The next lecture organised by Wirt Għawdex is going to be held in the recently restored medieval chapel of St Cecilia, on Thursday 7 June, at 6.30pm.

Francesca Balzan, curator of Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum in Mdina, will be delivering a talk on The History of Jewellery in the Maltese Islands. Ms Balzan will take those present on a tour of the history of jewellery in Malta, dipping into the sources which were used by her to piece together this history and discussing the findings of her research.

During the talk, which will be delivered in English, Ms Balzan will show important historic pieces of jewellery that mark the very pinnacle of the jeweller’s art, as well as traditional jewellery that was worn by our people in the past. Jewellery, with its several layers of meaning, provides a glimpse into the history of our people and another way of analyzing our past.

Ms Balzan is an art historian by profession. She has specialised in the history of jewellery in Malta, an area hitherto unexplored, and has published her research in an award-winning book published in 2009: Jewellery in Malta Treasures from the Island of the Knights (1530-1798). Presently Ms Balzan is working on the forthcoming Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti exhibition on jewellery in Malta, to be held in Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum next year.

The talk is open to the general public. However, due to the limited space in St Cecilia Chapel, booking is necessary. Seats shall only be reserved up to 10 minutes before the lecture starts.

Those interested may reserve seats by sending an SMS on 7977 1981; email: [email protected] by Wednesday, 6 June.