Public lecture to explore life and legacy of French military engineer

Antoine Étienne de Tousard served the Order of St John

The Embassy of France in Malta is today hosting a public lecture examining the life and legacy of Frà Antoine Étienne de Tousard (1751-1813), the last French military engineer to serve the Order of St John in Malta.

Titled ‘From Malta to Napoleon: Antoine Étienne de Tousard, the Controversial Fate of a Military Engineer’, the lecture will be delivered by historian and author Fleur Brincat and will take place at the Din l-Art Ħelwa premises at 133 Melita Street, Valletta, at 6.30pm.

Brincat will explore Tousard’s key role in strengthening Malta’s defences, including his involvement in the design of Fort Tigné, as well as his career under Napoleon following the French conquest of Malta in 1798. She will also address the historical debate: was Tousard a traitor serving French Republican interests, or a victim of historical slander?

The event will be held in English and is open to the public. Admission is free and no booking is required.

A reception featuring French wine will follow the lecture.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.