Integrating Church History, Cultural Studies and Heritage Science.
The Collegium Melitense Research Project is a 24-month interdisciplinary Research Excellence initiative (2026–2028) led by the Department of Church History, Patrology and Palaeo-Christian Archaeology within the Faculty of Theology, in collaboration with the FUMAC (Foundation for the Curation of the University of Malta’s Artworks and Collection). The initiative is supported by the Department of Art and Art History within the Faculty of Arts at the University of Malta, as well as The Jesuits’ Church Foundation.
Focusing on the historic Jesuit College and Church in Valletta—the Collegium Melitense, founded in 1592 and widely recognised as the institutional cradle of the University—the project integrates archival research, art history, and cultural heritage data in a coordinated framework of research, conservation, and public engagement
The project is co-led by:
Rev. Dr Nicholas Joseph Doublet, Senior Lecturer in Church History and Rector of the Jesuits’ Church Foundation (Project Coordinator).
Professor Keith Sciberras, Department of Art and Art History and Rector’s Delegate for the Curation of Works of Art and Historic Buildings
From its inception, the initiative has been conceived not as an isolated research study but as a structured collaboration between academic, ecclesiastical, cultural, and conservation institutions. It brings together:
This collaborative architecture ensures continuous dialogue between historical and art-historical scholarship, material analysis, conservation practice, and public interpretation. Archival investigation in Maltese and international repositories—including the Archivum Romanum Societatis Iesu and the Vatican Apostolic Archives—is directly aligned with ongoing research and conservation work on the Jesuit complex in Valletta
Historical evidence informs research, conservation strategy, spatial interpretation, and heritage management, while scientific and conservation data enrich historical reconstruction.
This integrated framework seeks to transform the Collegium Melitense into a living research laboratory—where academic enquiry, cultural heritage data, and public stewardship converge.
Collaborative Knowledge Production
The project will generate:
Crucially, these outputs are not produced in isolation but through sustained collaboration between departments, conservation experts, archivists, and international scholars. The project consolidates existing academic networks—linking Malta with Palermo, Rome, Naples, Madrid, Lisbon, and beyond—positioning the University of Malta as a Mediterranean hub for Jesuit and early modern studies
Public and Institutional Impact
Beyond academia, the project strengthens:
Built upon sustained cooperation between academic, ecclesiastical, and cultural institutions, the project is intended as a nationally significant catalyst, enabling scholarly research to deepen the University of Malta’s awareness of its origins, shape heritage stewardship across the Maltese cultural sector, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s broader cultural landscape.
A Model of Interdisciplinary Cooperation
The Collegium Melitense Research Project exemplifies how the Department of Church History functions at the intersection of theology, history, art history, cultural studies, conservation, and civic engagement. It demonstrates that responsible heritage stewardship requires sustained institutional partnership—uniting scholarship and practice in the service of Malta’s intellectual and cultural patrimony.