Mario Buhagiar, a Maltese art historian and author, died on February 28, 2026, aged 81.
He was a professor in the history of art at the University of Malta and for 25 years headed the university’s History of Art Department, which he founded. Buhagiar introduced history of art as an academic discipline at the University of Malta in 1988 and helped develop it into a fully fledged department.
He also worked with the Maltese National Museums Department, where he helped draw up a Protective Inventory of the Maltese Cultural Heritage, and served as president and vice-president of the Malta Historical Society. He was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and a member of the National Order of Merit.
Mario Buhagiar (4 January 1945 – 28 February 2026) was a Maltese art historian and author who was a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) and member of the National Order of Merit (MOM). He was a professor in history of art at the University of Malta and was for 25 years head of the History of Art Department, which he founded.