Malta, St. John's Co-Cathedral (Valletta) In All Its Glory!

• Report rights infringement
• published: 16 Nov 2012
• views: 10183

One of the most visited Malta attractions is St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta. This impressive rich cathedral was built by the Knights of St John between 1573 and 1578. It was commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere. In the old days, the cathedral used to be the most important church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John, also known as the Knights of Malta. It is believed that at one point, the cathedral served as a "showcase" to prove that the Catholic church was still strong and powerful. This was mainly during those times when the Catholic faith was being persecuted and in the eyes of the common people worldwide, the church was starting to get a bit too weak and disorientated. To this regard, the Knights of Malta took it upon themselves to create a massive cathedral wherein all sorts of riches were put on display for all to see - signifiying the church's power and prosperity. Each Grandmaster in fact, added even more statues, coats of arms and countless silver and gold decorations than the Grandmaster that reigned before him! Designed by the famous Maltese architect Gerolamo Cassar, it's mostly the cathedral's interior which attracts thousands of visitors each year. The interior of the cathedral was mostly decorated by Mattia Preti, an Italian artist and knight. Mattia Preti offered to paint the cathedral's ceilings for free. Although he did ask that he be given something in return. He in fact asked that he be made a knight. And so following his extensive work in the cathedral, Mattia Preti was made a knight. Originally the ceiling was painted dark blue with stars as was customary during those times. In fact, the Vatican's Sistine Chapel was painted in this way too, before Michelangelo painted it! St. John's Co-Cathedral has 8 chapels. In one of the chapels, namely the one dedicated to St. George, you can see an impressive painting made by Mattia Preti. This painting is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Another highlight of the church, is the collection of marble tombstones in the nave. There are more than 300 tombstones in the cathedral! It was here that important knights used to be buried. Richly decorated, each tombstone has images and stories relating to the knight's life. Although today you can see countless decorations and riches in the cathedral, during Napoleon's short "stay" in Malta, he ransacked and stole practically everything that he could lay his hands on in the cathedral! So most of the decorations that you see now, have been created and added again after Napoleon left the Maltese Islands! During World War II, the cathedral "escaped" unscathed, except for that one incident, when a bomb struck near the entrance. It is said that the bomb blast was so strong, that the front door ended up on the cathedral's central altar! St John`s Co-Cathedral is a unique monument of international importance and is a gem of Baroque art. Its rich historic and artistic heritage is due to the fact that it was the convential church of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Over the years, the Grand Masters and Knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art by the leading artists available to them. One of the main attractions at St John`s is the splendid inlaid marble floor consisting of a collection of tombstones making the floor a unique treasure. A visit to the Oratory is a must. Its main attractions include two important works by the world renowned artist Caravaggio. The museum is a treasure house in itself. It holds vast collections of sacred vestments in silk embroidered with gold and silver. It also holds a superb collection of Flemish tapestries, an important collection of illuminated choral books and other objets d`art. Why charge visitors to visit a Church! The Cathedral houses many beautiful works of art and a visit is truly a unique experience. This interest results in a high number of visitors but the delicate fabric of the church was not designed for so many. Maintenance costs are very high and so an entrance fee is charged to help towards conservation programmes. There is no charge for prayer - Please inform staff at the main entrance of your intention and you will be guided to the designated chapel.

Malta, St. John's Co-Cathedral (Valletta) In All Its Glory!

• Report rights infringement
• published: 16 Nov 2012
• views: 10183

One of the most visited Malta attractions is St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta. This impressive rich cathedral was built by the Knights of St John between 1573 and 1578. It was commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere. In the old days, the cathedral used to be the most important church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John, also known as the Knights of Malta. It is believed that at one point, the cathedral served as a "showcase" to prove that the Catholic church was still strong and powerful. This was mainly during those times when the Catholic faith was being persecuted and in the eyes of the common people worldwide, the church was starting to get a bit too weak and disorientated. To this regard, the Knights of Malta took it upon themselves to create a massive cathedral wherein all sorts of riches were put on display for all to see - signifiying the church's power and prosperity. Each Grandmaster in fact, added even more statues, coats of arms and countless silver and gold decorations than the Grandmaster that reigned before him! Designed by the famous Maltese architect Gerolamo Cassar, it's mostly the cathedral's interior which attracts thousands of visitors each year. The interior of the cathedral was mostly decorated by Mattia Preti, an Italian artist and knight. Mattia Preti offered to paint the cathedral's ceilings for free. Although he did ask that he be given something in return. He in fact asked that he be made a knight. And so following his extensive work in the cathedral, Mattia Preti was made a knight. Originally the ceiling was painted dark blue with stars as was customary during those times. In fact, the Vatican's Sistine Chapel was painted in this way too, before Michelangelo painted it! St. John's Co-Cathedral has 8 chapels. In one of the chapels, namely the one dedicated to St. George, you can see an impressive painting made by Mattia Preti. This painting is considered to be one of his masterpieces. Another highlight of the church, is the collection of marble tombstones in the nave. There are more than 300 tombstones in the cathedral! It was here that important knights used to be buried. Richly decorated, each tombstone has images and stories relating to the knight's life. Although today you can see countless decorations and riches in the cathedral, during Napoleon's short "stay" in Malta, he ransacked and stole practically everything that he could lay his hands on in the cathedral! So most of the decorations that you see now, have been created and added again after Napoleon left the Maltese Islands! During World War II, the cathedral "escaped" unscathed, except for that one incident, when a bomb struck near the entrance. It is said that the bomb blast was so strong, that the front door ended up on the cathedral's central altar! St John`s Co-Cathedral is a unique monument of international importance and is a gem of Baroque art. Its rich historic and artistic heritage is due to the fact that it was the convential church of the Order of the Knights Hospitallers of St John of Jerusalem. Over the years, the Grand Masters and Knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art by the leading artists available to them. One of the main attractions at St John`s is the splendid inlaid marble floor consisting of a collection of tombstones making the floor a unique treasure. A visit to the Oratory is a must. Its main attractions include two important works by the world renowned artist Caravaggio. The museum is a treasure house in itself. It holds vast collections of sacred vestments in silk embroidered with gold and silver. It also holds a superb collection of Flemish tapestries, an important collection of illuminated choral books and other objets d`art. Why charge visitors to visit a Church! The Cathedral houses many beautiful works of art and a visit is truly a unique experience. This interest results in a high number of visitors but the delicate fabric of the church was not designed for so many. Maintenance costs are very high and so an entrance fee is charged to help towards conservation programmes. There is no charge for prayer - Please inform staff at the main entrance of your intention and you will be guided to the designated chapel.