Edgar Vella, born in Mgarr, Malta in 1961. He first studied the history of art at the Polytechnic (Malta) between 1978 and 1980. Following his licentiate course in Theology in 1985, he was ordained priest in 1988. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2012 at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Malta. Appointed assistant curator in the Cathedral Museum in 1993, Vella organized a number of thematic exhibitions namely: 'The Crucifix, Public Cult, and Private Devotion in Malta' in 1994; 'Antique Artistic Cribs and other Works of Art on the Nativity Theme' in 1994, 'Artistic Representations of the Passion Theme'; 'Relics and Reliquaries in Malta' in 1996, 'Panel Paintings on the Passion Theme in 1997; 'Decorative Art related to Confraternities in Malta' in 1998; and 'Works of Art on the Marian Theme' in 1999. From 2004 he started setting up an 18th-century Neapolitan crib, which, since then, has become an annual appointment. In 2012, he published the book A Neapolitan crib in Malta. Vella has also published a number of papers, namely in Mattia Preti: Faith and Humanity (2013) in the book A timeless gentleman, a festschrift in honour of Maurice de Giorgio (2014). In 2001 he was appointed Diocesan Inventorist and Curator of the Cathedral Museum in 2008. Currently, he is the Secretary of the Commission for the Cultural Catholic Heritage and Chairman of the Exhibition Board of Palazzo De Piro Mdina.
