Treasures from Malta

Treasures from Malta is a new podcast series produced by Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (FPM). Hosted and presented by Francesca Balzan, art historian and artist with a long connection with FPM, each podcast episode consists of individual interviews. We’re getting away from old artefacts in glass showcases and we’re going into the homes and meeting up with some of Malta’s living treasures. We dig below the surface and find out more about them. These treasures are artists, historians, art collectors, performers and arts practitioners with some Malta connection…they’re all fair game for the pod and we want to share them with you. Images and links relating to each episode are in the episode notes here: https://www.patrimonju.org/fpm-podcasts

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Treasures from Malta

Meet curator Frà John Critien

November 01, 2021 • Francesca Balzan • Season 2 • Episode 5

In this podcast episode, we meet a knight! Frà John Edward Critien is a professed member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta and the only Maltese to have ever been elevated to the highest ranks of this International Order. For several years he lived in the Order’s Headquarters at the historic Palazzo Malta in Rome where he was Conservator of the Magistral Palace Library and Archives and Curator of the art collections of the Order. In 2000 he moved to Malta to take up residence at Fort Saint Angelo, where, to this day, he is the only Knight Resident occupying and caring for this incredible site, laden with history, overlooking the Grand Harbour of Malta. He has been received into various orders of chivalry and honoured with the award of several prestigious decorations from various States. He wears all this very lightly, and his warmth and charm, his welcoming nature and a charitable disposition shine through in this conversation.