John Saré will be delivering the next cultural lecture, organised by Din l-Art Helwa on Thursday 16 June, on the Ottoman perspective as portrayed in the book The Great Siege of Malta 1565 published by the Salesians order. Mr Saré is a well-known author, expert guide and lecturer, and founder of the Aspetti Kulturali Group. He has specialised in Library Science and Research at the London Institute of Education and is also the only Maltese librarian to be awarded the Waller Prize in 1972 for the best school library set-up. He has established many school libraries in various schools in Malta.

The military prowess of the Order of St John and the support of the Maltese during the siege of 1565 are well known. In his presentation, John Saré will focus principally on the military preparations by the Ottoman armada and the tactics adopted by the Turks during the siege, as conveyed by the unique paintings by Matteo Perez d’Aleccio at the palace of the Grand Masters in Valletta. The paintings remain powerful visual annals of the siege of Malta and vividly display the personalities of the two main protagonists, Jean de la Valette and Dragut, all of which are faithfully reproduced in the book.

The lecture, which will be held at 133 Melita Street, Valletta begins at 6pm and admission is free of charge.

Donations to Din l-Art Helwa‘s restoration projects will be greatly appreciated.