Thousands admire restored 17th century tapestries at St John's

JosephCUTAJAR

For the first time in 33 years, on Sunday, 7 May, the public had the chance to admire the Knights of St John's tapestries that were commissioned as a gift by the Aragonese Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful upon his election in 1697, for St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta depicting the life of Jesus Christ, the triumph of the Roman Catholic Church and the apostles

The Statute of the Order stated that on their appointment, newly elected Grand Masters would present the Conventual Church of the Order with a gift

The tapestries are the largest complete set in the world and consist of twenty-nine pieces They were ordered from the weaver Judocus de Vos in Brussels The set reached Malta by 1702

In 2006 the 29 tapestries, also known as the Flemish Tapestries, most of them six by six and a half metres long, spread over an area of 750 square metres, making them the biggest tapestries set in the world, were sent to Belgium for restoration at the Royal Manufacturers De Wit laboratories. The 16-year project was carried out through a €1 3 million investment by the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation

An exhibition, entitled A Gift of Glory was launched at St John's Co-Cathedral to celebrate the project's completion, and the public was given a chance to visit the exhibit I never doubted the public’s response, but I was surprised of the thousands of people, (about 6,000) locals and tourists, forming queues 100 metres long till late evening that accepted the invitation to admire the beauty of the Knight's era heritage.

When Ramon y Perellos was elected Grand Master in 1697, he ordered a set of twenty-nine tapestries as a gift to St John's Conventual Church, with the intention to express the supremacy of the Catholic Church and the glory of his reign

The tapestries depict scenes woven according to the cartoons prepared by Peter Paul Rubens for the Triumph of the Eucharis and The life of Christ It is the largest existing set of tapestries woven in the seventeenth century

The set is not only a work of art and culture, but it also depicts an expression of faith, as the tapestries represent scenes from the life of Christ, the Apostles St Peter and St Paul, while six of them represent the counter-reform spirit launched by the Trent Council, depicting faith, the Church authority, the destruction of heresy, charity and other subjects

These Flemish tapestries were mercifully spared when the French took Malta and carried away various treasures in 1798, probably because they were only interested in silver and gold objects, together with precious stones, that could be sold or converted into specie However, neglect and the ravages of time took their toll, with consequent damage. In 1878, they underwent restoration for the first time and were

The tapestries are unique in the world No cathedral has such a large number of tapestries St John's Co-Cathedral foundation president, Monsignor Emmanuel Agius, said that with the newly restored tapestries, St John's Co-Cathedral is now decorated as it stood in the 17th and 18th Centuries

Archbishop Charles Scicluna expressed his appreciation for the initiative, adding that cooperation between the State and the Church is having great results

At a press briefing, Owen Bonnici, the National Heritage and Arts Minister said that the tapestries represent the peak of artistic and cultural achievement, also on a European level They commemorate the strength of art and culture for inspiration, enlargement and change

St John's Co-Cathdral curator Cynthia de Giorgio described the tapestries as very delicate She said that the latest restoration started to be undertaken recently; by 2008, two tapestries were restored St John’s CoCathedral Foundation restored two items each year They can now be much better appreciated by all and sundry, and can now be viewed, together with other works of art, at St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum Due to the wool and silk material they are made of; the tapestries are very delicate and easily prone to damage even if they are not touched They will be well supported, making it possible for them to be hung in St John's Museum

It is worth recalling that in 2018 (Nos 177-194), The Voice of the Maltese carried a most interesting series of articles penned by Dr Doris Cannataci about this set of tapestries.

The tapestries will remain at the CoCathedral till 24 June.