The Chapel of St Bartholomew or St Bart's Chapel is a medieval

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 ...

chapel located in

Rabat, Malta Rabat ( mt, Ir-Rabat, ) is a town in the Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 11,497 as of March 2014. It adjoins the ancient capital city of Mdina, and a north-western area formed part of the Roman city of Melite until its mediev ...

. It is the only remaining chapel in town dating back from the Middle Ages.

History

The present chapel was built sometime in 1440 by its founder Costantin Bartolo. Its façade is a typical medieval one with a pointed arc above the main door. Its interior also includes a number of pointed arches supporting the ceiling. In 1550 the chapel was restored. In 1670, Bishop

Miguel Jerónimo de Molina Miguel Jerónimo de Molina y Aragonés (7 October 1638 – 31 August 1698) was a Spanish prelate who served as Bishop of Malta from 1678 till 1682 when he was transferred to the Diocese of Lleida in Catalonia, Spain. Early years Molina was born ...

mentions that the chapel was well kept. Moreover, at that time, a mass was celebrated every Sunday, with several masses on August 24, St Bartholomew's day. It was in this church in 1798 that

Emmanuele Vitale Emmanuele Vitale (30 April 1758 – 8 October 1802) was a Maltese notary, commander and statesman. During the Siege of Malta, he commanded 10,000 irregular Maltese soldiers. Biography Early life Emmanuel Vitale was born in Rabat on 30 Apri ...

planned and organised the uprising against the French who at that time were occupying

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 ...

. During WWII the chapel was deconsecrated and used as a school room. Recently the chapel was restored and was reopened for religious purposes. Perpetual adoration takes place during the weekdays."St. Bartholomew's Church"
''Church in Malta''. Retrieved on 5 February 2017.

References

{{reflist * * * Churches completed in 1440 Rabat, Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands 15th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta Medieval Maltese architecture Medieval churches Roman Catholic chapels in Malta