A paginated 18th century painting depicting Grand Master Vilhena, sourced from the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, is currently on display at the Naval Museum in Madrid, Spain, in collaboration with Heritage Malta.
an exhibition entitled The stamp of Jorge Juan – the legacy of an enlightened scientistmarks 250 years since the death of Jorge Juan de Santacilia, one of the most brilliant sailors in the history of the Spanish Navy.
Jorge Juan made an indelible mark on politics, economics, the military, history, nature, geography, astronomy, shipbuilding, education, and other fields, making an extraordinary contribution to the Enlightenment thought of his time.
This exhibition in the Spanish capital offers the widest and most comprehensive analysis of this outstanding figure ever, through five broad thematic units. His connections with the Order of St. John of Malta are explored in the first of these units, and he traveled to the island of Malta to join the Order as a boy in 1722, where he rose through the ranks and became a page. It talks about his journey to become. He became Grand Master in 1725.
Although undated, the oil on canvas painting in the Palace of the Grand Master in Valletta depicts Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilgena with pages, marking his known time frame within the order. was identified as a highly plausible depiction of a young Jorge Juan. Finally, by Heritage Malta, Madrid Naval Museum.
This painting was created by Maltese artist Enrico Lugounneau to celebrate the conferment of the Master of the Sacred Sword and Cap by Pope Benedict XIII. These were blessed in St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve 1724 and arrived in Malta on May 3, 1725 amid great celebration. .
The exhibition will be on display until the end of March. Click here for more information.