Speaker
Tonio Mallia
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
The Cathedral's set of 14 Flemish tapestries, among the largest tapestry sets of their kind, required five years of restoration in Brussels.
Approximately 1,000 workers were employed during the restoration of the Cathedral's Flemish tapestries in Brussels.
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist in St John's Co-Cathedral is the only painting Caravaggio ever signed, hiding his signature in the blood of the decapitated saint.
Calabrian artist Mattia Preti spent approximately 40 years working at St John's Co-Cathedral and was buried there upon his death.
At the Order's height, there were around 700 Knights of St John in Malta; by the time Napoleon arrived in 1798 that number had fallen to around 300.
When Napoleon arrived, roughly half the remaining Knights — about 150 out of 300 — were French, making resistance against France practically impossible.
The St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, which now manages the Cathedral and its museum, was established in 2001.
The Cathedral museum's new underground construction phase was completed in just 18 months, which Tonio Mallia described as no small feat.
The major new underground museum and visitor experience beneath St John's Co-Cathedral is expected to be completed and open around 2028.
At peak periods, roughly 7,000 people visit St John's Co-Cathedral in a single day, managed in groups of around 25.
Approximately 20% of the Cathedral's visitors are Maltese nationals, a figure Tonio Mallia considered a positive but wanted to grow.
Caravaggio fled Rome in 1606 after killing a man and arrived in Malta seeking a pardon and knighthood from the Pope via the Knights of St John.
The Oratory within St John's Co-Cathedral, which houses Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John, was built in 1604.
At peak times, up to 7,000 people visit St John's Co-Cathedral in a single day, managed in groups of 25. Yet only 20% of them are Maltese. Tonio Mallia sees this as both an opportunity and a challenge — a national treasure that too many locals take for granted.
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.
The Knights of St John were not building a church for God — they were building a monument to themselves. Their extraordinary investment in the Cathedral's decoration was driven by ego: they needed the world to know who they were.
Caravaggio killed a man in Rome and fled with a papal death sentence over his head. His path led to Malta, where he believed the Grand Master could intercede with the Pope. In exchange, he painted — and for the first and only time in his career, he signed a work.
Caravaggio never signed his paintings — except once. On the Beheading of Saint John in St John's Co-Cathedral, he wrote 'f. Michel Angelo' in the blood flowing from the severed neck. The 'f' stands for 'fra' — brother — his new title as a Knight.
Caravaggio didn't just paint darkness — he engineered light. His chiaroscuro technique placed the light source at the center of every composition, creating a three-dimensional effect unlike anything seen before. This was not style; it was engineering.
Running St John's Co-Cathedral means serving five masters at once: the Church, the Maltese government, a foundation council, the public, and history itself. Tonio Mallia describes the governance structure and how he navigates conflicting priorities.
Beneath St John's Co-Cathedral, a major new underground museum is under construction, funded by the Foundation without government money. The project began with an archaeological excavation in 2018, was paused by COVID, then restarted — with 18 months of construction completed. Completion is expected around 2028.
The Knights of St John took vows of celibacy but routinely fathered children. Tonio Mallia explains what happened to those illegitimate children: some were sent to religious orders, others educated and given careers. The Order quietly took responsibility for their own.
The Foundation has built immersive experiences that allow visitors to encounter Caravaggio's Beheading of Saint John at close range and true scale. Ultraviolet and multispectral imaging reveals layers of the painting invisible to the naked eye. The Cathedral is building experiences, not just visits.
St John's Co-Cathedral was designed by Gerolamo Cassar, a Maltese architect who studied in Rome and brought the knowledge back to Malta. His work defined the military-baroque style of Valletta. The Knights used Maltese talent, even if Maltese people had no political power.
The new underground museum's roof is a vaulted concrete structure, with each rib weighing approximately 150 tonnes and cast off-site. The design echoes the Cathedral's own vaulted nave above, creating visual continuity across 450 years of architecture.
Despite being made a Knight of St John, Caravaggio committed another violent act in Malta. He was imprisoned in Fort Saint Angelo but escaped — no ordinary prisoner could have done this — and fled the island. The Knights expelled him from the Order in absentia.
When Napoleon arrived in 1798, the Knights had about 300 members left — and roughly half were French. Fighting France meant fighting themselves. The Maltese militia was not an army. The Knights negotiated, and Malta fell in days.
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.
Analysis
What they talk about
- Arts 55%
- History 45%
