A number of high-profile speakers will hold a conference on the so-called ‘L’apostolato di Malta’, a collection of 15 silver statues depicting the 12 apostles, John the Baptist, St Paul and Our Lady on display at the Mdina cathedral.

The design of the statues is based on the monumental Carrara marble statues found in the nave of the cathedral in Rome, the Basilica Papale di San Giovanni in Laterano. 

Made in Rome by the well-known silversmith Antonio Arrighi, the collection dates back to between 1739 and 1743. Studies held recently and published in a recent volume showed it was the wish of the Grand Master of the Order of the Knights of St John the Baptist, Raymond Despuig, to produce these sculptures.

In the beginning, they were meant to decorate the major altar of the conventual church of St John in Valletta, today known as the Co-Cathedral. But due to Napoleon Bonaparte’s order to clear out valuable artworks, the sumptuous silverware heritage risked to be lost for ever.

The following speakers will talk on the subject: historian and conservator-restorer Sante Guido and conservator -restorer Giuseppe Mantella, who recently restored the 15 statues thanks to Maltese sponsors; Mgr Edgar Vella, director of the Mdina Cathedral Museum where, soon after the restoration, the 15 statues were placed; and Daniel de Petri Testaferrata, president of the Maltese Association of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.

The event will take place at the Italian Cultural Institute, in St George’s Square, Valletta, tomorrow at 6.30pm. Entrance is free but reservations are needed via e-mail to segreteria.iiclavalletta@esteri.it. For more information, call Rossella Bartolo or Stephanie Formosa on 2122 1462.