Heritage Malta staff have just finished setting up an exhibition on Maltese arms and armour in Paris. The exhibition entitled 'Between the Sword and the Cross' - Masterpieces from the Armoury of Malta. The exhibition is being held in the prestigious Musée de l' Armée in the Hôtel Nationale des Invalides. It is being organised by the museum and Heritage Malta in collaboration with the Maltese Embassy in Paris and the Malta Tourism Authority on the occasion of the French presidency of the EU.

The exhibition deals with the main armour of the Order of St John. Most of the exhibits on display were provided by Heritage Malta. These include seven paintings from the National Museum of Fine Arts and the Palace and the Palace Armoury, a chalice and 25 pieces from the armoury including four complete sets of armour.

There are other exhibits from France including the breast and back plates of the suit of armour of Grand Master D'Omedes and La Vallette's sword and dagger. The exhibition includes two suits of armour which had never been exhibited complete before. This has been made possible as three missing parts which are in the possession of the Royal Armoury in Leeds, England, have been taken to Paris to be assembled with the rest of the armour from the Palace Armoury.

The exhibition was set up by Heritage Malta, Michael Stroud, Curator of the Palace Armoury, Pierre Bonello, Senior Executive Exhibitions and Design, and Robert Cassar Conservator. They were assisted by staff from the Musèe des Armèe

The Hôtel des Invalides is a prestigious museum housing the third largest collection of arms in the world. It is a large complex originally built in 1670 by Louis XIV as a hospital and retirement home for wounded soldiers and war veterans. The monument now houses the Army Museum and presents military history of France from antiquity to the end of the Second World War.

The exhibition is being held in one of the former refectories which is being reopened to the public after being closed for several years for restoration work to be carried out. The exhibition will be inaugurated by the Maltese Prime Minister Dr Lawrence Gonzi and by the French Minister of Defence on Monday the 20th of October, and will remain open until the 11th of January.