English: The Nave,
Saint John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta.
Français: Intérieur de la co-cathédrale St Jean à La Valette - Malte.
Photo: 7 May 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.
(Wikimedia Commons)
English: The Chapel of Italy,
Dedicated to Saint Catherine, the Patron Saint of the Italian Section.
Saint John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta.
Français: Une des chapelles de la cathédrale St Jean à La Valette - Malte.
Photo: 7 May 2007.
Source: Own work.
Author: Jean-Christophe BENOIST.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Church was designed by the Maltese Military Architect, Glormu Cassar (Girolamo Cassar), who designed several of the more prominent buildings in Valletta. The Church is considered to be one of the finest examples of High Baroque Architecture in Europe and one of the world's great Cathedrals.
English: "Magnificent Church.
The most striking Interior I have ever seen."
(Sir Walter Scott, 1831).
[Author: Note the three Clocks on the Right-Hand Tower.]
[Author: Note the three Clocks on the Right-Hand Tower.]
Deutsch: St. John’s Co-Kathedrale, Valletta, Malta.
עברית: קתדרלת יוחנן הקדוש בולטה
Date: 11 January 2005 (original upload date).
Source: Transferred from en.wikipedia.
Author: Radoneme at en.wikipedia.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Interior, in sharp contrast with the facade, is extremely ornate and decorated in the Baroque Style. The Interior was largely decorated by Mattia Preti, the Calabrian artist and Knight. Preti designed the intricate carved stone walls and painted the Vaulted Ceiling and Side Altars with scenes from the life of Saint John.
Interestingly, the figures painted on the Ceiling, next to each Column, initially appear to the viewer as three-dimensional statues, but, on closer inspection, we see that the artist cleverly created a three-dimensional illusion by his use of shadows and placement.
"Da Pacem Domine".
Chant of The Templars.
Available on YouTube at
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
1. Fiat pax in virtute tua: et abundantia in turribus tuis.
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
2. Propter fratres meos et proximos meos loquebar pacem de te:
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
3. Propter domum Domini Dei nostri quaesivi bona tibi.
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
4. Rogate quae ad pacem sunt Jerusalem: et abundantia diligentibus te.
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
5. Gloria Patri et Filio et Spiritui Sancto,
sicut erat in principio et nunc et semper,
et in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
Da pacem, Domine, in diebus nostris
Quia non est alius
Qui pugnet pro nobis
Nisi tu Deus noster.
Also noteworthy is the fact that the carving was all undertaken in-place (in situ) rather than being carved independently and then attached to the walls (stucco). The Maltese Limestone, from which the Cathedral is built, lends itself particularly well to such intricate carving.
The whole marble floor is an entire series of tombs, housing about 375 Knights and Officers of The Order. There is also a Crypt, containing the tombs of Grandmasters, like Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Claude de la Sengle, Jean Parisot de Valette, and Alof de Wignacourt.
"Salve Regina".
Chant of The Templars.
Available on YouTube at
Near the main entrance, one finds the Monument of Grand Master Fra Marc'Antonio Zondadari of Siena. He was the Nephew of Pope Alexander VII.
Artist: Caravaggio (1573–1610).
Date: 1608.
Current location: Altarpiece in The Oratory,
St. John's Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta.
Commissioned in 1608 by Alof de Wignacourt, Grand Master,
for the Altar of Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Source/Photographer: The Yorck Project: 10.000 Meisterwerke der Malerei. DVD-ROM, 2002.
ISBN 3936122202. Distributed by DIRECTMEDIA Publishing GmbH.
Permission: Wikide-I / 10.000 Gemälde für Commons.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Saint John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta, Malta, 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.
Illustration: ST JOHN'S CO-CATHEDRAL, MALTA
The Chapel of the Anglo-Bavarian Langue was formerly known as the Chapel of the Relic, where the Knights used to keep Relics that they had acquired through the Centuries;
The Chapel of Provence is Dedicated to Saint Michael;
The Chapel of France is Dedicated to the Conversion of Saint Paul. This Chapel was modified in the 19th-Century. The Monuments found in this Chapel are those of Grand Masters Fra Adrien de Wignacourt and Fra Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc;
The Nave,
Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Photo: 29 January 2010.
Source: Own work.
Author: MrPanyGoff.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Chapel of Germany is dedicated to The Epiphany of Christ.
On the Right Side of the Church, there are the following Chapels;
The Chapel of The Blessed Sacrament was formerly known as The Chapel of Our Lady of Fileremos (Rhodes). The Titular Painting of this Chapel is Our Lady of Carafa, which is a Copy of Our Lady of Lanciano. Among the Knights, buried in this Chapel, there is Fra Gian Francesco Abela and Fra Flaminio Balbiano;
Note the three Clocks.
One of the two Church Bell-Towers
of Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Photo: 4 December 2012.
Source: Malta GC. Valletta 1967.
Author: Brian Harrington Spier,
from Shanghai, China.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The Chapel of Aragon is dedicated to Saint George. The Titular Painting was painted by Mattia Preti and it is considered as one of his Masterpieces. In this Chapel, one can find the Monuments of the following Grand Masters: Fra Martin de Redin; Fra Raphael Cotoner; Fra Nicolas Cotoner; Fra Ramon Perellos;
The High Altar,
Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
[Author: Note the Liturgically-correct Lenten Purple Canopy,
hanging above the High Altar. Compare with the following photo,
which depicts the Liturgically-correct Post Pentecost Green Canopy]
Photo: 18 March 2013.
Source: St. Johns co-Cathedral.
Uploaded by russavia
Author: Leandro Neumann Ciuffo, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
(Wikimedia Commons)
The painting depicting The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608), by Caravaggio (1571–1610), is the most famous work of art in the Church. Considered one of Caravaggio's Masterpieces, and the only painting signed by the painter, the canvas is displayed in the Oratory, for which it was painted.
English: The High Altar,
Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Français: Autel de la Co-cathédrale
Saint-Jean de La Valette,
by Giuseppe Mazzuoli.
Photo: October 2006.
Source: Own work.
Author: Strikehard.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Another impressive feature of the Church is the collection of Marble tombstones in the Nave, in which were buried important Knights. The more important Knights were placed closer to the front of the Church. These tombstones, richly decorated with Inlaid Marble and with the Coats-of-Arms of the Knight buried below, as well as images relevant to that Knight often telling a story of triumph in battle, form a rich visual display.
The Nave and High Altar,
Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Photo: 14 May 2012.
Source: Own work.
Author: Szilas.
(Wikimedia Commons)
Interior of
Saint John's Co-Cathedral,
Valletta, Malta.
Photo: 25 February 2012.
Source: St John's Co-Cathedral Interior 1Uploaded by tm
Author: Tony Hisgett from Birmingham, UK.
(Wikimedia Commons)
In the 1820s, the Bishop of Malta, whose Seat was at Mdina, was allowed to use Saint John’s as an alternative See and it, thus, formally became a Co-Cathedral. The land, on which the Co-Cathedral was built, belongs to the Government of Malta, and the care of the Co-Cathedral and Museum has been entrusted to the Saint John's Co-Cathedral Foundation.
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