The most beautiful churches cathedrals basilicas and chapels Malta

Guarded by two sturdy bronze cannons, it's one of the city's masterpieces, for its historical and architectural value. And if you're only going to visit once, this is the one to choose. An inscription near the side entrance, through which the knights entered, reminds us mortals of the brevity of our passage on earth: "You who walk on the dead, remember that one day you will be walked on" Built between 1575 and 1577, St. John's Co-Cathedral was designed by Gerolamo Cassar. It is his masterpiece. It was financed by Grand Master Jean l'Evesque de La Cassière and dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, patron saint of the Order. At the time, Malta's cathedral was Saint-Paul de Mdina. In 1816, under English rule, Pope Pius VII granted it the status of co-cathedral, a remarkable status given that few dioceses have two cathedrals. Consecrated on February 20, 1578, it was enriched for two centuries by each of the grand masters, who were required to make a donation on election. The exterior is sober, with a simple, symmetrical façade and Doric columns framing the entrance.

Note the three clocks on the right pediment, indicating the day, date and time. Opposite the building is a small square, guarded by a bust of Enrico Mizzi, where you'll find it pleasant to lounge under a parasol after your visit.

While the exterior appears almost austere, the interior is sumptuous and extremely ornate, having been extensively decorated by Mattia Preti at the height of the Baroque period (carved stone walls, etc.). The high, majestic vaults and the marble floor under which the knights sleep give the cathedral an atmosphere of great solemnity... In all, over 400 knightly tombs in red, white and black marble, with skeletons and coats of arms.

The workmanship of the marble, imported from Italy, most often from Carrara, is impressive in the co-cathedral. Following the work, the marble tradition is still very much alive on the island, although this material, absent from Malta, is necessarily imported. Although it is no longer possible to be buried with the great masters in St. John's Co-Cathedral, it is still possible to have a marble tombstone made in Mdina Cathedral.

Oratory Museum. The Co-Cathedral Museum houses Caravaggio's famous painting, The Beheading of St. John (1608), on display in the oratory. The ultimate work of Malta's greatest painter, it is said to be the only painting to bear the artist's signature (visible in the blood of St. John).

The museum also features 28 Flemish tapestries from the ^17th and ^18th centuries. One series illustrates the story of Christ, the others are allegories. Based on designs by Rubens and a drawing by Poussin for The Last Supper, they were once used to decorate the interior of the cathedral. Only one tapestry depicts the man who commissioned them, Grand Master Perellos Roccaful, but all bear his coat of arms. All the gifts he made to the cathedral are recorded in embroidery. The museum also houses priestly vestments and silverware, which escaped Napoleonic plunder in 1798.

Situated between Gharb and Ghammar, the Ta'Pinu church, with its separate bell tower rising like a minaret, dates from 1920. Behind the church, a small ^16th-century chapel was a highly venerated place of pilgrimage in the last century.

On June 22, 1883, Carmela Grima, a 45-year-old widow, heard a voice. The Virgin asked her to recite prayers for her during the three days of the Assumption feast; this miraculous message was repeated several times. According to local history, the Gozitans' prayers also prevented a plague epidemic from spreading to their island. With the influx of pilgrims, it was decided to build a larger church next to the chapel. A collection from all Gozo inhabitants enabled work to begin in 1920. The church, completed in 1931, was consecrated in 1932 by Pope Pius XI, before receiving the title of basilica.

The small miraculous chapel is integrated into the building at the back of the nave. Today, the Basilica of Ta'Pinu is a place of pilgrimage for the Maltese and Gozitans. It takes its name from a man named Pinu Gauci, who looked after the original small chapel.

It is interesting for its neo-Romanesque style: marble canopy, Byzantine cornices, mosaics, stained glass windows and Romanesque bell tower, as well as for its many souvenirs and offerings, in memory of the Virgin's miracles. Plaster legs, crutches and pins no longer needed, extraordinary newspaper articles, testimonials (from World Trade Center survivors, for example) and letters of gratitude and thanks to the Virgin adorn the walls of both wings of the church, from floor to ceiling. The whole is rather macabre, but instructive if you concentrate a little. Pope John Paul II himself came to pray in the chapel during his visit to Malta in 1990, and there are plenty of photographs to remind us of this.

Others show a monument dedicated to Ta'Pinu in Australia, the homeland of many Maltese. As for the widow Carmela Grima, she is in the process of being beatified.

A Way of the Cross has been laid out between the church and a nearby hill where a huge cross is planted.

The Carmela Grima Museum (2 Gharb Street), dedicated to the 45-year-old widow touched by the Virgin Mary's ultrasound, has reopened. It's well worth a visit, and audioguides in French are available. Visits from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

It is the first Protestant church built in Malta at the request of Queen Adelaide in 1838, and it is built on the site of the former hostel in Germany. Built under the direction of two English architects, the first of whom committed suicide as soon as structural problems arose, and completed in 1844, it can accommodate 1,500 people. Its portal with Ionic columns and its 60m spire, which contributes to the beauty of the urban profile of the capital, are particularly noteworthy.

Construction of the basilica dates back to 1678, but it was subsequently severely damaged during the earthquake of 1693. Reconstruction is long, because costly. Thus the facade was completed in 1818, the wings and dome in the twentieth century. The basilica owes its decoration to Italian painters: Gian Battista Conti for the frescoes of the dome, Giuseppe Cali, as well as Mattia Preti for his Saint George and the Dragon and, finally, the sculptor Paolo Azzopardi for a representation of Saint George (1841).

Strings are available at the entrance if you have the shoulders discovered. With great luck, you can attend a mass. There are every hour at weekends!

The festival of Saint George takes place on the third Sunday in July.

It was built on the site of an old medieval chapel, damaged by the earthquake of 1693 which, from Sicily, destroyed part of the town of Mdina. The new chapel was built in 1694 according to the plans of the architect Lorenzo Gafà. This church is dedicated to Saint Agatha, one of the three patron saints of the city of Mdina, together with Saint Paul and Saint Publius. This saint is said to have found refuge on the island of Malta, while fleeing the persecutions of the Roman emperor Decius.

Located in the main square of Rabat, it is a baroque style church, designed by Francesco Buonamici and completed by Lorenzo Gafà in 1683. It was built in honour of Paul of Tarsus, who is said to have converted Malta's first Christians. From now on it is no longer included in the visit to the Wignancourt Museum and you will have to take advantage of the mass hours to notice in particular its altarpiece, by Stefano Erardi. But it is in July that she decorates herself for the holidays. The inner walls are then covered with red damask, braided with gold, the crystal chandeliers come out of their covers and all the golden statuettes of the saints are displayed on the altar. An exceptional opportunity to admire this sumptuous and seductive ensemble.

Located inside the citadel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption and guarded by two cannons symbolizing the power of the Church, it was built between 1697 and 1711. When it was built, money ran out and the dome initially planned was replaced by a flat roof, with a very curious false dome painted in trompe l'oeil, made by the Sicilian master Antonio Manuele. Our Lady of the Assumption was built according to the plans of the Italian architect Lorenzo Gafà. Like that of the co-cathedral of Valletta, its floor is paved with marble tombs of bishops and priests. You will notice a Virgin who looks like a wax doll and a Christ carrying his cross. These naive paintings are executed in the purest tradition of Maltese religious paintings. The baptistery is made of onyx, a rare yet local material as it comes from Gozo. Every year, on August 15, the statue of the Virgin Mary leaves the cathedral and, carried by a dozen men, goes around Victoria. It is then that the central gate dating from 1956 is reopened (now walled up since the original gate to its right was rehabilitated during the renovation, a condition sine qua non for the inscription of the citadel to Unesco) to allow the monumental statue to pass through exceptionally. The Basilica of St. George is not to be outdone, and the two processions each carry their statue through the streets of the city. This pious competition sometimes gives rise to both comic and dramatic outbursts. One year, on the eve of the procession, the wings of the statue of St. George were stolen, and neither the wings nor the thief were found. Twenty years later, the story is still being told.

The museum. In addition to its collection of religious art, the museum displays a carriage and stones that were part of the cathedral's treasure. You can also see paintings by famous Maltese painters such as Giuseppe Hyzler and Michele Busetti, priestly vestments, as well as gold and silver objects of worship.

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

Built in the th century, this beautiful red dome church is due to Tomasso Dingli. The towers appear in the th century.

Its current state is the consequence of three centuries of construction and evolution that make it a real work of art. It is also called "the sanctuary" and the Maltese have been on pilgrimage from all over the island.

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).

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.

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.

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.

Located in Sliema, Malta, AX The Palace Malta is an ultra-hip 5-star hotel. It's just a 5-minute walk from the Mediterranean Sea and 6 km from the 16th-century Co-Cathedral of St. John. The hotel's rooms are warm and elegant, with free Wi-Fi access, flat-screen TVs, teapots, coffeemakers and an assortment of scented candles or incense. Superior rooms offer sea views and/or balconies. Suites are decorated in different styles and feature unique elements such as musical instruments, a telescope or original retro furniture. The hotel also offers a lively international restaurant, an elegant café/bar, a chic Asian restaurant and a trendy poolside bar on the rooftop terrace. Facilities include a luxury spa, gym, indoor pool and outdoor pool. The hotel also offers chargeable parking and is accessible to disabled guests.