The talk, which drew significant public interest upon its first delivery, explores what Maltese art, architecture, and culture were like when Pietru Caxaro’s Kantilena was written in the mid to late 15th century when the Maltese islands were an integral part of the Confederation of the Aragonese Crown This was a period marked by significant cultural exchanges.

Prof. Vella will delve into the artistic and architectural developments of Late Medieval Malta, contextualised within the wider Mediterranean milieu and the cultural significance of the 1480 Kantilena, Malta’s earliest surviving text in the Maltese language.

Prof. Vella combines rigorous scholarship with an engaging delivery, offering insights into the period's artistic production, socio-political dynamics, and Malta’s position within a broader Mediterranean network.