Mattia Preti worked 40 years
Calabrian artist Mattia Preti spent approximately 40 years working at St John's Co-Cathedral and was buried there upon his death.
Snapshot · Jon Mallia Podcast
IL-KAVALLIERI KELLHOM EGO KBIR | Tonio Mallia
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Jul 6, 2026
Where this was said
Mattia Preti u l-Arti tiegħu
At 31:56 · 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.
Mattia Preti: The Calabrian Master Who Never Left
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.
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