OKAY, HERE’S THE STORY

Set the scene.

Mattia Preti was a Baroque painter from Calabria. His work in Malta includes the great painted vault at St John’s Co-Cathedral.

Here’s the twist.

Scenes from the life of St John the Baptist spread overhead. The decoration asks viewers to read a story across architecture, not just inside a picture frame.

Why it still matters.

Preti also designed Sarria Church in Floriana. His Maltese legacy therefore includes both painted surfaces and the shape of a building.

🧠 One to think about +

What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.