Special Exhibition / Sette Giugno 1919: Memory & Ritual

From 9th June to 10th July, visitors to St John’s Co-Cathedral are invited to walk into a powerful yet deeply human reflection on memory, ritual, and Maltese identity through the temporary exhibition Sette Giugno 1919. Memory and Ritual

In the Sacristy of St John’s Co-Cathedral, the exhibition revisits the events of 7 June 1919, a defining moment in Malta’s modern history, through an unexpected and fascinating lens: funerary cartelloni.

These beautifully painted funerary emblems, many of which have remained largely unseen and unstudied until now, once formed part of elaborate commemorative ceremonies honouring Grand Masters, Knights, ecclesiastical figures, and prominent families. Created on wood and paper and rich in symbolism, the cartelloni acted as visual markers of remembrance, preserving identity and memory within public ritual.

At the heart of the exhibition are four rare cartelloni dated 7 June 1919, traditionally associated with the victims of the Sette Giugno uprising and the High Mass celebrated in Floriana shortly after the tragic events unfolded.

Rather than presenting history as something distant or static, the exhibition explores how communities remember, mourn, and transform collective experiences into shared identity. Through ritual objects, historical research, and the evocative setting of St John’s Co-Cathedral itself, visitors are encouraged to reflect on the ways memory is constructed and carried across generations.

The exhibition also offers a rare opportunity to encounter a lesser-known aspect of Maltese cultural heritage within one of the island’s most iconic historic spaces. For both locals and visitors, it is a chance to engage with an important chapter of Maltese history through art, ceremony, and memory.

Marking the commemoration of Sette Giugno, this reminds us that remembrance is not only about looking back, but also about understanding how the past continues to shape who we are today.

📍 Sacristy, St John’s Co-Cathedral
🎟️ Exhibition included with the admission ticket.