Giovanni Francesco Abela, Work, Private Collection and Birth of Christian Archaeology in Malta is part of a broader research project of its author, Chiara Cecalupo, on the discoveries, dating from the 16th to the late 19th century, of Christian catacombs in Mediterranean countries.
The project was carried out with the support of various European institutions.
The author focused on Malta first to study in detail the archaeologist Antonio Bosio (1575-1629), and then broadened her perspective to Giovanni Francesco Abela (1582-1655), father of Maltese historiography who was also at the forefront of these discoveries and a foremost scholar of Maltese antiquities, including Christian ones.
The book, published by Quasar Editore, collects years of study on Abela and his role in the discovery of Christian antiquities and archaeological collecting in Malta. It offers a new viewpoint on the position he occupied in the European scholarly and antiquarian scene. In fact, much importance is given to Abela’s relations with Italian and French scholars, his knowledge of the archives all over Europe, the cultural experiences during his studies in Bologna and his travels between Spain, France, Rome and Sicily.