St. John's Co-Cathedral in Malta

From maltawiki.com

This article is about St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta. See also the list of churches in Malta or the article about tourist attractions in Malta.

The patron of the cathedral is St. John the Baptist. The simple and sober facade of St. John's co-cathedral gives no hint of its lavish interior. The cathedral is one of the worlds most intricately decorated churches.

[edit] History

The co-cathedral was commissioned in 1572 by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the conventual church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John. Built between 1573 and 1578, it was designed by the architect Gerolamo Cassar.

Building was completed on St John’s in 1577. The plain façade flanked by two large bell towers is austere and has the character of a fortress reflecting the sober mood of the Order after the Great Siege.

[edit] Construction

The nave of the church is 53 metres in length and 15 metres wide with side chapels on either side. These chapels were assigned to the various langues according to seniority. The French, Italian and Aragonese langues, being prominent, were placed closest to the altar. The chapels are variously decorated, but characteristic features are the symbols of the individual langues and the arms of the various Grand Masters.

The Cathedral is a showcase of the works of Mattia Preti who carved the intricate stone wall designs that characterises the interior of the church. Mattia Preti is also the person behind the paintings in the vaulted cieleing and side altars of scenes from the life of St. John.

The Cathedral is decoreted in baroque style and is reputated to be the first example of high baroque anywhere.

[edit] Treasures of the Cathedral

Among the treasures in the Cathedral are the extraordinary Caravaggio painting depicting the beheading of St. John.

The Cahtedral is floored with more than 300 intricately cut and painted marble tomb slabs. The stones bear carvings of skeletons and symbolic death and the names and escutcheons of past members of the Order. The Cathedral is also the burial place of several former European princes and other notable persons. The remains of 12 Grand Masters are buried in the Crypt, mostly in sarcophagi. The only ordinary Knight to have the honour of bering buried here, is Sir Oliver Starkey, English secretary to Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Vallette during the Great Siege.

The central nave features splendid frescoes by Mattia Preti.