Churches in Valletta

Jesuits Church

Archbishop Street. Open 6arn-12.3Opm
Mon-Fri, Sun; 6am-12.3Opm, 5-8pm Sat.

Built between 1592 and 1600, a distinctive characteristic of this church is that it represents the first building in Malta that was designed in the new baroque style. It offers a white-washed simple interior with a raised podium above the altar, supported with braided columns. It is the church incorporated within the old University of Malta, established by the Jesuits. Look out for one of MaI- 13's oldest sundials on the back of the church on St Paul's Street. Valletta's other sundial is in Republic Street on the facade of the Casino Maltese.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Old Theatre Street. Open 7am-7pm daily.

One of Valletta's largest churches, its large white dome visible from afar, is an egg-shaped edifice that was completed in the 1980s. It is built over the original church that was erected in 1573 and destroyed during World War II. There isn't anything in the way of outstanding artistic detail, but it's worth a peep for its scale: the interior is so cavernous and the dome w high, that it feels dizzying inside.

Our Lady of Victory

Victory Square. Open 7 .30am-1 Oam
Mon, Wed-Sat; 7.30am-noon Tue; Closed Sun.

Tradition holds that the foundation stone of Valletta was laid here in 1566 by Grand Master La Valette. The church was built to commemorate the Knights' victory over the Turks in the Great Siege of 1565, hence its name. It served as the first church of the Order in Valletta until 1577, when the Conventual Church of St John was completed. Grand Master La Valette was originally buried here for some time and his remains were later transferred to the Co-Cathedral.

St John's Co-Cathedral

Stjohn Street (21220536).
Open Co-Cathedral & Museum 9.30am- 4.3Opm Mon-Fri; 9.30am-12.30pm

St John's Co-Cathedral, completed in 1570s to serve as the Knights' conven- tual church, one of the most opulent churches in the world, stands as the Knights' eternal shrine. It was designed by a Maltese architect Girolmu Cassar in the Mannerist style. The exterior was never retouched, but the interior underwent a transformation which be- gan in the 17th century as the threat of war receded and the Knights' priorities began to change. The Knights engaged the Italian baroque artist Mattia Preti to supervise the artistic recreation of the Co-Cathedral. It took Preti five years to paint the 18 vignettes on the vault depicting episodes from St John the Baptist's life. In later years he painted the altar pieces of the nine side chap- els. The artistic diversity of the CoCathedral was further enhanced when eight side chapels where each assigned to individuallangues -regional group- ings of Knights. Each langue deco- rated its chapel and, in a spirit of self-aggrandisement and rivalry, installed monuments and mausoleums to commemorate the regional knights who served as Grand Masters. Many other knights are buried  beneath the tomb- stones that cover the entire floor. Over the past few months, a protective carpet was installed over the marble floor to minimise the abrasive effects caused by the heavy foot traffic (most of the floor remains exposed). Preti also sculpted the Oratory, the place of wor- ship for novice Knights. He designed it to house Caravaggio's large painting titled 'the BeheadingofSt]ohn the Baptist', which Caravaggio painted in 1608 during a brietstint in Malta when he escaped Italy after he had committed a reckless murder. The painting is now considered by many art historians to be the best painting of the 17th century for its chilling realism and excellent composition. Some of the moveable riches that adorned the church in its heyday are now exhibited in a museum adjoining the church. The exhibits include silverware, vestments, illuminated choral books, portraits of Knights and, most valuable, three large sets of tapestries quilted in 1702 by the Flemish artistodicos de Vos, depicting religious episodes and characters.

St Paul's Shipwreck Church

St Paul Street (21236013). Open 6.30am-7pm daily.

Dedicated to the shipwreck of St Paul in Malta in AD 60, this church with an ornate marble-clad interior has been remodelled three times since its origi- nal construction in 1571. Some of the treasures within date from the church's earliest history and many more were added throughout the centuries. Important works of art are the altarpiece by the Italian Matteo D'Aieccio, the choir and dome of Lorenzo Gafa, the paintings by Attilio Palombi, and Giuseppe Cali and the titular statue of Melchiorre Gafa. The two most valuable artefacts have connections with St Paul: a fragment of his wrist- bone set in an ornate gold reliquary and part of the column to which he was tied when he was beheaded in Rome.

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