Chapel of St Basil | |
---|---|
The Church of St Basil the Great | |
Kappella ta' San Bażilju | |
35°50′43.2″N14°28′04.8″E / 35.845333°N 14.468000°E | |
Location | Mqabba, Malta |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
History | |
Status | Active |
Dedication | St Basil the Great |
Architecture | |
Functional status | Church |
Completed | 15th century |
Specifications | |
Materials | Limestone |
Administration | |
Archdiocese | Malta |
Parish | Mqabba |
St Basil's Chapel is a Roman Catholic medieval church located in Mqabba, Malta. It is the only church building in Malta dedicated to St Basil the Great.
This chapel was built in 1486 however it was enlarged three times. The present size of the chapel was completed by 1515, commemorated by the inscription of the date on the main painting of the chapel. In 1575 the chapel was visited by inquisitor Pietro Dusina on his apostolic visit to Malta who reported that it was the biggest church in Mqabba and that it had an altar, a main painting and wooden doors. [1] In 1598, the church served as the parish church of Mqabba and was temporary renamed as St Mary's. In 1680 Bishop Miguel Jerónimo de Molina visited the church and commented that the church was important to the local people and that it was the main church of the village. In the plague epidemic of 1676, victims of the disease were buried both in and outside the church in the yard in front of the church which today is covered in concrete. During World War II as a result of the bombing of the parish church of the Assumption of Mqabba, the church of St Basil, once more, became the parish church of Mqabba. [2] The church was restored in 2007. [3]
The chapel's interior consists of a number of pointed arches, typical to medieval church architecture. The painting above the high altar dates to 1677 however it lacks any artistic value. It depicts God the Father, Saint Joseph, Mary with Jesus, and the poor souls together with St Basil and Saint Roch. The year 1515 is inscribed on the painting commemorating the blessing of the church. There is also one altar. [4]
Żurrieq is a town in the Southern Region of Malta. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, and has a population of 11,823 inhabitants as of March 2014. Żurrieq is one of the 10 parishes to be documented in 1436 and is dedicated to Saint Catherine. The island of Filfla is administratively a part of the town. The town stretches from Nigret to Ħal Far. In old times the town had a border with Żejtun. The village of Qrendi used to be part of the parish of Żurrieq until 1618 when it was made into its own parish.
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Qrendi is a village in the Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,148 people as of October 2021. It is located close to Mqabba, Żurrieq and Siggiewi. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim. In this village two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or the first Sunday of July, with 15 August the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Maria.
Mqabba is a town in the Southern Region of Malta. It has a traditional Maltese village layout, with a population of about 3,339 inhabitants, as of January 2019. The focal point is the Parish Church of the Assumption, found at the core of the village. It has two band clubs, a number of gardens and a list of national monuments. The motto of the village is 'Non Nisi Per Ardua' which translates into 'Only with Ability'.
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The Chapel of St Mary is a medieval chapel located in Bir Miftuħ, limits of Gudja, Malta.
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The Chapel of St Michael is a 17th-century Roman Catholic church located in the southern village of Mqabba, Malta. The church is built adjacent to a 15th-century chapel dedicated to St Basil.
The Church of St Mary or more formally, the Parish church of the Assumption of Mary is a Roman Catholic parish church located in the southern village of Mqabba in Malta.
St. Catherine's Old Church, also known as St. Gregory's Church, is a Roman Catholic church in Żejtun. The church and its complex sit towards the outskirts of the town, commanding views over Marsascala Bay, St. Thomas' Bay and Marsaxlokk harbour. The church is colloquially known as Saint Gregory's due to a traditional procession held on the first Wednesday following Easter Sunday. Its dedication to Catherine of Alexandria dates back to an original chapel on this site, which was one of the eight mother churches on Malta. The church stands next to the three cemeteries of Żejtun, dedicated to St. Rocco, St. Gregory and St. Catherine. The church's functions as the parish church of Żejtun were taken over by a new parish church, also dedicated to St. Catherine, and designed by Lorenzo Gafà.
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