Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar has announced the appointment of Frederica Agius as its new in-house curator. Ms Agius brings academic and professional experience in art history and museum education, with a particular focus on Maltese heritage sites.
After completing her studies at St Martin’s College Sixth Form, she pursued a Bachelor’s degree in History of Art at the University of Malta, selecting Palazzo Parisio as the focus of her undergraduate thesis. She later continued her research on the same site at Master’s level.
According to Palazzo Parisio, “it made complete sense for Frederica to join the family.” Her curatorial work has included archival research, and the identification of historical items connected to the site.
Among her recent discoveries is documentation relating to the well-known marble hand rest on the palace’s grand staircase. “The first sank with its transport off the coast of Sicily, the second almost made it but cracked on arrival and the final one made it in one piece. It’s no joke, ordering a six metre-long slab of marble all the way from Italy. And the Marquis only worked with the best – the marble suppliers also supplied the V&A Museum in Kensington,” she said.
Ms Agius has also uncovered a bozzetto of the lunette depicting St Paul’s shipwreck, which adds to Palazzo Parisio’s visual documentation. Her current work includes developing projects to explore the site’s history, expanding the educational programme, and enhancing audience interaction.
“Palazzo Parisio is one of the best examples of Eclecticism in Malta, though if I’m being precise, the correct term is Progressive Eclecticism since we have one of the earliest expressions of art nouveau on the island,” she said. “It’s an exciting period that closed off the 19th century and explored the freshness of the new epoch with all its modern tendencies.”
Alongside her role at Palazzo Parisio, Ms Agius lectures at the University of Malta and coordinates the Museum Placement credit at the Wignacourt Museum. She regularly delivers talks and contributes articles to local newspapers and magazines.
Written By
Nicole Zammit
When she’s not writing articles at work or poetry at home, you’ll find her taking long walks in the countryside, pumping iron at the gym, caring for her farm animals, or spending quality time with family and friends. In short, she’s always on the go, drawing inspiration from the little things around her, and constantly striving to make the ordinary extraordinary.
