Ever since St Paul was shipwrecked in Malta religion has played a very important role in the life of the Maltese people. This is evident by the hundreds of churches and chapels scattered throughout the islands of Malta and Gozo. Many of these magnificent structures were built hundreds of years ago.

  Churches in Malta and Gozo dominate the skyline and the domes and steeples can usually be seen from many miles away. You can usually find the centre of a town or village by driving towards the parish church although many towns and villages usually have two or more churches and chapels.

The churches of Malta and Gozo are usually very interesting buildings, both from a historical and architectural perspective. Like many other buildings in Malta, the churches are built out of big limestone blocks quarried on the islands. The limestone is soft and easy to work with. Maltese sculptors, architects, builders and artisans have taken advantage of this and as a result many of the churches are adorned with intricate sculptures inside and out.

Another interesting feature in old Maltese architecture is the addition of niches with statues of saints prominently located at the corner of buildings. There are usually found in older sections of towns and villages. Sometimes, these shrines ca also be found by themselves along country streets. Some of these shrines were erected to commemorate a deceased relative or some other significant event in the lives of the people who lived in the area.

Although some of the churches look pretty unimpressive on the outside from an architectural point of view, the interior of many of them is usually very rich in comparison. Marble and crystal chandeliers are very common in older churches. Statues of saints and the Virgin Mary are also very prominent in most churches. Many of the statues are mounted on pedestals that can be equipped with carrying poles since statues are used during processions to celebrate parish feasts and other religious occasions.

Many churches in Malta are decorated with paintings, frescos, and tapestries. In the early history of the Maltese church, parishioners gave generously to the local church in order to build the most beautiful and rich church they could afford. Old rivalries between parishes and even between local churches and chapels within the same village was the incentive for many parishioners to donate time and money to their church. Some of these rivalries are still evident today when parishioners celebrate their parish feast with band marches, processions and fireworks.

On these occasions, streets are decorated with colourful statues of angels and saints, colourful lights and lavishly decorated cloth banners. Band marches and outdoor concerts are held days before the procession and people from other parts of the island flock to the town to visit relatives and friends or just to partake in the festivities.

Loud fireworks can usually be heard all over the island starting days before the actual feaSt After the procession, which usually takes place on a Sunday evening, the festivities culminate in an extravagant display of fireworks that can be seen from miles away. A lot of money is spent on the firework displays since each town tries to outdo neighbouring towns. In many towns, there are even rivalries between different band clubs with the town. These rivalries manifest themselves in band marches and fireworks displays.

The parish feasts, or "festas" as they are known in Malta, are very interesting and joyous celebrations in most villages and towns. Many tourists plan their visits to Malta to coincide with some of these feasts.

Most of the feasts are celebrated during the summer months of June, July and August but some other important feasts are celebrated during other months of the year. A good example of this is the many Good Friday processions held throughout the islands. The Good Friday processions are usually very elaborate and hundreds of parishioners are involved in the preparations. Many, participate in the actual processions dressed in costumes of the period when Jesus was crucified. These processions usually include dozens of statues depicting the "Stations of the Cross." Thousands of people travel to the villages and towns holding these processions.

My favourite Good Friday procession is the one held in the village of Qormi. The procession winds its way through the narrow windy streets of the old sections of Qormi as people line the streets.
 
 

Churches Worth Visiting

Ta' Pinu is located in the valley separating Garb and Ghammar on the island of Gozo. The history of the Basilica is very interesting and worth a look. The basilica is very popular with Maltese visitors and tourists alike.

The basilica is isolated and except for a small one-storey building on the road leading to the church, there are no other buildings. The church is surrounded by terraced fields and the deep blue Mediterranean is visible behind the basilica. On a hill just to the right of the basilica, there are white marble statues depicting the fourteen stations of the cross. This is a great spot to stop, relax and enjoy the quiet surroundings away from traffic noise and the hustle and bustle of built-up areas.

As with other churches in Malta and Gozo, visitors and tourists are required to wear appropriate clothing when visiting the basilica. This means no shorts or other clothing that is not considered appropriate. Picture taking is allowed.

The church of St. Mary is the Parish church of Mosta. It was built in 1860 over another church that was built in 1614. The interior of the church is quite impressive. It's circular in shape and the interior is clear of any obstructions. The dome is the fourth largest in the world, and is awesome to look at. The church is also famous because of an incident that happened during World War II. A bomb which pierced the dome in 1942 landed on the church floor and slid across the floor without exploding! The church was crowded when the bomb hit and all were spared. The bomb is on display in a small museum attached to the church.

St. John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Knights of Malta. This was the Order's church and was accorded the status of Co-Cathedral in 1882 along with the Cathedral at Mdina. Before the Cathedral was built, a Conventual church was located at Birgu, across the Grand Harbour. Building of the Cathedral was started in 1573 under the sponsorship of Grand Master La Cassiere. La Cassiere paid for the initial cost of the building. The architect was Gerolamo Cassar.

	1 -	Adoration of the Magi: Germany
	2 -	St. Catherine: Italy
	3 -	St. Paul: France
	4 -	St. Michael: Provence
	5 -	Chapel of the Holy Relics
	6 -	Our Lady of Philermos
	7 -	St. Sebastian: Auvergne
	8 -	St. George: Aragon
	9 -	St. James: Castille, Leon et Portugal

The exterior of the building is extremely plain and very uninteresting and belies the grandeur of the interior of the Cathedral. Cassar died in 1586 before the wings were built (1598 and 1604) Sir. Walter Scott described the interior of the Cathedral as the most striking he had ever seen. When you enter the Cathedral, your eyes are drawn to the high altar.

The plan is rectangular, 56.7 by 35.4 meters. Either side of the nave, buttresses to support the thrust of the vault are concealed in walls which divide the sides into a number of Chapels. Under the buttresses, the walls of the Chapels are pierced by arched openings, aligned to create token aisles. The nave vault is supported by massive, four-sided pilasters. The interior is comparatively low but massive.

Almost all the faces of the stone walls are carved in high relief and painted in rich colours and guilded. Each langue was allocated a chapel of its own in 1604. The chapels contain monuments - usually tombs - of the later Grand Masters of the langues. Earlier Grand Masters are buried in the crypt.

The floor of the Cathedral is covered in multi-coloured marble slabs, each the tomb of a knight bearing his arms in elaborate marble inlay.

The vault is frescoed and was done by Calabrian master Mattia Preti. The paintings were commissioned by the Cotoner brothers, Raphael and Nicholas. Mattia Preti begun his work in 1662 and completed it in 1667.

During the feast of St. John (June 21), priceless tapestries from the time of Grand Master Ramon Perellos, are hung along the nave half-way down the side arches. The fourteen panels were made in Belgium by Judocus de Vos in 1697 and are based on paintings by Rubens and Poussin. During the rest of the year the tapestries are on display in the adjoining Museum.

Oratory and Museum

The main attraction in the Oratory is Caravaggio's masterpiece 'The Beheading of St. John'. This painting was done in 1608. The Museum can be reached from the Oratory. The tapestries are housed in the museum. There is also another painting by Caravaggio, that of St. Jerome.

Crypt

The Crypt can be reached from the Chapel of Provence. The Crypt contains the tombs of Grand Masters: Philippe de L'Isle Adam (1521-34), Pietrino del Ponte 1534-35), Juan de Homedes (1536-53), Claude de la Sengle (1553-57), Jean Parisot de la Valette (1557-68), Pietro del Monte (1568-72), Jean l'Eveque de la Cassiere (1572-81), Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle (1581-95), Martin Garzes (1595-1601), Aloph de Wignacourt (1601-22), Luis Mendez de Vasconcellos (1622-23) and Ximenes de Texada (1773-5). Also buried in the crypt is de la Valette's English secretary, Sir Oliver Starkey.
 
 

Festas - Feasts

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