Go visit St John’s Co-Cathedral! (it’s kinda amazing…)
Are you are thinking about a trip to Malta?
Are you a lover of classic painting?
Then run, don’t walk, to St. John’s Co-Cathedral!
It is pretty darned cool.
And it IS beautiful. OH, and it IS a functioning church peoples! So be respectful, quiet and just overall be a nice person. Cover your shoulders when entering. (They sell paper shawls in case you are a bit too exposed to allow you to visit.)
But yes, the Beheading of St John’s the Baptist painting and the room it is in is impressive. Standing there, taking it all in. Thinking about Caravaggio working on such a huge piece and the passion he had. How in this exact spot Caravaggio was knighted and then, de-knighted. The history of the painting, the room, the island, all of it. I have to say, A typical museum experience can’t come close to witnessing this painting in this Cathedral. It is incredibly unique.
A typical museum experience can’t come close to witnessing this painting in this Cathedral. It is incredibly unique.
In April 2024 St. John’s Co-Cathedral opened the Caravaggio Wing.
Gentle Reader: What is the Caravaggio Wing?
Eric C Hudson: Well the Cathedral had The Beheading painting as part of its history. However while in Malta he also created another piece: St. Jerome Writing. This is beautiful in it its own right. This wing showcases that painting, but also goes in depth on The Beheading.
The wing is more like a museum gallery built into a small abbey of the Cathedral. It is very cool and high tech! (FYI…cool means a lot when you are in 31 degree Malta weather!) At first is a lovely display of St. Jerome Writing. Dim room, museum lighting, it is all quite nice.
They also have a 10 minute movie on Mr. C!
Well done Malta!
There is a new little theatre and the movie is stellar especially for Caravaggio newbies!
BE the tortured artist back in time!
EXPERIENCE the tortured soul of a genius!
LIVE the life as Caravaggio on Malta!
…or something like that. I don’t know. I’m not all Hollywood and stuff..but man this is a totally great 10 minute Caravaggio in Malta primer. Don’t miss it when you go.
See the trailer for the 10 minute movie here!
Author Photo. Coolest walkway in town!
High Tech Renaissance
There are many groovy things in this new wing.
GR: It totally looks groovy! I dig this stuff!
ECH: I mean they spent € 2.1 million on everything and the cool high tech stuff is flashy and icing on the cake! You see that? That thing right there? Oh no biggie…just a Caravaggio walkway…a moving interactive timeline of his works. A cool thing. I mean I would LOVE a moving interactive timeline of MY life as you come up to my house! “Oh THAT? Just my life story someone spent a gazillion dollars creating because…oh why is that again? I am AMAZING!”
GR: Yeah…I think only Mr. C. gets one of those. Maybe, Eric if you would worry more about your credit score than getting a celebrity walkway it may be best.
ECH: WOW! Go right for it don’t you GR?
GR: I am just saying…I have seen how you prioritize…sometimes you feel…
ECH: Anyway I gotta get me one of them walkways!!!
GR: …sigh…moving on…
ECH: OH…so yeah…THEN they have an area you can walk into and the painting kinda builds around you….And finally they have an area that talks about all the research bits they have done.
GR: Research bits?
They scanned the Beheading in UV, IR etc and had an image showing everything they found! It was kinda cool! An area with updated Ultra Violet exhibits and deeper explanation of the works is incredibly interesting. Kudos to everyone at St. John’s Co-Cathedral!
Author Photo
Author photo showing UV on painting
From what I understand, Caravaggio’s 15 months in Malta is not typically a giant chapter in the Caravaggio history books. I am not quite certain why that is.
There is a lot of drama, intrigue, a beautiful painting by a master…it is fascinating.
Now I understand that due to culture focus, history, acquisition, wars, etc. some countries have countless masterpieces. Museum after museum that just leave you gob smacked.
Other countries, on the other hand, may not have art as a focus.
And then there is Malta and St. Johns-Co Cathedral. I may be completely off base here..
GR: Go on…this should be good
ECH: Well I don’t know where a place like this gets all its funding, however this work creating the whole Caravaggio wing is only part of the whole €13 million in updates and renovations for the Cathedral.
And to that I have to say Kudos Malta! You have a wonderful Cathedral like this….on an island in the middle of the Mediterranean for crying out loud! You are getting the funding to take care of these important pieces that are a bit more remote than some. Yet you are able to find it.
As I say, it may be a bit more remote than some. However if you are interested in a lovely Mediterranean island vacation, there is a genuine masterpiece there that has made St. Johns Co-Cathedral its only home. Keeping vigil for the Knights since1607, The Beheading of St. John continues to keep its watch…over the ground where Caravaggio once stood, and history was made.
Below are some key links to the place. They probably get to a deeper level of detail than I do.
“In Malta, you will find a genuine masterpiece that has made St. Johns Co-Cathedral its only home.”
GR: Ya think?
ECH:….aaaaaand there we go. Take care all.
https://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/portfolio-item/the-caravaggio-wing/
https://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/