Our Saviour's formally known as The Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus, popularly known in
Maltese
Maltese may refer to:
* Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta
* Maltese alphabet
* Maltese cuisine
* Maltese culture
* Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people
* Maltese people, people from Malta or of Maltese ...
as Is-Salvatur is a
Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
church located in the village of
Żejtun
Żejtun ( ) is a town in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,218 at the end of 2016. Żejtun is traditionally known as Città Beland, a title conferred by the grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Ferdinand von ...
, in
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
.
Origin
During the middle ages,
Żejtun
Żejtun ( ) is a town in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,218 at the end of 2016. Żejtun is traditionally known as Città Beland, a title conferred by the grandmaster of the Order of the Knights of Malta, Ferdinand von ...
was divided in various small hamlets. Our Saviour's was located in what was then known as ''Bisqallin''. As the
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in com ...
of St Catherine was located at a much further distance, these small hamlets had small chapels which they could use to avoid walking the long distance to the parish church. Bisqallin had two chapels, one dedicated to the Visitation and the other to Our Saviour both built around 1500 and both built beside each other. Both chapels are mentioned 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 isl ...
's report of 1575. However Dusina reports that Our Saviour's lacked all necessarily items to use for religious services. He even mentions that the chapel did not have a door. Consequently he ordered that a door be installed.
New chapel
During the 18th century, Our Saviour's was in need of great renovation and thus it was decided to combine both chapels into one. Our Saviour's was demolished and a new one built combining with the medieval chapel of the Visitation which was then turned into the
sacristy
A sacristy, also known as a vestry or preparation room, is a room in Christianity, Christian churches for the keeping of vestments (such as the alb and chasuble) and other church furnishings, sacred vessels, and parish records.
The sacristy is us ...
. Thus Our Saviour's has an 18th century front and a medieval back side. The chapel's facade was rebuilt in the 20th century in a neo-gothic style.
Interior
The chapel has a stone altar and a painting depicting the
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event described in the New Testament where Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is Transfiguration (religion), transfigured and becomes radiant in Glory (religion), glory upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (, , ) r ...
, the work of Toussaints Busuttil. Other paintings depict the Visitation of Mary to her cousin Elizabeth and another depicting
Saint Anne
According to apocrypha, as well as Christianity, Christian and Islamic tradition, Saint Anne was the mother of Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary, the wife of Joachim and the maternal grandmother of Jesus. Mary's mother is not named in the Bible's Gosp ...
, the former commemorating the medieval chapel of the Visitation.
[Abela, J.]
"Il-knisja tas-Salvatur ~ Żejtun ~"
''Kappelli Maltin'', Malta. Retrieved on 06 July 2017.
See also
*
Culture of Malta
The culture of Malta has been influenced by 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 l ...
*
History of Malta
Malta has been inhabited since 6400 BC initially by Mesolithic hunter gatherers, who were replaced by Early European Farmers, Neolithic farmers from Sicily around 5400 BC. These farmers practiced mixed farming after clearing most of the existin ...
*
List of Churches in Malta
*
Religion in Malta
Catholic 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 Culture of Malta, Maltese culture.
According to a 2018 survey ...
References
{{reflist
1500 establishments in Europe
Medieval Maltese architecture
Medieval churches
Żejtun
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
Limestone churches in Malta
Roman Catholic chapels in Malta