An impressive collection of Maltese artefacts is currently on display in Nice, France, as part of a prestigious exhibition celebrating one of the most significant figures in Malta’s history – Grand Master Jean-Paul de Lascaris.

Titled ‘In the Time of Grand Master Jean-Paul de Lascaris: Nice, Malta, and the Mediterranean’, the exhibition is being held at the historic Palais Lascaris – the ancestral home of the Grand Master himself – and forms part of the Biennale of Arts of the Museums of Nice. It brings to the forefront the deep-rooted historical ties between Malta, the Order of the Knights of St John, and the Mediterranean region, with a special focus on Lascaris’ unique legacy bridging both Malta and the County of Nice.

Some of the exhibition’s highlights are rare and culturally significant items loaned by Heritage Malta, including:

• Silver and copper coins minted during Lascaris’ rule, from the National Museum of Archaeology.
• A 17th-century chalice bearing his coat of arms, from MUŻA – The National Community Art Museum.
• A steel breastplate from the Grand Master’s Palace Armoury, echoing the military might of the Order.
• A corsair strongbox and a dynamic oil painting of the 1709 capture of the Capitana of Tripoli, from the Malta Maritime Museum.
• A poignant wooden relief sculpture of St Anne with the Virgin and Child, believed to be linked to the Order’s famous warship ‘Santa Anna’ – built in Nice and later used in Malta.

Visitors will also find a grand depiction of Lascaris leading the Feast of the Great Siege Victory, alongside an engraving of a 1645 sea battle between the Knights and the Ottoman Turks.

Running until 3rd November 2025, this cross-cultural collaboration paints a vivid picture of an era when Malta and Nice were united by maritime power, religious devotion, and the global reach of the Knights of St John.

For Maltese visitors in France, or anyone curious about the island’s international ties, ‘In the Time of Grand Master Jean-Paul de Lascaris’ offers a glimpse into the shared heritage of two Mediterranean strongholds.

Will you be in Nice anytime soon to explore it?