Image: MUŻA, Valletta
Heritage Malta has opened 'Inspired by History: From Tapestries to Contemporary Fashion', an exhibition that brings the historic Grand Master’s Palace tapestries back into public view alongside contemporary fashion works by Charles & Ron. The project centers on the tapestries’ return to Malta after restoration in Belgium and frames them through a new creative response rather than as a standalone historical display.
The exhibition is presented in connection with MUŻA, Heritage Malta’s national community art museum, but the verified listing places the show at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta. Admission is included in the palace experience, and the exhibition runs there from 27 June to 30 August 2026, with palace opening hours listed as Monday to Sunday, 10:00 to 18:00, and last admission at 17:30.
The tapestries were commissioned in 1708 by Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful from the Gobelins Manufactory in Paris as part of his gioia, a gift to the Order upon his election. According to Heritage Malta’s exhibition text, they depict flora and fauna from lands newly discovered in the preceding century and have been treasured in the Grand Master’s Palace since 1710.
Heritage Malta says the set that has returned after restoration at De Wit in Belgium is the only complete surviving set woven from the original cartoons of the celebrated Tenture des Indes, a body of work also associated with the French Royal Palace of Versailles. The exhibition highlights the restoration as part of the tapestries’ contemporary presentation, underscoring both their survival and their continuing visibility in Malta’s cultural heritage.
Alongside the historic textiles, the exhibition presents fashion pieces by Charles & Ron inspired by the tapestries themselves. One dress in the display is set to be donated to the national collection managed by Heritage Malta, bringing the contemporary response directly into the public collection the institution oversees.
The installation combines heritage display and fashion interpretation in a single setting at the Grand Master’s Palace, with the fashion works positioned as a modern reflection of the tapestries’ imagery and craftsmanship. Heritage Malta describes the exhibition as an invitation to experience the tapestries’ return and to see how their legacy continues to inspire contemporary fashion. The show remains open until 30 August 2026 at the Grand Master’s Palace, St George’s Square, Valletta.
