Malta, St. John's Co-Cathedral (Valletta) In All Its Glory!
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.
St. John's Co-Cathedral, MALTA and other churches
We have many guides on Malta, and it seemed fair to keep the churches separate. Here we look at four churches and feature two. Whilst we give you a good taste of what is inside, there is so much more and we encourage you to read the blog, go see as well as watch.
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Malta, St John's Cathedral
The Crypt of the Grand Masters at St John's Co-Cathedral, Malta
An original account by the curator, Cynthia de Giorgio, of The Grand Masters Crypt located below the St John's Co-Cathedral in Malta.
Visit: stjohnscocathedral.com
Museum - St. John’s Co-Cathedral - Valletta - Malta
Malta - Urlaub
April 2018 - Tag 04 - Film 60
Museum - St. John’s Co-Cathedral - Valletta - Malta
Saints And Heroes of The Knights of St John
The formidable hero of the Great Siege, Jean Parisot de Valette, is said to have been born on the 4th of February 1495. This video looks at some of the heroes which can be found in the Co-Cathedral of St John. Don Melchior de Robles, a knight of the Order of Santiago who captained the piccolo soccorso, died before seeing the end of this siege but his courage and prevalence led him to be eventually laid to rest in St John’s. Fra’ Vespiano Malaspina, who died on the last days of the siege, is depicted by Mattia Preti (1613-1699) in the vault and so is Fra’ Adriano la Riviera and Fra’ Melchior de Monsarrat.
St. John’s Co-Cathedral + Museum - Valletta - Malta
Malta - Urlaub
April 2018 - Tag 04 - Film 61
St. John’s Co-Cathedral + Museum - Valletta - Malta
St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta
23rd July 2018
This wonderful cathedral was well worth visiting.
St. John's Co-Cathedral, La Valletta, Malta
La Co-Catedral de San Juan es una joya del arte y la arquitectura barroca. Fue construida como la iglesia conventual para los Caballeros de San Juan . Los Grandes Maestros y varios caballeros donaron regalos de alto valor artístico e hicieron enormes contribuciones para enriquecerlo con solo las mejores obras de arte. Esta iglesia es hasta el día de hoy un santuario importante y un lugar sagrado de adoración.
La Valletta the Capital City. St John’s Co-Cathedral is a gem of Baroque art and architecture. It was built as the conventual church for the Knights of St John. The Grand Masters and several knights donated gifts of high artistic value and made enormous contributions to enrich it with only the best works of art. This church is till this very day an important shrine and a sacred place of worship.
St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta
A slideshow of photo's taken in Aug. 2009
Caravaggio at St John's Co-Cathedral, Malta
An original account of Caravaggio and his masterpiece -The Beheading of St John the Baptist by the curator, Cynthia de Giorgio.
Visit: stjohnscocathedral.com
St JOHN'S CO-CATHEDRAL VALLETTA MALTA.avi
St John Co-Cathedral Valletta Malta
St.John Co-Cathedral Valletta Malta
Saint John's Co Cathedral. Valletta. Malta 2019 (Церковь Иоанна)
Trip to Malta 2019
Shrine to the Knights of Malta St. John's Co-Cathedral
One of the most magnificent Baroque churches in the world.
Described as the first complete example of the high Baroque anywhere, St. John's Cathedral (I673-77) epitomises the role of its original patrons, the Knights of St. John.
The Cathedral is testimony to the talent of Maltese military architect Gerolamo Cassar, with Mattia Preti's intricately carved stone wall designs, as well as the painted vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St John. The Cathedral also houses one of Europe's most impressive and famous art works -- Caravaggio's Beheading of St. John the Baptist.
The Cathedral was a shrine to the Knights, as many sons of Europe's noble families from the 16th to 18th centuries lie buried here. Their intricate, marble-inlaid tombstones form a magnificently crafted pavimento. Also a resting place to the founder of Valletta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Vallette, his tomb lies in the crypt, a quiet sanctuary and place of contemplation away from the busy streets outside.
The polychrome marble floor:
Angels, skeletons and other ethereal icons are inlaid with breath-taking precision and artistry into the marble quadrangles of the Co-Cathedral floor, a distinct theme or message in each section. The 405 tombs represented constitute a vibrant and festive procession that expounds upon both the inevitability of death and the rapture of the life beyond.
The Oratory and Museum:
Attached to the church are the Oratory, which houses two magnificent paintings by Caravaggio and the museum, with valuable collections of vestments and books and Flemish Tapestries based on drawings by Rubens.
Address: St John's Co-Cathedral, St John Street, Valletta - Malta
Hours:
Open daily from 9:30am to 4:30pm (only until 12:30pm on Saturdays); closed on Sundays except for services
St. John’s Co-Cathedral - Valletta - Malta
Malta - Urlaub
April 2018 - Tag 04 - Film 59
St. John’s Co-Cathedral - Valletta - Malta
St John's Co Cathedral Malta
St John's Co-Cathedral is a unique monument of international importance. It owes its rich history and artistic heritage to the fact that for 200 years it was the conventual church of the Knights of the Order of St John
St John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta Malta - Interior
The Tapestries at St John's Co-Cathedral, Malta
An original account by the curator, Cynthia de Giorgio on The Majestic Tapestries found within St John's Co-Cathedral.
These magnificent tapestries were gifted to the conventual church by Gand Master Ramon Perrellos. They were based on a set of modelli by Peter Paul Rubens in around 1620 and delivered to Malta in February 1702. The tapestries were painstakingly hand woven in Brussels by a team of weavers and can be seen at the St John’s Co-cathedral Museum. The collection is currently scattered between a number of rooms, however they will be re-united as a dramatic and complete set upon realisation of the museum renovation project.
Please feel free to share with the world this breath taking national gem.
Visit: stjohnscocathedral.com
St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta - Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is a Southern European island country comprising an archipelago of seven islands in the Mediterranean Sea. It lies 80km south of Sicily, 284km east of Tunisia, and 333km north of Libya. It is one of the world’s smallest and most densely populated countries. The capital of Malta is Valletta.