St John's Co-Cathedral ( mt, Kon-Katidral ta' San Ġwann) is a
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 ...
co-cathedral in
Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
,
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
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
. It was built by the
Order of St. John
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...
between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Master
Jean de la Cassière
Fra' Jean l'Evesque de la Cassière (1502 – 21 December 1581) was the 51st Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1572 to 1581. He commissioned the building of the Conventual Church of the Order (now Saint John's Co-Cathedral) in Vallett ...
as the Conventual Church of Saint John ( mt, Knisja Konventwali ta' San Ġwann).
The church was designed by the
Maltese architect
Girolamo Cassar
Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta ...
, who designed several of the more prominent buildings in Valletta. In the 17th century, its interior was redecorated in the
Baroque
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 ...
style by
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
Life
Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Cava ...
and other artists. The interior of the church is considered to be one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe.
History
![Valletta St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Valletta_St.John%27s_Co-Cathedral%2C_1870s.jpg)
Following the
Great Siege of 1565
The Great Siege of Malta ( Maltese: ''L-Assedju l-Kbir'') occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May to 13 September ...
, St. John's Co-Cathedral was commissioned in 1572 by
Jean de la Cassière
Fra' Jean l'Evesque de la Cassière (1502 – 21 December 1581) was the 51st Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1572 to 1581. He commissioned the building of the Conventual Church of the Order (now Saint John's Co-Cathedral) in Vallett ...
,
Grand Master of the
Order of St. John
The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...
.
It was initially named, in the Italian common language of the time, as ''Chiesa Conventuale di San Giovanni Battista''. The church was designed by the Maltese architect
Girolamo Cassar
Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta ...
, who was also responsible for the construction of many important buildings in Valletta.
It is held that Cassar went to
Rhodes
Rhodes (; el, Ρόδος , translit=Ródos ) is the largest and the historical capital of the Dodecanese islands of Greece. Administratively, the island forms a separate municipality within the Rhodes regional unit, which is part of the So ...
to bring a plan of an already existing church that was by then converted to a Mosque, to use it as a model for the present co-cathedral. However Cassar still took decisions over the final design and made modifications, and thus became the sole architect of the co-cathedral. Once St. John's was completed in 1577, it became the new
convent
A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican ...
ual church of the Order instead of
St. Lawrence's Church in the Order's former headquarters
Birgu
Birgu ( mt, Il-Birgu , it, Vittoriosa), also known by its title Città Vittoriosa ("''Victorious City''"), is an old fortified city on the south side of the Grand Harbour in the South Eastern Region of Malta. The city occupies a promontory of ...
.
Construction of the oratory and sacristy began in 1598, during the magistracy of
Martin Garzez Martin may refer to:
Places
* Martin City (disambiguation)
* Martin County (disambiguation)
* Martin Township (disambiguation)
Antarctica
* Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land
* Port Martin, Adelie Land
* Point Martin, South Orkney Islands
Austral ...
, and they were completed by Grand Master
Alof de Wignacourt
Fra Alof de Wignacourt (1547 – 14 September 1622) was a French nobleman who was the 54th Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 10 February 1601 to his death in 1622. Unlike a number of the other Grand Masters, he was popul ...
in 1604.
For the first century of its existence, the church's interior was modestly decorated. However, in the 1660s, Grand Master
Raphael Cotoner
Rafael Cotoner y de Oleza ( mt, Raphael Cotoner; 1601 – 20 October 1663) was a Spanish knight of Aragon who served as 60th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller or, as it is already known by that time, the Order of Malta, from 5 June 1660 ...
ordered the redecoration of the interior so as to rival the churches of
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. Calabrian artist
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
Life
Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Cava ...
was in charge of the embellishment, and effectively completely transformed the interior in the
Baroque
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 ...
style.
The annexes on the side of the cathedral were added later and feature the coat of arms of Grand Master
António Manoel de Vilhena
António Manoel de Vilhena (28 May 1663 – 10 December 1736) was a Portuguese nobleman who was the 66th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 19 June 1722 to his death in 1736. Unlike a number of the other Grand Ma ...
who reigned from 1722 to 1736.
St. John's remained the conventual church of the Order until the latter was expelled from Malta with the
French occupation
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
in 1798.
Over time, the church grew to equal prominence with the archbishop's
cathedral
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
at
Mdina
Mdina ( mt, L-Imdina ; phn, 𐤌𐤋𐤈, Maleṭ; grc, Μελίττη, Melite (ancient city), Melíttē; ar, مدينة, Madīnah; ), also known by its Italian-language titles ("Old City") and ("Notable City"), is a fortifications of Mdin ...
. In the 1820s, the Bishop of Malta was allowed to use St John's as an alternative see and it thus formally became a
co-cathedral.
In 1831, Sir
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'', ''Rob Roy (n ...
called the cathedral a "magnificent church, the most striking interior
e had
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plur ...
ever seen."
In the mid-19th century,
Giuseppe Hyzler, a leader of the
Nazarene movement
The epithet Nazarene was adopted by a group of early 19th-century German Romantic painters who aimed to revive spirituality in art. The name Nazarene came from a term of derision used against them for their affectation of a biblical manner of c ...
, removed some of the Baroque art of the cathedral, including the ornate altar in the Chapel of the Langue of France.
The cathedral's exterior was slightly damaged by aerial bombardment in 1941, 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 opposin ...
, barely escaping total destruction. The contents of the cathedral had been transferred elsewhere before the bombardment, so no works of art were lost.
![St](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/St._John%27s_Co-Cathedral.JPG)
The cathedral was restored between the late 1980s and the early 1990s. In 2001, the St. John's Co-Cathedral Foundation was set up to administer and conserve the cathedral and its museum. The sides of the cathedral were restored between 2008 and 2010, and a complete restoration of the exterior began in July 2014 directed by architect Jean Frendo and eight restorers. Restoration of the central part of the façade was completed in September 2015 and project completion was expected in 2017.
Today, the cathedral is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malta,
and is listed on the
.
Exterior
The cathedral's exterior is built in the
Mannerist
Mannerism, which may also be known as Late Renaissance, is a style in European art that emerged in the later years of the Italian High Renaissance around 1520, spreading by about 1530 and lasting until about the end of the 16th century in Italy, ...
style typical of its architect
Girolamo Cassar
Girolamo Cassar ( mt, Ġlormu Cassar, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1569. He was involved in the construction of Valletta ...
. Its façade is rather plain but well-proportioned, being bounded by two large
bell tower
A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...
s.
The doorway is flanked by
Doric Doric may refer to:
* Doric, of or relating to the Dorians of ancient Greece
** Doric Greek, the dialects of the Dorians
* Doric order, a style of ancient Greek architecture
* Doric mode, a synonym of Dorian mode
* Doric dialect (Scotland)
* Doric ...
columns supporting an open balcony from which the Grand Master used to address the people on important occasions.
On the side are also two empty niches.
The niches and the columns are a break with the rest of exterior Mannerist architecture.
Overall, the exterior is rather austere and reminiscent of a fortress, reflecting both Cassar's style as a military engineer as well as the Order's mood in the years following the
Great Siege of Malta
The Great Siege of Malta ( Maltese: ''L-Assedju l-Kbir'') occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May to 13 September ...
in 1565.
Interior
![St Johns Co-Cathedral Main Altar](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c0/St_Johns_Co-Cathedral_Main_Altar.JPG)
The cathedral's interior is extremely ornate, standing in sharp contrast with the façade. The interior was largely decorated by
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
Life
Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Cava ...
, the Calabrian artist and knight, at the height of the
Baroque
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 ...
period. Preti designed the intricate carved stone walls and painted the vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of
John the Baptist
John the Baptist or , , or , ;Wetterau, Bruce. ''World history''. New York: Henry Holt and Company. 1994. syc, ܝܘܿܚܲܢܵܢ ܡܲܥܡܕ݂ܵܢܵܐ, Yoḥanān Maʿmḏānā; he, יוחנן המטביל, Yohanān HaMatbil; la, Ioannes Bapti ...
. The figures painted into the ceiling next to each column initially appear to the viewer as three-dimensional statues, but on closer inspection we see that the artist cleverly created an illusion of three-dimensionality by his use of shadows and placement. Also noteworthy is the fact that the carving was all undertaken in-place (in-situ) rather than being carved independently and then attached to the walls (stucco). The Maltese limestone from which the cathedral is built lends itself particularly well to such intricate carving. The whole marble floor is an entire series of tombs, housing about 400 Knights and officers of the Order. There is also a
crypt
A crypt (from Latin ''crypta'' "vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics.
Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a chur ...
containing the tombs of
Grand Masters
Grand may refer to:
People with the name
* Grand (surname)
* Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor
* Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist
* Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper
Places
* Grand, Oklahoma
* Grand, Vosges, village and c ...
like
Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam
Fra' Philippe de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1464 – 21 August 1534) was a prominent member of the Knights Hospitaller at Rhodes and later Malta. Having risen to the position of Prior of the ''Langue of Auvergne'', he was elected 44th Grand ...
,
Claude de la Sengle
Fra' Claude de la Sengle (1494 – 18 August 1557) was the 48th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1553 to his death in 1557. His successor was Fra' Jean Parisot de Valette.
A native Frenchman, Sengle, then Bailli of the French langu ...
,
Jean Parisot de Valette
Fra' Jean "Parisot" de la Valette (4 February 1495 – 21 August 1568) was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568. As a Knight Hospitaller, joining the order in the ''Langue de P ...
, and
Alof de Wignacourt
Fra Alof de Wignacourt (1547 – 14 September 1622) was a French nobleman who was the 54th Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 10 February 1601 to his death in 1622. Unlike a number of the other Grand Masters, he was popul ...
.
![Malta, St John's Pro-Cathedral](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/10/Malta%2C_St_John%27s_Pro-Cathedral.jpg)
In 1666, a project for the main altar by Malta's greatest sculptor,
Melchiorre Cafà
Melchiorre Cafà (1636–1667), born Melchiorre Gafà and also known as Caffà, Gafa, Gaffar or Gafar, was a Maltese Baroque sculptor. Cafà began a promising career in Rome but this was cut short by his premature death following a work accid ...
, was approved and begun. Cafà intended a large sculpture group in
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
depicting the ''
Baptism of Christ
The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is a major event in the life of Jesus which is described in the three synoptic Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark and Luke). It is considered to have taken place at Al-Maghtas (also called Betha ...
''. Following Cafà's tragic death in 1667 in a foundry accident while tending to this work in Rome, the plans were abandoned. Only in 1703,
Giuseppe Mazzuoli, Cafà's only pupil, finished a marble group of the ''Baptism of Christ'' which might have been influenced by his master's undocumented designs but certainly is strongly dependent on a small baptism group by
Alessandro Algardi
Alessandro Algardi (July 31, 1598 – June 10, 1654) was an Italian high-Baroque sculptor active almost exclusively in Rome, where for the latter decades of his life, he was, along with Francesco Borromini and Pietro da Cortona, one of the major ...
.
The funerary monument of Grand Master
Marc'Antonio Zondadari
Fra' Marc'Antonio Zondadari (1658 − 16 June 1722), from Siena, was the 65th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1720, after the death of Fra Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, till his own death in 1722.
From 1702 onwards Zondadari ...
(died 1722), nephew of
Pope Alexander VII
Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667.
He began his career as a vice- papal legate, an ...
, is located close to the main entrance. It was originally meant to be installed in the Chapel of the Langue of Italy, but it was too large so it was placed in the nave.
Chapels
![Co-Cath - Chapel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/Co-Cath_-_Chapel.jpg)
The cathedral contains nine rich chapels, one dedicated to Our Lady of Philermos and the rest dedicated to the patron saints of each of the Order's eight
langues (or divisions). The following chapels are located on the south side of the church:
*Chapel of
Our Lady of Philermos
Our Lady of Philermos (also ''Phileremos, Philerme, Filerimos''; el, Εικόνα της Υπεραγίας Θεοτόκου της Φιλερήμου, russian: Филермская икона Божией Матери) is a Byzantine icon of th ...
, also known as the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament – originally contained an icon of Our Lady of Philermos, which had been in the possession of the Order since the
Crusades
The Crusades were a series of religious wars initiated, supported, and sometimes directed by the Latin Church in the medieval period. The best known of these Crusades are those to the Holy Land in the period between 1095 and 1291 that were in ...
. The icon was taken to Russia by Grand Master
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim
Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, O.S.I. (9 November 1744 – 12 May 1805) was the 71st Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, formally the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, by then better known as the Knights of Malta. He was the first Ge ...
when the Order was expelled from Malta in 1798, and it is now found at the
National Museum of Montenegro
The National Museum of Montenegro ( cnr, Народни музеј Црне Горе, Narodni muzej Crne Gore) is the largest museum in Montenegro. The museum was established in 1896 and is located in Cetinje, Montenegro.
Departments
The museum i ...
.
*Chapel of the Langue of Auvergne – dedicated to
Saint Sebastian
Saint Sebastian (in Latin: ''Sebastianus''; Narbo, Gallia Narbonensis, Roman Empire c. AD 255 – Rome, Italia, Roman Empire c. AD 288) was an early Christian saint and martyr. According to traditional belief, he was killed during the Dioclet ...
. Its altarpiece depicts the saint's martyrdom, and dates back to the 17th century. The chapel contains the funerary monument of Grand Master
Annet de Clermont-Gessant (died 1660).
*Chapel of the Langue of Aragon – dedicated to
Saint George
Saint George (Greek: Γεώργιος (Geórgios), Latin: Georgius, Arabic: القديس جرجس; died 23 April 303), also George of Lydda, was a Christian who is venerated as a saint in Christianity. According to tradition he was a soldier ...
. Its altarpiece is ''
Saint George on Horseback
''Saint George on Horseback'' is an oil painting by Mattia Preti painted in 1658. It is the altarpiece of the Chapel of the Langue of Aragon in St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta. The painting was Preti's first work in Malta, and it is rega ...
'', and it is considered to be one of
Mattia Preti
Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John.
Life
Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Cava ...
's masterpieces. Grand Masters
Martin de Redin
Fra' Martin de Redin (Pamplona, 1579 – Malta, 6 February 1660) was a Spanish military and political figure, and the 58th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta. He became Grand Prior of the Order of Malta of Navarra in 1641, and Vice ...
(died 1660),
Raphael Cotoner
Rafael Cotoner y de Oleza ( mt, Raphael Cotoner; 1601 – 20 October 1663) was a Spanish knight of Aragon who served as 60th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller or, as it is already known by that time, the Order of Malta, from 5 June 1660 ...
(died 1663),
Nicolas Cotoner
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
(died 1680) and
Ramon Perellos y Roccaful (died 1720) are buried in funerary monuments in this chapel.
*Chapel of the Langue of Castile, Leon and Portugal – dedicated to
Saint James. Its altarpiece depicts the saint in an aesthetically pleasing manner, and it is the work of Mattia Preti. Grand Masters
António Manoel de Vilhena
António Manoel de Vilhena (28 May 1663 – 10 December 1736) was a Portuguese nobleman who was the 66th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 19 June 1722 to his death in 1736. Unlike a number of the other Grand Ma ...
(died 1736) and
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca (also ''Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca''; 24 May 1681 – 23 January 1773) was a Portuguese nobleman, the 68th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1741 until his death.
He undertook many building projects, introduc ...
(died 1773) are buried in ornate marble funerary monuments in this chapel.
![Malta-Valletta-StJohnChapel](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Malta-Valletta-StJohnChapel.jpg)
On the north side of the church, one finds the following chapels:
*Chapel of the Anglo-Bavarian Langue, also known as the Chapel of Relics – dedicated to Saint
Charles Borromeo
Charles Borromeo ( it, Carlo Borromeo; la, Carolus Borromeus; 2 October 1538 – 3 November 1584) was the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584 and a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He was a leading figure of the Counter-Reformation combat a ...
. Its altarpiece depicts the presentation of the saint to the Virgin Mary, and it is attributed to Beaumont. The chapel originally contained many relics that the Order acquired through the centuries, but these were removed in 1798.
*Chapel of the Langue of Provence – dedicated to
Saint Michael the Archangel
Michael (; he, מִיכָאֵל, lit=Who is like El od, translit=Mīḵāʾēl; el, Μιχαήλ, translit=Mikhaḗl; la, Michahel; ar, ميخائيل ، مِيكَالَ ، ميكائيل, translit=Mīkāʾīl, Mīkāl, Mīkhāʾīl), a ...
. Its altarpiece depicts the archangel leading God's armies against Satan, and it also contains marble funerary monuments of Grand Masters
Antoine de Paule
Fra' Antoine de Paule (c. 1551 – 9 June 1636) was elected the 56th Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller (the Order of Malta) on 10 March 1623. He died on Malta thirteen years later, on 9 June 1636, after a long illness and at the age of 85 ...
(died 1636) and
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris
Giovanni Paolo Lascaris di Ventimiglia e Castellar ( Maltese: ''Laskri'') (28 June 156014 August 1657) was an Italian nobleman and Grand Master of the Knights of Malta.
Early life
Lascaris was born on 28 June 1560, the second son of Giannetto ...
(died 1657).
*Chapel of the Langue of France – dedicated to the
Conversion
Conversion or convert may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman''
* "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series
* "The Conversion" ...
of
Saint Paul
Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...
. Its altarpiece depicts ''The Conversion of St Paul on the Way to Damascus'', and it is the work of Mattia Preti. The chapel also contains the funerary monuments of Grand Masters
Adrien de Wignacourt
Fra' Adrien de Wignacourt (1618 – 4 February 1697) was the 63rd Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1690 to 1697.
He was the nephew of Fra Alof de Wignacourt. He was elected Grand Master after the death of Fra Gregorio Carafa ...
(died 1697) and
Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc
Fra' Emmanuel Marie des Neiges de Rohan-Polduc (18 April 1725, in La Mancha, Spain – 14 July 1797, in Valletta, Malta) was a member of the wealthy and influential Rohan family of France, and Prince and 70th Grand Master of the Order of St. Joh ...
(died 1797), as well as the Marquis de Wignacourt (died 1615) and
Louis Charles, Count of Beaujolais
Louis Charles Alphonse Léodgard d'Orléans, Count of Beaujolais (7 October 1779 – 30 May 1808) was a French prince of the blood, son of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Philippe Égalité and the younger brother of Louis Philippe I, Kin ...
(died 1808). Parts of the chapel were redecorated in the late 1830s.
*Chapel of the Langue of Italy – dedicated to the
Immaculate Conception
The Immaculate Conception is the belief that the Virgin Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception.
It is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church, meaning that it is held to be a divinely revealed truth w ...
and Saint
Catherine of Alexandria
Catherine of Alexandria (also spelled Katherine); grc-gre, ἡ Ἁγία Αἰκατερίνη ἡ Μεγαλομάρτυς ; ar, سانت كاترين; la, Catharina Alexandrina). is, according to tradition, a Christian saint and virgin, wh ...
. Its altarpiece depicts ''The Mystic Marriage of St Catherine'', and it is the work of Mattia Preti. The chapel also contains the funerary monument of Grand Master
Gregorio Carafa
Fra Gregorio Carafa (17 March 1615 – 21 July 1690) was a nobleman from the House of Carafa and the 61st Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1680 to his death in 1690.
Early life
Carafa was born on 17 March 1615 in Castelvetere ...
(died 1690).
*Chapel of the Langue of Germany – dedicated to the
Epiphany
Epiphany may refer to:
* Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight
Religion
* Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ
** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...
of Christ. The chapel was originally assigned to the langue of England, but was given to the langue of Germany following the
English Reformation
The English Reformation took place in 16th-century England when the Church of England broke away from the authority of the pope and the Catholic Church. These events were part of the wider European Protestant Reformation, a religious and poli ...
. Its altarpiece depicts ''The Adoration of the Magi'' by the Maltese painter
Stefano Erardi
Stefano Erardi (1630–1716) was a Maltese painter whose works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands. His style has been described as either late Mannerist or Baroque.
Biography
Erardi was born in Valletta in 1630 to Sebasti ...
.
Notable works of art
![Michelangelo Caravaggio 021](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Michelangelo_Caravaggio_021.jpg)
The painting depicting ''
The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist'' (1608) by
Caravaggio
Michelangelo Merisi (Michele Angelo Merigi or Amerighi) da Caravaggio, known as simply Caravaggio (, , ; 29 September 1571 – 18 July 1610), was an Italian painter active in Rome for most of his artistic life. During the final four years of hi ...
(1571–1610) is the most famous work in the church. Considered one of Caravaggio's masterpieces, the largest canvas he painted and the only painting signed by the painter, the canvas is displayed in the Oratory for which it was painted. Restored in the late 1990s in Florence, this painting is one of Caravaggio's most impressive uses of the
chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro ( , ; ), in art, is the use of strong contrasts between light and dark, usually bold contrasts affecting a whole composition. It is also a technical term used by artists and art historians for the use of contrasts of light to achi ...
style for which he is most famous with a circle of light illuminating the scene of St John's beheading at the request of Salome. The oratory also houses Caravaggio's ''
Saint Jerome Writing
''Saint Jerome Writing'', also called ''Saint Jerome in His Study'' or simply ''Saint Jerome'', is an oil painting by Italian painter Caravaggio. Generally dated to 1605–06, the painting is located in the Galleria Borghese in Rome.
Compositio ...
'' (1607–1608).
![Nicola Cottoner - The Chapel of Aragon](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Nicola_Cottoner_-_The_Chapel_of_Aragon.JPG)
Another impressive feature of the church is the collection of marble
tombstones
A headstone, tombstone, or gravestone is a stele or marker, usually stone, that is placed over a grave. It is traditional for burials in the Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions, among others. In most cases, it has the deceased's name, da ...
in the nave in which were buried important knights. The more important knights were placed closer to the front of the church. These tombstones, richly decorated with in-laid marble and with the coats of arms of the knight buried below as well as images relevant to that knight, often telling a story of triumph in battle, form a rich visual display in the church.
Adjoining to the church is the St John's Co-Cathedral Museum containing art objects. Among the contents of the museum there are the Flemish Tapestries designed by
Peter Paul Rubens
Sir Peter Paul Rubens (; ; 28 June 1577 – 30 May 1640) was a Flemish artist and diplomat from the Duchy of Brabant in the Southern Netherlands (modern-day Belgium). He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque traditio ...
, which were donated by Grand Master
Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, paintings of Grand Masters
Jean de la Cassière
Fra' Jean l'Evesque de la Cassière (1502 – 21 December 1581) was the 51st Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 1572 to 1581. He commissioned the building of the Conventual Church of the Order (now Saint John's Co-Cathedral) in Vallett ...
,
Nicolas Cotoner
Nicolas or Nicolás may refer to:
People Given name
* Nicolas (given name)
Mononym
* Nicolas (footballer, born 1999), Brazilian footballer
* Nicolas (footballer, born 2000), Brazilian footballer
Surname Nicolas
* Dafydd Nicolas (c.1705–1774), ...
and
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca
Manuel Pinto da Fonseca (also ''Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca''; 24 May 1681 – 23 January 1773) was a Portuguese nobleman, the 68th Grand Master of the Order of Saint John, from 1741 until his death.
He undertook many building projects, introduc ...
, and paintings which were formerly in the side chapels such as ''St. George killing the Dragon'' by
Francesco Potenzano.
Visiting
St. John's Co-Cathedral is located in the centre of Valletta, and it is a short walk away from the bus terminus near
City Gate
A city gate is a gate which is, or was, set within a city wall. It is a type of fortified gateway.
Uses
City gates were traditionally built to provide a point of controlled access to and departure from a walled city for people, vehicles, goods ...
. The main entrance of the cathedral is in
St John's Square
St John's Square (Maltese: ''Pjazza San Ġwann'', or ''Piazza san Giovanni'') is found in front of St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, the capital of Malta. It has several outdoor cafés, surrounded by a graceful arcade.
In the middle of the s ...
, but the visitors' entrance is from Great Siege Square in Republic Street, facing the
Law Courts
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...
.
The cathedral is open to the public from Mondays to Fridays between 10:30 and 14:30 (last admission at 14:00), and on Saturdays between 09:30 and 12:30 (last admission at 12:00). It is closed on Sundays and
public holidays
A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year.
Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...
. As of October 2022, the entrance fee is €15 for adults, €12 for students or senior citizens, while children under the age of 12 enter free of charge when accompanied by an adult.
This fee includes the provision of audio guides available in
Maltese,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
,
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
,
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
,
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
,
Japanese
Japanese may refer to:
* Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia
* Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan
* Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture
** Japanese diaspor ...
and
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
.
People visiting the cathedral for Mass only do not have to pay the entrance fee.
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
*
List of works by James Pradier
This is a list of works by the Swiss-born French sculptor James Pradier (1790–1852). He was best known for his work in the neoclassical style.
Works in cathedrals and churches
Public statues and monuments in Paris
Busts and statues of L ...
*
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 ...
Further reading
The genesis of St. John's, Valletta and a new interpretation of Bramante's design for St. Peter's, RomeList and details of burialsPiazza, opposite buildings and arcades
References
Bibliography
*
*Sante Guido, Giuseppe Mantella, "Mattia Preti e la volta della Chiesa Conventuale di San Giovanni Battista a La Valletta: documenti e testimonianze 1661-2011 per il 350º anniversario dell'inizio lavori" in I BENI CULTURALI, v. XIX - 3, n. 3 maggio-giugno 2011 (2011), p. 7-28.
*Sante Guido, Giuseppe Mantella, ''STORIE DI RESTAURI NELLA CHIESA CONVENTUALE DI SAN GIOVANNI A LA VALLETTA. La cappella di santa Caterina della Lingua d'Italia e le committenze del gran maestro Gregorio Carafa'', Malta, MidseaBooks, 2008, 494 p. - .
*Sante Guido, Giuseppe Mantella, "Restauri e riscoperte di scultura del barocco romana a Malta. Capolavori per l'Ordine dei cavalieri di san Giovanni.", Malta, Midsea Books LTD, 2005, 144 p. - .
*Sante Guido, Giuseppe Mantella, "Il restauro del Reliquiario del Braccio di San Giovanni Battista nella Co-Cattedrale di La Valletta" in BOLLETTINO ICR, n.s., v. 2003 - 6-7, n. 6-7 gennaio-dicembre 2003 (2003), p. 33-49.
External links
*
maltain360.com - 360° view of St John's Co-Cathedral
The bells of St. John's Co Cathedral at Valletta:
The 2 Bells Ringing Instant a PealThose 2 bells is 3rd bell (SI2) and big bell (SOL2) of this cathedral. The mass of big bell is 7000 kg and is 3rd great bell of Malta.
{{Authority control
Roman Catholic churches completed in 1577
Roman Catholic cathedrals in Malta
Buildings and structures in Valletta
Mannerist architecture in Malta
Baroque church buildings in Malta
Limestone churches in Malta
National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
Church buildings of the Knights Hospitaller
Collegiate churches in Malta
16th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta