MELCHIORRE CAFÀ
The Valletta Rehabilitation Project, The University of Malta, Heritage Malta and other partners are sponsoring an international seminar on the brilliant Maltese sculptor Melchiorre Cafà (Gafa) (1636-1667) to be held in Malta in October 2003.  The seminar, entitled Melchiorre Cafà: Maltese Genius of the Roman Baroque, sees the participation of the most renowned international scholars on Italian Baroque Sculpture.  It is being convened by Dr Keith Sciberras and is the fruit of an academic effort that has now been sustained for the past years.  The seminar seeks to present Melchiorre Cafà's major role in Italian Baroque Sculpture to a wider public.

The seminar will discuss Melchiorre Cafà within the wider context of Roman Baroque Sculpture and will focus on themes and issues that are specific to the artist and to his role as a bridge between the High and Late Baroque in Rome. It will focus on issues of style, technique, oeuvre, and biography specific to Melchiorre Cafà.  It seeks to discuss research on individual works, patronage, and ‘fortuna critica’.  The seminar also aims at establishing a wide-ranging consensus on a corpus of works that can be specifically attributed to Cafà.   

The seminar will be coupled with a number of other initiatives, such as an Exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts and the creation of a ‘Cafà ruote’. It is hoped that the seminar proceedings will, eventually, be published.

MELCHIORRE CAFÀ
Maltese genius of the Roman Baroque

EVENTS

PUBLIC SEMINAR
25 October 2003 (09.15-16.00hrs)
Aula Magna, Old University Building, Valletta

EXHIBITION
24 October – 14 November 2003
National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta

CONCERT
23 October 2003  (19.15hrs)
St Paul Shipwrecked Church, Valletta

PUBLIC LECTURE by Dr Keith Sciberras
‘Melchiorre Cafà u l-Istatwa ta’ San Pawl’ 
21 October 2003 (19.00hrs)
St Paul Shipwrecked Church, Valletta

Sponsors
VALLETTA REHABILITATION PROJECT

UNIVERSITY OF MALTA
HERITAGE MALTA

Malta Council for Culture and the Arts,   Vivian Corporation Ltd,
Valletta Local Council,  Ballut Blocks Ltd

Partners
St Paul Shipwrecked Parish Church Valletta,   St Paul’s Parish Church Rabat,  S.M.O.M. Fort St Angelo,  Dominican Priory Rabat,   Rev. Edgar Vella

Convener:  Dr Keith Sciberras, University of Malta

contact e-mail: keith.sciberras@um.edu.mt

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PROGRAMME
MELCHIORRE CAFÀ
Maltese genius of the Roman Baroque

PUBLIC SEMINAR
25 October 2003 (09.15-16.00hrs)
Aula Magna, Old University Building, Valletta

Morning Session  (0915-1230hrs)

Opening Address:    
Dr Ray Bondin, Executive Co-0rdinator VRP
Introduction:   
Dr Keith Sciberras (chairperson)
Seminar papers:   
Dr Jennifer Montagu –
Melchiorre Cafà’s models for Ercole Ferrata
Dott. Maria Giulia Barberini and Dott. Angela Cipriani –
Fortuna Critica
Break
Dott. Elena Di Gioia – "Chi non esce talvolta dalla regola non la passa mai".
Melchiorre Cafà e la scultura a Roma tra il 1657 e il 1667: Alcuni problemi aperti
Prof. Louise Rice – Cafà’s Conclusion
Dott. Alessandra Anselmi – Melchiorre Cafà and S. Rosa
Discussion and Break

Afternoon Session  (1330-1600hrs)

Chairperson:
Prof. Mario Buhagiar
Seminar papers:
Dr Gerhard Bissell –
Melchiorre Cafà at S. Caterina a Magnanapoli
Dr Keith Sciberras –
Melchiorre Cafà and the Knights of Malta: New insights
Mgr John Azzopardi – Melchiorre Cafà at the Grotto of St Paul
Dott. Sante Guido – La tecnica delle cere di Cafà
Discussion and Closure