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A unique collection of artefacts from Malta has been loaned by Heritage Malta to the Palais Lascaris in Nice, France, for the exhibition 'In the Time of Grand Master Jean-Paul de Lascaris: Nice, Malta, and the Mediterranean'. The exhibition forms part of the Biennale of Arts of the Museums of Nice, and explores the deep historical ties between Malta, the Order of the Knights of St John, and the Mediterranean city of Nice. At the heart of this binational collaboration is the intriguing connection between Malta and Grand Master Jean-Paul de Las- caris, a native of the County of Nice who led the Order of Mal- ta from 1636 to 1657. Lascaris was instrumental in shaping the Order during its golden age in Malta, and his legacy endures both in Malta's historical archi- tecture and in the noble palace of his family in Nice – the exhi- bition's venue. Among the standout pieces loaned by Heritage Malta are various silver and copper coins minted under Grand Mas- ter Lascaris from the Nation- al Museum of Archaeology, a 17th-century chalice bearing his coat of arms from MUŻA – The National Community Art Museum, and a striking steel breastplate from the Grand Master's Palace Armoury. Mar- itime and military history also take centre stage, with a cor- sair strongbox and a dramatic oil painting of the capture of the Capitana of Tripoli in 1709, featuring a galley financed by the Lascaris Foundation, both loaned from the Malta Mari- time Museum. A particularly evocative arte- fact is a painted wooden relief sculpture of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, linked to the Order's legendary warship – the carrack 'Santa Anna' – which was built in Nice and later served the Knights valiantly af- ter their arrival in Malta. This artefact symbolically unites both places in shared maritime heritage. Completing the Mal- tese display is a grand proces- sion scene showing an aged Las- caris at the Feast of the Great Siege Victory, and an engraving of a 1645 sea battle between the Knights and the Turks. Through these items, Herit- age Malta is offering a power- ful window into a period when Malta and Nice were bound not only by the sea, but also by blood, faith, and a shared Or- der. The exhibition runs till the 3rd of November 2025. 8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 30 JULY 2025 CULTURE Malta-loaned artefacts shine in major exhibition on Grand Master Lascaris in Nice