St John's Co-Cathedral has launched an exhibition exploring Sette Giugno and the events surrounding one of the most defining days of modern Maltese history.

At the centre of the exhibition is a previously unstudied collection of over funerary cartelloni, dating from the sixteenth to the twentieth century, that have been preserved at St John's Co-Cathedral.

These works once formed part of elaborate funeral ceremonies for Grand Masters, Knights of the Order, ecclesiastical dignitaries, and prominent families, and served as visual expressions of identity, status, and remembrance.

Particular focus is given to four rare cartelloni dated 7th June 1919, the day of the Sette Giugno riots, and a High Mass celebrated in Floriana two days later.

Although details of the original ceremony remain unknown, these objects offer a powerful insight into how communities memorialised loss and historical events.

Through these artefacts, the exhibition examines the role of ritual, symbolism, and public commemoration in shaping Maltese collective memory, and highlights the continuity and evolution of funerary traditions within Malta's cultural history.

The exhibition also includes a dedicated accessibility station featuring tactile 2.5D wooden bas-relief reproductions, audio descriptions, and interpretive content, enabling visitors to engage with key objects through touch and sound.

Presented in the Sacristy of St John's Co-Cathedral, the exhibition opened yesterday and will run until 10th July.

It is organised by St John's Co-Cathedral in collaboration with CRPD – Commission for the Rights of Persons with Disability, the National Archives of Malta, Fondazzjoni Fortunato u Enrico Mizzi, and the Parish Church of St Catherine, Żejtun.