Church Of St James, Victoria Gozo on:
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The Church of St James is a
Following the 1551 corsair raid on Gozo led by Sinam Baxa the church suffered extensive damage and had to be rebuilt. It was deconsecrated in 1657 by Bishop Balaguer and a new church was built in its place by order of Grand Master Ramon Despuig. It was finished in 1740. The church was used for the blessing of the crops on the feast of St Mark. This custom started in 1847 and ended in 1968. The church was consecrated on January 18, 1942. It was partly demolished in 1979 because of damage to the structure. Thus it had to be rebuilt.
The church building is listed on the
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
church building in Victoria, Gozo
Victoria ( mt, Il-Belt Victoria, meaning "the city Victoria"), also known among the native Maltese as Rabat (which is the name of the old town centre) or by its title Città Victoria, is an administrative unit of Malta, the largest and most pr ...
, Malta, situated in Independence Square, the centre of the town.
History
The present church dates from the 20th century but part of the church, particularly the sanctuary, dates to the 18th century. The original building was used as a parochial church for the eastern part of the island ofGozo
Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...
during the night hours at a time when the only parishes on the island were those of St George and the Collegiate of the Assumption, the present cathedral. Two other chapels were adjoined to the original church, one dedicated to the Holy Cross and the other to St Mark. This is recorded in inquisitor Pietro Dusina Pietro Dusina was an Italian Roman Catholic priest from Brescia who was the inquisitor and apostolic delegate to Malta between 1574 and 1575.
Dusina was nominated inquisitor of Malta by Pope Gregory XIII on 3 July 1574, and he arrived on the island ...
's 1575 report.
Following the 1551 corsair raid on Gozo led by Sinam Baxa the church suffered extensive damage and had to be rebuilt. It was deconsecrated in 1657 by Bishop Balaguer and a new church was built in its place by order of Grand Master Ramon Despuig. It was finished in 1740. The church was used for the blessing of the crops on the feast of St Mark. This custom started in 1847 and ended in 1968. The church was consecrated on January 18, 1942. It was partly demolished in 1979 because of damage to the structure. Thus it had to be rebuilt.
The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...
.
Works of Art
Thealtarpiece
An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...
, depicting St James dates back to 1742. There are two side altars, one dedicated to St Barbara and the other to St Teresa of Avila and St Rose of Lima. The paintings are said to be painted by Francesco Zahra
Francesco Vincenzo Zahra ( mt, Franġisk Żahra, 15 December 1710 – 19 August 1773) was a Maltese painter who mainly painted religious works in the Neapolitan Baroque style. His works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands, as ...
. The church is most famous for the statue of Our Lady of Sorrow
Our Lady of Sorrows ( la, Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), Our Lady of Dolours, the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows ( la, Mater Dolorosa, link=no), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names ...
which is taken out of the church on the Friday before Good Friday
Good Friday is a Christian holiday commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. It is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum. It is also known as Holy Friday, Great Friday, Great and Holy Friday (also Hol ...
and taken into procession around the streets of Victoria. The statue was brought from Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
in 1879.
See also
*Culture of Malta
The culture of Malta reflects various societies that have come into contact with the Maltese Islands throughout the centuries, including neighbouring Mediterranean cultures, and the cultures of the nations that ruled Malta for long periods of ti ...
*History of Malta
Malta has a long history and was first inhabited in around 5900 BC. The first inhabitants were farmers, and their agricultural methods degraded the soil until the islands became uninhabitable. The islands were repopulated around 3850 BC ...
* List of Churches in Malta
*Religion in Malta
The Catholic branch of Christianity is the predominant religion in Malta. The Constitution of Malta establishes Catholicism as the state religion, and it is also reflected in various elements of Maltese culture; however, in recent years the ...
References
{{Citta Victoria 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta Roman Catholic churches completed in 1740 Victoria, Gozo National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands