Podbit · Jon Mallia Podcast
Mattia Preti was commissioned to decorate the Cathedral's ceiling vault and stayed for 40 years. He died in Malta and is buried in the Cathedral. His work is among the greatest Baroque painting cycles in existence — yet few outside Malta know his name.
Where this was said
At 31:15 · chapter starts 30:54
Grand Master Cottoner faced a dilemma: the Cathedral's vault was bare, and the Order needed it transformed. He turned to Mattia Preti, a painter from Calabria in southern Italy who had already made his name in Rome and Naples. [1] — Tonio Mallia "Mattia Preti was commissioned to decorate the Cathedral's ceiling vault and stayed for 40 years. He died in Malta and is buried in the Cath…" 31:15 What was supposed to be a commission became a life's work: Preti stayed approximately 40 years, painting the entire ceiling vault with scenes from the life of St John the Baptist and creating additional altarpieces throughout the Cathedral. Tonio notes that Preti is now in the National Gallery in London — his works command international recognition — yet outside Malta, few people associate him with the Cathedral. When Preti died, he was buried within the Cathedral walls, the ultimate testimony to his bond with the place. Tonio uses this story to illustrate how the Cathedral accumulated its extraordinary artistic wealth: through deep, sustained relationships with artists who gave it their best years.
Calabrian artist Mattia Preti spent approximately 40 years working at St John's Co-Cathedral and was buried there upon his death.
Robby Hoffman isn't fearless — she's terrified all the time. The difference is she does it anyway, because not doing it feels worse than the fear itself.
John Mulaney texted Robby Hoffman out of nowhere saying he'd been a fan for a while and wanted to make a Netflix special with her. Robby called it 'shocking, horrifying, anxiety-inducing, surreal and thrilling' — and said yes.
Mulaney is buttoned-up, suit-wearing, classy. Robby is gritty, raw, and undefined. Together they made the collab nobody expected. Batman and Robin. Eminem and Dido.
Music had Pope Gregory forcing notation. Comedy has had 'magical thinking' — he's just got funny bones. But jokes work through discoverable, teachable mechanics. Writing down the rules doesn't kill the magic; it gives more people access to it.
Howard Ashman had one insight nobody else had: animated Disney films should be Broadway musicals. The third song of every great musical is the character sitting alone explaining what they want. That's 'Part of Your World.' That structure — combined with Alan Menken's compositions — generated Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King, and turned Disney Animation into the most profitable creative engine in entertainment history.
The Lion King musical has been running for 30 years across Broadway, London's West End, and global touring companies. It has grossed over $11 billion in total revenue — more than Avatar, more than Avengers: Endgame, more than any album, more than any video game. It generates an average of $350 million in revenue every single year. Disney owns it outright.
The anonymous French artist Invader has hidden 1,500 pixelated mosaic artworks across Paris alone, with thousands more scattered across 80+ cities — affixed to the Eiffel Tower, the Hollywood sign, and even sent to the International Space Station. He might be even busier than Banksy.
The Flash Invaders app turns city streets into a treasure hunt, letting players scan Invader's hidden mosaics for points. Players have collectively logged over 47 million flashes. Unlike most mobile games that glue you to a screen, this one forces you to look up and engage with your surroundings.
New York draws thousands of young, talented performers every year chasing Broadway stardom — but the hard truth is that most of them never make it. Zelig Williams was one of the rare exceptions.
We use essential and analytics cookies to run Vuci. To understand how the site is used: Privacy Policy.
Install Vuci on your phone
Add it to your home screen for a faster, app-like experience.
Install Vuci on your phone
Tap the Share button, then “Add to Home Screen”.
A new version is available
Reload to get the latest Vuci.