The most beautiful religious buildings Malta

This church is the church of the Catholic-Catholic community of the island. This community, which is now very small, was born in 1530 when the knights settled in Malta with 4 000 Greeks. The building was severely damaged by the bombing, but the famous icon (above the altar) fortunately survived. If you arrive at the right time, the old priest will organise a small visit (in French) and will reveal the secrets of the site.

Saint Paul is considered the spiritual father of the Maltese people, which is why this collegiate church is one of the most important in Malta. It was designed by Cassar in the 16th century and is one of the oldest in the city. It was modified by the architect Lorenzo Gafà in 1629, who added a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Sacrament. Of particular note is the gilded wooden statue of Saint Paul, which was made by Melchiorre Gafà, the brother of the architect Lorenzo. It is in fact this statue that is walked around the city on February 10th, the feast of Saint Paul. St. Paul is the patron saint of the city. In the year 60, he was shipwrecked in Malta where he stayed for three months. He succeeded in converting Governor Publius, making Malta one of the first Christian lands of the Roman Empire. The interior houses other beautiful artistic works such as the magnificent main altarpiece by Matteo Perez d'Aleccio or the altar painted by Antoine de Favray. The ceiling frescoes, which depict the saint's stay in Malta, are by Attilio Palombi. You will also appreciate the paintings of Giuseppe Cali, a Maltese painter born in the mid-19th century. You can admire the sacred objects in gold or silver, the most remarkable piece of which is an 18th century silver throne, sometimes placed next to the altar. Finally, the church houses two precious relics, the bone of Saint Paul's left wrist and a piece of the column on which he was beheaded.

Led by the Dominican brothers, it is built on the site of a th century church. Completely destroyed during the war, it was rebuilt in 1960. Saint-Dominique, celebrated on the second Sunday in August, is one of the most important celebrations of Birgu.

These bells are all displayed in a niche which is located in Mdina Door Street, the street that leads to the Craft Centre. There are five of them, neatly lined up in order of size. A small sign indicates the date of manufacture (1639 for the oldest), the name of the person who cast them, the notes they play(D, F, A, Dsharp, Asharp), their diameter (from 735 to 1,472 mm) and their weight (from 400 to 2,000 kilos).

Dedicated to Saints Peter and Paul, this handsome classical building with its triangular pediment is covered in marble. The church is defended by two cannons. Construction began in 1760, but the façade and wings date from the ^20th century.

At the end of the esplanade stands the most visible and imposing building in Floriana: the parish church of St. Publius.It was built in honour of Publius, governor of Malta during the Roman period. The latter had been converted to Christianity by St. Paul, then a prisoner, in 60 AD. He later became the first bishop of Malta and died as a martyr in Athens. He was chosen as patron saint by the people of Floriana who decided to build a church. The first stone was laid in 1733 by Grand Master A. de Vilhena. The nave was not completed until 1792. In 1844 Floriana became a parish. Two new wings were added, as well as the columned portico in 1890. The church also has a dome and two bell towers housing six bells, the largest of which was cast in Naples. The building was severely damaged during the Second World War and was quickly restored to its original appearance thanks to an almost immediate reconstruction. Its façade is composed of a neoclassical portico topped by a triangular pediment, and a statue of Christ stands at the top of the façade. Inside there is an altarpiece by Antoine de Favray, completed by his pupil Filippo Vicenzo Pace, which relates the martyrdom of Saint Publius. Other paintings depict the shipwreck of Saint Paul and his stay on the island. You can also admire the statue of Saint Publius, dating from 1811 and work of the sculptor Vincenzo Dimech, which is carried during the annual procession.

It's a surprisingly modern building. Admittedly, some of the architectural effects are inspired by traditional Maltese churches, but in general it's... up to you. As you can imagine, much has been written about its construction, and opinions differ as to its aesthetic qualities. Inside, it's a far cry from the often overcrowded churches of the past. Sobriety is the order of the day, even when it comes to the seating, which resembles garden chairs. A real curiosity.

Construction of the church, begun in the ^mid-17th century, lasted long enough for several architects to mark it with various styles, predominantly Baroque. Here you'll find a number of paintings by the famous Mattia Preti(St. Catherine, St. Andrew), given by the painter to the parish of Zurrieq to thank it for giving him refuge during the plague epidemic. His studio can still be seen at 4 Flowers Street. In the main square, a statue is dedicated to Saint Catherine. On one side of the church, you'll notice the monument to the dead of the last war, the work of sculptor C. Cauchi.

The Benedictine nuns of Mdina are first mentioned in 1450, on the site of a medieval women's hospital, enlarged and completely restored in 1625. The Order is governed by very strict rules: nuns are never allowed to leave the convent, even after death. They are buried in the crypt, and the only male visitors allowed are the doctor and the plasterer-painter when work is being carried out. The public can visit the adjoining chapel, but the nuns don't open it every day, so you'll have to take your chances.

Nearly twenty nuns currently live here in total isolation, devoting their days to prayer and tending the garden. Needless to say, tourists can't visit either.

Near the square, you can stop off at St. Joseph's Oratory, an ^18th-century chapel run by two charming pensioners. La Valette is said to have come here to pray just before the Great Siege. Here you can see his battle sword and hat. This fighting sword should not be confused with the jeweled sword offered by Philip II of Spain as a reward for his courage, now on display in the Louvre. In the oratory, you'll find a portrait of La Valette, attributed to one of Caravaggio's pupils. The master may have made a few alterations.

Still in the oratory, enthusiasts will find ex-votos, religious paintings, cherubs, crucifixes, bells, as well as candlesticks that once belonged to the Order, the flags of the various inns and letters from knights written to their mothers asking for money! You'll also be interested in a card game dating back to 1609, with which the knights played on the galleys. Very long silver scissors enabled the priest to bring plague victims to communion without having to go near them. Magnificent flags from the old inns are also on display.

Originally designed to accommodate orphans, this large building is now held by Dominican sisters.

Situated on a rugged stretch of Malta's south coast, it's around 500 m from Ħaġar Qim, two World Heritage sites. It has three structures built around an open space. The oldest is the small three-lobed structure on the right, while the southern and central structures were built later.

In the southern structure, you can see how each row of blocks projects slightly inwards, shortening the room's span and facilitating roofing. This structure also features a particular alignment with the rising sun during the spring and autumn equinoxes. On these days, the rays of the rising sun pass through the main door and into the central axis, illuminating the innermost central apse. On the solstices of June and December, the first rays of the sun illuminate the edge of two decorated megaliths to the left (June) and right (December) of the central door linking the first pair of chambers to the inner ones.

The central structure is built on a platform and has a simpler layout than the one below. At the opposite end of the entrance is a covered niche, and along the left wall, close to it, is the entrance to another room. Part of the site's charm lies in the fact that no modern developments are visible, so it can still be appreciated in its original setting. The type of stone available on the surface in this part of the landscape has directly influenced the materials used in the construction of the sites. Here, both globigerite and the more resistant coralline limestone are readily available, and both are used in the structure. The exterior of the site is built in coralline limestone, which is more resistant to the elements. For the interior walls, softer globigerine limestone was used. This enabled the builders to carve smooth, evenly-shaped megaliths that fit together perfectly.

Like nearbyĦaġar Qim, Mnajdra was recently covered with a shelter to protect it from the elements and help preserve it for future generations. A number of artefacts, including fragments of pottery vessels and flint utensils, have been discovered at these sites. These provide additional information about the people who created these monuments and are on display at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

The first parish church of Xaghra - built in the th century in the north of the village on a promontory - was replaced by a contemporary building. Nearby you will find the remains of Santa Verna Temple, a prehistoric monument with only three levées.

Its exact origin is unknown. It is enlarged in 1615 and then rebuilt in 1861, when the dome is added. It is now a place of religious education for children.

Classical and harmonious, it was built by Lorenzo Gafà at the end of the 1692 th century, between 1720 and. It benefits from the quality of the work of the inhabitants of Zejtun considered to be the best builders of the island. Its dome, its varied columns and its cornices are superb. This same architect realizes the cathedrals of Mdina and Victoria in Gozo. Many works of local artists are visible inside as well as procession statues. At the back of the church, a small religious art workshop sometimes leaves its doors fluctuating.

Probably the most interesting of the city's churches. Remodeled in 1638 by the architect Tomasso Dingli, it features many Baroque elements. It boasts some fine pieces of religious art, including paintings by Giuseppe Cali, sculptures by Melchiorre Gafà and Karlu Darmanin, and an altar by Portuguese sculptor Emmanuel Merreira. Some of these statues are taken out into the streets for the Good Friday procession.

It was built in 1571 by the Knights of Saint John and renovated in 1765. Despite this restoration, most of the works of art that lie inside the church date from the church of origin.

The village developed from the end of the 17th century, when Bishop David Cocco Palmeri turned the Chapel of St. Anthony into a parish church. Later, under the impulse of the great master Gregorio Carafa, the villagers decided to build a vast church, first dedicated to Our Lady of Graces and then to the nativity of the Virgin. The church, with a classical Latin cross plan, was rebuilt, even more vast, at the beginning of the 19th century. But a plague epidemic, which raged in 1814, killing more than a hundred people on the island, led to the suspension of the work. Resumed around 1825, the work continued under the impetus of Father Buttigieg, who became the first bishop of the island in 1864. The church was completed in 1850, blessed on 14 February 1855 and consecrated on 26 May 1878. The dome was only erected in 1892 and decorated inside with the works of Virginio Monti (1929-1930). The church was given the title of basilica in August 1967 and from 2000 to 2003 restoration work was carried out on the bell towers, the roof and the dome. The facade, baroque, has two bell towers, one of which houses a bell weighing almost 3 tons, the oldest of the 6 bells dating from 1770. The clock is by a Maltese artist. As for the marble coverings, they date from the 1950s. Its interior is rich in furniture, sculptures and paintings, with a very baroque style.

Designed by Francesco Buonamici, it was founded by the Jesuits in 1592 to teach philosophy, literature and theology. The Jesuits were expelled from the island by the great master Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca and recalled under the English occupation. The university then became public, and medicine and surgery were also taught there. By its shape and ornaments, it reminds us of the Jesuit church in Rome, and contains many paintings and liturgical objects. Today it is the setting for the solemn ceremonies of the University of Malta.

It was built in 1598 and completed in the 17th century by the great master Gregorio Carfa, whose coat of arms adorns the façade. The side extension is designed in 1920 by the Maltese architect E. Borg. This church is one of the first in the country to have designed the interior in the Baroque style. Paintings by Mattia Preti, Pietro Galiardi and Filippo Paladini can be seen here. Its dry, classical façade blends discreetly into the major axis that is Republic Street.

In the street of the same name (part of Victory Square), this church, built in 1651, then enlarged and expanded in 1779, was severely damaged in 1940. It will be restored in 1949.

This church was originally the church of a religious school for girls opened in 1692 by a Maltese Jesuit. Orphans or girls were placed in poor families.

In ancient globigérine, the main monument of the city, imposing and unavoidable, acts as a magnetic pole on the traveller, which in every way when it wins the beaches of the west cannot avoid discovering its silvery nipple drawn towards the sky. The facade of the building is decorated with two clocks. The right is wrong, simple dial on the right of the facade, while that on the left is true.

The interior of the church deserves a few moments of contemplation, if only for the freshness provided during hot summer hours. In addition, you will be surprised to discover that this dome, which appears as a rotondité of the most regular, is actually based on a remarkable ellipse, which allows you to enter the outline by placing you underneath. You can marvel at its regularity and symmetry, leaving it to the surveyors to calculate the large axis, the small axis and the volume of half-ellipsoid.

Curious coincidence, this building is called the church of eggs, because it was built thanks to the villagers'donations, not in cash, but in kind, and especially in eggs. Poultry farmers brought them conscientiously for months until the product of sale was sufficient to initiate construction. Despite the funds raised, it took 34 years to complete it (1912-1946), the construction dependent on donations and thus the quality of the crops.

The whole church is seduced by its sobriety, not devoid of charm. Few furniture, a pleasant light, a discreet strength.

Located in the rural village of Mġarr in the north of the island, the megalithic site of Ta' Ħaġrat was discovered in 1916 and was referred to at the time as a "stone mound". The Ta'Hagrat site was excavated between 1923 and 1926, under the direction of Sir Temi Zammit, director of museums at the time. He enlisted the help of the village chaplain and also employed several villagers to help with the task. Situated close to the Skorba site, only about a kilometer away, the Ta'Hagrat megalithic site consists of two structures placed side by side. The larger structures date from the Ġgantija phase (3600 to 3200 BC). The megalithic site is topped by a concave facade with a monumental gate opening onto a central courtyard. Three steps lead up to this gate, and this is what makes it so unique. The courtyard is rectangular and located one level below the semicircular rooms on each of its three sides. In the room on the left, you can see how each row of stone blocks projects slightly inwards, shortening the span of the room and facilitating roofing. The room on the right was modified in the Neolithic period to provide access to the second, smaller structure built later. Although smaller in size than the island's other Neolithic sites, several interesting discoveries were made here. Pottery, stone tools, animal bones and a small limestone building model were found. This model represents a covered building, supporting the theory that these structures were originally covered. The model also represents two construction techniques used at the time: corbelling to facilitate roofing and the use of alternating vertical and horizontal megaliths in wall construction. The model is on display at Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology. Over the years, this site has become an important landmark for the Mgarr community. Its members have participated in the excavation of the site, assisted in the restoration of the main portal and, today, contribute to the management of the site. The site is so important to the community that it has chosen its monumental gate as one of the symbols of its council emblem.

The very recent Sainte-Thérèse church, with its flying saucer appearance, has a modernity designed to impress, despite a slightly artisanal feel. Although originally dedicated to Saint Alphonsus, the local population continues to call it Sainte-Thérèse due to the presence of an urn bearing her effigy.

The old building was damaged by a lightning strike in 1959. The new one is now one of the island's most popular places of worship.

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