Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536968
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 JUNE 2025 CULTURE Grand Ambitions: A landmark exhibition of Francesco Laparelli's visionary drawings ST John's Co-Cathedral is host- ing a landmark exhibition titled Grand Ambitions, featuring orig- inal drawings by the renowned Italian architect Francesco Lapa- relli da Cortona. This unique ex- hibition is open to the public from 18 June to 18 July 2025. At the centre of this exhibition are original 16th-century draw- ings by Francesco Laparelli da Cortona, the Italian architect and military engineer entrusted with designing Valletta. These historical documents, including a drawing of the island of Malta and four rare renderings of Val- letta itself, are on loan from the Accademia Etrusca di Cortona in Italy, Laparelli's hometown. Their temporary return to Malta marks a unique opportunity to encoun- ter the visionary plans that laid the foundation of the city as we know it today. Commissioned by the Order of St John in the aftermath of the Great Siege of 1565, Laparelli ar- rived in Malta with a clear man- date: to design a new fortified city that would be both a military stronghold and a powerful symbol of the Order's resilience and faith. Influenced by Renaissance ide- als of symmetry, proportion, and rational planning, Laparelli envi- sioned a city with wide, straight streets, ordered blocks, and stra- tegically placed civic and sacred spaces. His blueprints represented more than engineering, they re- flected the values and aspirations of an entire order rebuilding from trauma. After Laparelli's departure, the responsibility of executing his de- signs fell to his assistant, Girolamo Cassar, a Maltese architect and military engineer of considerable talent. Cassar not only ensured that Laparelli's vision came to life, but he also shaped Valletta's archi- tectural identity in his own right. He was responsible for designing many of the city's most important buildings, including the auberg- es of the Knights, several palaces, and the Conventual Church of St John, which now serves as the St John's Co-Cathedral. Grand Ambitions gives audi- ences the rare chance to see the actual drawings that guided the transformation of a rocky penin- sula into a thriving urban centre. These documents provide a visual and intellectual link to the foun- dational moment of Valletta, a moment when a new capital rose from the ashes of war, defined by clarity of purpose, functional- ity, and grandeur. Through these plans, the exhibition highlights how Valletta was conceived as a complete urban project, integrat- ing civic pride, religious devotion, and strategic defence into its very blueprint. Prof. Mons Emmanuel Agius, President of the St John's Co-Ca- thedral Foundation, spoke about the significance of Laparelli's leg- acy. "This exhibition is more than a tribute to Francesco Laparelli. It's a celebration of the enduring legacy of intelligent design, civic responsibility, and the power of imagination rooted in intellectual discipline. Laparelli's collabora- tion with the Knights of St John and his deep understanding of art and science of urban design single him out as not just an architect of stone and bastion, but as an archi- tect of destiny." Beyond its architectural value, the exhibition also serves as a re- flection on the nature of cities and how they are shaped by vision and ambition. The show prompts questions that still resonate today: What makes a city great? How does planning influence identity? And how can architecture reflect both temporal power and spiritual ideals? One of the enduring legacies of this vision is the Co-Cathedral it- self. Designed by Cassar and com- pleted in the late 16th century, it became the spiritual heart of the city. Nearly a century later, the church would be further elevat- ed when Mattia Preti, one of the great artists of the Italian Baroque, was commissioned to paint its in- terior. His dramatic depiction of scenes from the Life of St John the Baptist on the barrel vault remains one of Malta's most significant ar- tistic achievements, echoing the original ambition to blend faith, art, and power into the fabric of Valletta. Admission to Grand Ambitions is included with a regular ticket to St John's Co-Cathedral. Whether you're a student of history, a lover of architecture, or simply someone cu- rious about how cities take shape, this exhibition offers a rare glimpse into the intellectual and artistic forc- es that shaped Malta's capital. For full details, visit www.stjohnscoca- thedral.com Commissioned by the Order of St John in the aftermath of the Great Siege of 1565, Laparelli arrived in Malta with a clear mandate: to design a new fortified city that would be both a military stronghold and a powerful symbol of the Order's resilience and faith.