A new Dominican museum in Valletta will be officially inaugurated by President Myriam Spiteri Debono on Monday, July 22, at 7.15pm.

Occupying parts of the Dominican Priory and the church of Porto Salvo, the museum, run in collaboration with the friars and Hidden Valletta Limited, highlights new artefacts and stories from the order’s history in Malta. One such story is that of an Ottoman prince who was converted to Catholicism and later became a Dominican friar.

Being the first parish to be established in Valletta, the Dominican priory has a rich history that is interwoven with that of the country.

The museum delves into the history and charitable acts of the Confraternities of the Blessed Sacrament and the Rosary, both of whose chapels have been thoroughly restored as part of the church’s long restoration project initiated by the indefatigable parish priest, and until recently, also prior of the Dominican community in Valletta, Fr Michael Camilleri, OP.

Fr Camilleri says that while sections of the priory and church have been open to the public and thus partly commercialised, the utmost respect and care has been taken to see that it remains a place of worship.

“The mammoth church restoration project needs to be maintained throughout the years. For this reason the place is being turned into a museum to the public to generate some revenue,” Fr Camilleri said.

The museum is open Monday to Saturday between 10am and 4pm and on Sunday from noon to 4pm.

More art pieces at the new museum.