Mario Buhagiar (born 1945) is an author, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London (FSA) and member of the National Order of Merit (MOM).
He introduced history of art as an academic discipline at the University of Malta in 1988 and saw it grow into a fully fledged department which he directed for several years producing in the process a cohort of art historians who now occupy the key posts of Malta's heritage and cultural institutions.
On the attainment of his first degree from the University of London, he was first attached to the Maltese National Museums Department where, with the support of the Council for Cultural Cooperation of the Council of Europe, he pioneered the drawing up of a Protective Inventory of the Maltese Cultural Heritage.
[1] In 1968 he was founder with George Serracino-Inglott of the Youth Section of Din L-Art Helwa and was responsible for the discovery of and initial rehabilitation programme of the Late Medieval Church of the Annunciation at Hal Millieri.
They are currently undertaking a similar study on Salvo d'Antonio's 1510 predella from the Mdina Cathedral Museum collection.
A Maltese Maritime City (2 vols), Mario Buhagiar, Lino Bugeja, Stanley Fiorini (eds).
He is the second member of the academic staff of the University of Malta to receive the Fellowship of the Society, the other being Prof. Anthony Bonanno who was elected in 2002.
On Republic Day 2012, he was elected as a member of the National Order of Merit by the then president, Dr George Abela.
A book of essays edited by Dr Charlene Vella by 39 academics is to be presented to Prof. Buhagiar on his 72nd birthday in 2017.
At Home in Art: essays in honour of Mario Buhagiar published by Midsea Books contains contributions by Vincenzo Abbate, Joan Abela, John Azzopardi, Michele Bacci, Francesca Balzan, Alain Blondy, Anthony Bonanno, Giovanni Bonello, Anne Brogini, Keith Buhagiar, Martina Caruana, Donal Cooper, Roberta Cruciata, Maria Concetta Di Natale, Richard England, Mark-Anthony Falzon, Joe Friggieri, Anna Galea, John Gash, Carol Jaccarini, Helen Langdon, Anthony Luttrell, Roderick O’Donnell, Lawrence Pavia, Richard Reece, Mark Sagona, Dany Sandron, Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, Keith Sciberras, Carmel Spiteri, Anne Swartz, Conrad Thake, Paulo Varela Gomes, Peter Vassallo, Charlene Vella, Roger Vella Bonavita, Maurizio Vitella, Antoine Zammit and Theresa Zammit Lupi.