Grand Master's carriage back on permanent display following restoration

The Grand Master’s carriage is glowing once again, if not quite fit for the roads, after a €120,000 restoration funded by Eden Leisure Foundation.

Housed at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, the late 18^th century Berline-type carriage underwent a “patient” restoration over the past few months by a dedicated team of conservators.

The team addressed signs of degradation in the carriage’s materials, from wood and iron to fabric and leather, preserving its rich narrative.

Used by the last two Grand Masters of the Knights of Malta, Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc and Ferdinand von Hompesch, but mostly synonymous with the latter, the carriage was originally gilded and includes a green velvet interior. It has undergone many modifications over the centuries – chief among them is the addition of four oval images containing emblems of the French Revolution, during the brief French rule of the island. A popular story recounts that the Grand Master had deployed it to transport Napoleon Bonaparte, but the latter refused to use it.

The carriage will now be on permanent exhibition at the palace.

Culture minister Owen Bonnici said this project was a “clear example of how we can safeguard the past while cherishing our identity as a people”.

The carriage’s restoration forms part of the larger restoration project of the Grand Master’s palace, Heritage Malta’s most ambitious conservation project to date which includes the preservation of priceless artefacts.