Back to former glory
The unique wall paintings illustrating the 1565 Great Siege Battle that are housed at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta are soon set to get a new lease of life as an intensive restoration project nears its end. The project is now in a position to be finalised after the donation of an additional €70,000 that was made to Research, Innovation & Development Trust (RIDT) of the University of Malta by the Planning Authority (PA). Back in 2020, the Authority had already committed €75,000 towards this project. The project, which in its totality is costing €300,000, is being carried out by the Department of Conservation and Built Heritage within the University of Malta and Heritage Malta, under the auspices of the Office of the President of Malta. Set in the Grand Council Chamber of the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, the wall paintings cycle offers a unique – and historically accurate – depiction of the Siege, when the far-outnumbered Maltese, led by the Knights Hospitaller, successfully defended the island from attempted invasion by the Ottoman Empire. Great Siege veteran Grand Master Fra Jean de Cassiere (1572-1581) invited artist Matteo Perez d’Aleccio (1547-1628) to Malta in...