curator Xavier Bray and the gallery’s press officer Catherine Hinde.

The two-day visit began with a private tour of St John’s co-Cathedral, with Caravaggio expert Keith Sciberras giving the guests a short lecture on the two famous paintings by the Italian artist.

During their stay, the group also met Philip Farrugia Randon, author of two books on Caravaggio, and Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

The journalists’ visit produced extensive coverage for Malta in the context of the Caravaggio exhibition.

The two Malta paintings were included in a special eight-page supplement published by The Guardian and are also prominently featured in the exhibition’s official publication.

The Malta Tourist Office in London is also using Caravaggio’s Beheading of St John the Baptist as one of the images in its national press campaign.