PIN is publishing another volume of Treasures in Maltese Churches. This series of volumes are lavishly illustrated picture books. Written by Tony Terribile, these books are bi-lingual, and volume 10 is available from PIN’s office.
The first volume in this series dealt with some of the churches existing in Valletta. The present volume continues with seven other churches in the capital, two of which are parish churches.
The Collegiate church of St Paul’s Shipwreck is one of the three parish churches in Valletta, the others being those of St Dominic (Porto Salvo), which was treated in Volume I, and St Augustine. The Collegiate church of St. Paul’s Shipwreck was started in 1639. Parts of it were designed by Bartolomeo Garagona who was also a painter and the elliptical dome by Lorenzo Gafà, while the façade as we see it today was built in 1885 by Nicola Zammit. The church was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Paolo Alpheran de Bussan on 14 May 1740.
The church of St Augustine in Old Bakery Street, is the third parish church in Valletta. It was originally built in 1572, but was rebuilt in later centuries. Both the church and the adjoining convent suffered extensive damage in World War II. On 1 February 1968 the church, which has a Greek cross plan, was elevated to the status of a parish church.
An unmistakable landmark on the Valletta skyline on the Marsamxett side, is the huge dome of the basilica of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, which was designed by Guzè Damato who had a penchant for designing colossal churches (as with the parishes of Paola and Xewkija), to replace the original church designed by Girolamo Cassar. The foundation stone of the new church was laid on 30 April 1958.
One of the two Franciscan churches in Valletta is that of St Mary of Jesus, popularly known as Ta’ Giezu. Belonging to the Minor Franciscans, it was designed by Girolamo Cassar in the late 16th century, almost contemporary with St John’s Conventual Church. In the late 17th century a new baroque façade was added by the Order’s military engineer Mederico Blondel. It has five bays for the aisle chapels which, except for one, all have a saucer dome.
For many, this church is immediately linked to the miraculous Crucifix by the 17th century Sicilian Franciscan friar Frate Umile da Petralia who, like his contemporary Frate Innocenzo da Petralia, achieved a great reputation because of it. This Crucifix is not only a treasure in material and artistic terms, but is a real spiritual treasure which inspires a large number of devotees.
The other church, belonging to the Conventual Franciscans, is that of St Francis, known by the Maltese as San Frangisk ta’ Putirjal, to distinguish it from the other Franciscan church in the city, namely the above-mentioned Ta’ Giezu.
Starting from humble beginnings, the church was rebuilt in 1681 through the munificence of Grand Master Gregorio Caraffa. The façade, at least, is attributed to Mederico Blondel, the military engineer of the Order of St John, who as already stated above, also built the façade of the Ta’ Giezu church.
The other two small churches, in this volume, are that of St James in Merchants Street, and that of Our Lady Tal-Pilar. Both originally belonged to two of the Langues of the Order of St John.
The contents in this volume indicate that these seven churches in Valletta possess not only a large quantity of items that are pleasing to the eye, but are of very high standards, making them true treasures which we are duty bound to look after and to cherish.