St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, is surely one of the world’s Baroque masterpieces — alongside places like Rome’s Church of the Gesù and the Palace of Versailles. Built by the Knights of St. John in the late 16th century, its exterior is austere, but inside lies an overwhelming display of gilded ornamentation, marble inlay tombs, and masterworks, including Caravaggio’s largest known painting.
Far from a static museum, the Co-Cathedral is a living monument to Malta’s Catholic heritage and European identity — serving as a vibrant crossroads of sacred art, cultural history, and spiritual continuity.
This summer, the cathedral hosts Grand Ambitions, a landmark exhibition celebrating Francesco Laparelli da Cortona — the Renaissance architect whose vision gave birth to Valletta.
Open through July 18 in the cathedral’s Caravaggio Wing, the exhibition highlights Laparelli’s original designs, including a rare 16th-century map of Malta and four detailed drawings of Valletta. These artifacts, loaned from Italy’s Accademia Etrusca di Cortona, are on view in Malta for the first time, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the city’s founding imagination.
Laparelli was sent by Pope Pius V in the aftermath of the 1565 Great Siege to assist the Knights of St. John in rebuilding Malta’s defenses. But he didn’t just draw up ramparts — he designed a city. Laparelli’s plans reflect a brilliant fusion of military strategy and Renaissance humanism: a grid of broad avenues, churches, piazzas, and civic structures, laid out not just for defense but for dignity.
His apprentice, the Maltese architect Girolamo Cassar, would later bring these ideas to life, including the iconic Conventual Church of St John, now the Co-Cathedral.
The exhibition opened with a performance by Josep Solé Coll, chief organist of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. His music, echoing under the cathedral’s gilded arches, underscored the sacred and cultural harmony at the heart of Laparelli’s project.
Prof. Mons Emmanuel Agius, President of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation, offered a moving tribute during the inauguration.
“Laparelli was not just an architect of stone and bastion, but an architect of destiny,” he told attendees. “This exhibition is a celebration of intelligent design and the power of imagination rooted in discipline.”
Grand Ambitions is the result of international collaboration — bringing together Adriana Alescio, chief curator at St John’s; Sandro Adario, a representative of the Laparelli family; and Dr Patrizia Rocchini, librarian of the Accademia Etrusca. Their efforts emphasize the deep ties between Malta and Tuscany, and the enduring relevance of Laparelli’s legacy.
A concluding lecture by Prof. Conrad Thake, a leading authority on Maltese architecture, offered further context for Valletta’s foundation as one of the first European cities built entirely from a master plan.
Admission to Grand Ambitions is included with the general entry ticket to St John’s Co-Cathedral. For travelers and history lovers alike, it’s a rare chance to experience the sacred heart of Valletta — and the mind that shaped it.
Learn more at www.stjohnscocathedral.com.
