Heritage Malta is exhibiting a number of items connected with the Great Siege State Rooms of the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta. The exhibition consists of coins, medals and maps in use during the Great Siege. Heritage Malta has also put up panels with information about the frescos that were painted on the walls of the Supreme Council Hall giving the whole story of the siege in a narrative sequence, explaining the odds the Christian powers had to face, until finally emerging victorious.
The Great Siege fresco cycle is practically a contemporary record of a maritime event of the greatest importance to European history. Matteo Perez d’Aleccio was invited to paint the cycle by Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere (1572–81) as part of the decorations of the Council Hall in the newly built Grand Master’s Palace at Valletta. d’Aleccio arrived in Malta in 1576 and left after five years in 1581. During his stay in Malta, d’Aleccio painted other cycles and easel paintings.
A former assistant to Michelangelo, d’Aleccio had painted two frescoes at the Sistine Chapel. His rendering of the Great Siege battle scenes depart from the Renaissance illusionism. The frescoes are more archaic, suitable to illustrate a narrative. The variable scale of the figures and the aerial views are reminiscent of Turkish miniature painting as used in period chronicles. Most of the scenes forming the cycle were depicted as if viewed from the Turkish lines.
The execution of the Great Siege fresco cycles began 11 years after the epic event. d’Aleccio, a Spaniard, was not an eyewitness to the events. He must have relied heavily on Francisco Balbi da Corregio’s account of the Great Siege, first published in 1567 in Spanish, with a revised edition in 1568.
Balbi, aged 60 in 1565, was a harquebusier in the Spanish contingent and had actually fought and was wounded during the Great Siege of Malta. Apart from this account, surviving Knights of the Order, including the Grand Master, surely also furnished d’Aleccio with information.
The exhibition will be open to the public between today and 19 September. The State Rooms are open Monday to Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. On Saturday and Sunday they are open from 9am to 5pm. On Saturday only, as part of the commemoration of Victory Day, entrance to the exhibition will be at half price. Normal admission fees apply for the rest of the days. On Saturday entrance to the State Rooms will be Lm1 for adults, and 50 cents for senior citizens; children under 16 can enter free.