Silver that was stolen from Malta when the French took over the Maltese islands 225 years ago is to go on display as part of a Rabat festival this weekend.

This silver was going to be auctioned by the French on September 2, 1798 but it was recovered back to Malta, its rightful owner.

Its theft sparked a chain of events that would lead to the French being kicked out of Malta.

The silver will now go on display as part of an exhibition at the National Sanctuary of Saint Joseph at the St Mary of Jesus church in Rabat as part of the Rabat Sacrum festival.

The exhibition will run on Saturday from 7pm onwards and Sunday from 9am to 12pm.

When they seized the silver from convents around Rabat and Mdina, French authorities planned on auctioning it off during the feast of the Madonna tac-Cintura.

However, notary Emmanuele Vitale gathered monks and local people to rebel against that plan.

Louis Masson, the leader of the French army that was stationed at Rabat, sought to intimidate the crowd using his sword. But that did not work and violence erupted.

Examples of the silver on display. Photo: Arcikonfraternita ta' San Guzepp

Two French officials were killed and Masson was killed when he was flung off a balcony.

The French army closed off the Mdina gate and started shooting at the Maltese, but the crowd kept getting growing.

A day later, Emmanuele Vitale gathered 65 Maltese citizens and the group snuck into Mdina through a small and hidden door. In the ensuing skirmish, all French soldiers inside the old capital were killed.

This eventually started the chain reaction of events that led to the revolution in Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The French were out of Malta by the year 1800.