Podbit · Jon Mallia Podcast
The Cathedral's 14 Flemish tapestries — some of the largest in the world — were in Brussels for five years of restoration. Around 1,000 workers were involved, using techniques developed specifically for these pieces.
Where this was said
At 5:43 · chapter starts 0:00
The episode opens with Jon Mallia warmly introducing his guest Tonio Mallia, who runs the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation. Before the main conversation begins, Jon takes time to thank the numerous sponsors who make the podcast possible, including Melita, Garmin, Pata Artisanal, Brown's, BusinessLabs, and others. Tonio then provides a quick sketch of his earlier career, which involved hospital logistics and materials management — a background seemingly far removed from the world of Baroque art and heritage. Yet it is precisely this operational discipline, he suggests, that prepared him to run a complex institution like the Cathedral Foundation. The segment sets up the central tension of the episode: what does it actually take to manage a 450-year-old treasure, and how did someone with Tonio's background end up doing it?
When Tonio Mallia arrived at St John's Co-Cathedral, he privately called it a 'garage.' The institution lacked direction, the museum was barely known, and its world-class artworks were underappreciated. His mission became transforming it into one of Europe's premier cultural destinations.
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