Reimagining the visitor experience at St John’s Co-Cathedral

For Tonio Mallia, leading St John’s Co-Cathedral goes beyond maintaining one of Malta’s most recognisable landmarks. Over the past four years, Mr Mallia and his team have been working towards a fundamental shift in how the institution approaches its visitors: moving from offering a simple visit to creating an experience.

“It is not an easy thing to do – the Co-Cathedral was built by the Order of St John between 1573 and 1578,” Mr Mallia says. “We needed to re-engineer ourselves so that, alongside the building itself, we could offer visitors other experiences connected to its history and heritage.”

That philosophy has driven a series of investments and initiatives designed to bring the Co-Cathedral’s extraordinary history, architecture and art to life in new ways.

Bringing the heritage site into the digital age has been an important part of its ongoing development, with new technologies helping to create a more engaging and accessible experience for visitors. From introducing digital tools that allow visitors to explore the site in new ways to rethinking how its history and collections are presented, these efforts are helping bridge the gap between the past and present.

Perhaps the most striking example of this approach is the Caravaggio Wing.

The Wing spans three areas, including the Hall of St Jerome, a 25-seat theatre exploring Caravaggio’s work, and an immersive space bringing visitors face-to-face with Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Large-scale projections reveal intricate details, including the artist’s famous signature.

Creating the experience took three nights of meticulous photography, capturing the painting in 10cm sections using photography, infrared, ultraviolet and X-ray imaging, before combining the images into a high-resolution projection.

For Mr Mallia, this is precisely what the future of the Co-Cathedral is about: finding new ways to interpret and experience its treasures without compromising their authenticity.

That same balance between preservation and modernisation can be seen throughout the building. The Co-Cathedral recently underwent a major lighting upgrade, replacing a system that had been in place for more than two decades. The result, Mr Mallia says, has transformed the way the interior is perceived, allowing visitors to better appreciate its artistic details.

Infrastructure that had previously been overlooked is being upgraded, including the introduction of Wi-Fi throughout the Co-Cathedral. Accessibility remains another important consideration, with the institution working to ensure exhibitions and experiences can be enjoyed by as many people as possible.

And the transformation is far from complete.

The development of a new museum is a major part of the Co-Cathedral’s plans to expand the visitor experience. When Mr Mallia became involved with the museum project more than four and a half years ago, the future museum was little more than a hole in the ground. Following 18 months of construction, the project has now moved into its final stages, with finishing works underway.

The purpose-built museum is expected to be ready to open in approximately two and a half years. It will house relics and historic treasures, including silverware, within a purpose-designed environment that allows the collections to be properly displayed and understood.

However, managing an increasingly popular attraction presents its own challenges. Mr Mallia believes the introduction of a visitor-entry system based on allocated time slots could significantly improve the experience, particularly during busy periods when large crowds can detract from the atmosphere and enjoyment of the visit.

At the same time, the physical preservation of the building remains an ongoing responsibility. A major €6 million restoration of the nave is planned, with the project expected to take five years.

There are ambitions to climatise the cathedral, with the installation of solar panels forming an important first step towards that goal.

Yet amid the millions being invested in restoration, infrastructure and technology, Mr Mallia points to another investment as the most important of all: people.

The Co-Cathedral is run by the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation, which currently employs around 60 people.

“The opening of the museum will require additional staff. You are not managing a hotel,” Mr Mallia says. “You have history, culture, art – this job is very particular.”

That responsibility is something he does not take lightly. The building was once in the hands of the Knights of St John and came into Maltese hands in a condition far removed from the splendour visitors see today. Generations before him played their part in restoring it to its present state, and Mr Mallia sees his own role as continuing that work.

‘‘That means looking beyond the immediate demands of running the institution and constantly observing, analysing and anticipating what comes next.’’

And while technology, restoration and infrastructure will all shape the Co-Cathedral’s future, he remains convinced that its greatest strength lies in its people.

It is a fitting perspective for an institution whose identity has been shaped by generations of people. The walls may hold centuries of history, but it is the people working within them who keep that history alive.

“We are the soul of the cathedral,” Mr Mallia says. “Without its people, it is dead.”