The Church of Saint Nicholas ( mt, Il-Knisja ta' San Nikola, el, Εκκλησία του Αγίου Νικολάου, sr, Црква Светог Николе), also known as the Church of All Souls ( mt, Il-Knisja tal-Erwieħ), is a

Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

church in

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, dedicated to Saint Nicholas. Originally built as a

Greek Orthodox The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

church in 1569, it was conceded to the Confraternity of the Souls in Purgatory in 1639, who rebuilt the church in the Baroque style in 1652. The church was passed back to the Greek Catholic congregation in 2014 however the church is used from Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople.

History

The Church of St. Nicholas was originally built in 1569 as a Byzantine Rite parish church for the

Greek Orthodox Church The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also cal ...

. The

Greek Catholic Church The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

came into existence following the

Union of Brest The Union of Brest (; ; ; ) was the 1595–96 decision of the Ruthenian Orthodox Church eparchies (dioceses) in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth to break relations with the Eastern Orthodox Church and to enter into communion with, and place i ...

in 1595–96. In 1639, the parish priest Papas Giovanni Metaxi decided to separate from the Orthodox church and join the Greek Catholic Church, and he conceded the church to the Confraternity of the Souls in Purgatory. The church building was completely reconstructed to designs of the Baroque architect Francesco Buonamici in 1652. Relations between the parish and the Confraternity are regulated by a concordat signed on 17 September 1766. Indulgence of 40 days Valletta

The church suffered considerable due to aerial bombardment during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. It was repaired by 1951, and the repair works included a complete reconstruction of the façade. The church formally passed back into the hands of the local Greek Catholic congregation in 2014. Today, it is used by 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 let ...

church although authority falls under Greek Catholic hierarch Archimandrite Fr. George Mifsud Montanaro. Greek Catholic (Byzantine Rite) liturgy is celebrated daily at the nearby Church of Our Lady of Damascus. The church is also used for Sunday

Divine Services In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of fixed times of prayer at regular intervals. A book of hours, chiefly a breviary, normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers. In t ...

by the Serbian Orthodox Church. Today, the church is a Grade 1 national monument, and it is also 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, mo ...

Architecture

Interior of St Nicholas's church Valletta

The Church of St. Nicholas is built in the

Baroque style The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...

. Its façade is divided into three bays at ground level, with a single central bay on the upper part. The church has a

Greek cross The Christian cross, with or without a figure of Christ included, is the main religious symbol of Christianity. A cross with a figure of Christ affixed to it is termed a ''crucifix'' and the figure is often referred to as the ''corpus'' (La ...

plan, with a central dome over the crossing supported by four free-standing columns. It has a

choir A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

in the

apse In architecture, an apse (plural apses; from Latin 'arch, vault' from Ancient Greek 'arch'; sometimes written apsis, plural apsides) is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome, also known as an '' exedra''. ...

, which is flanked by a small sacristy. The church has a single bell tower which is located to the rear of the building.

References

{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Valletta Baroque church buildings in Malta Limestone churches in Malta Greek Orthodox churches Eastern Christianity in Malta 1569 establishments in Malta Churches completed in 1652 Church buildings with domes National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Greek Catholic churches in Malta Eastern Orthodox church buildings in Malta Roman Catholic churches in Malta

History

Architecture

See also

References