Church of Our Lady of Victories, Valletta

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Church of Our Lady of Victories
Knisja tal-Madonna tal-Vitorja
Victoria Church, Valletta.jpg
Malta location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Church of Our Lady of Victories
35°53′45.6″N14°30′38.5″E / 35.896000°N 14.510694°E / 35.896000; 14.510694 Coordinates: 35°53′45.6″N14°30′38.5″E / 35.896000°N 14.510694°E / 35.896000; 14.510694
Location Valletta
Country Malta
Denomination Roman Catholic
Website Website of the church
History
Founded 1566
Dedication Our Lady of Victory
Architecture
Status Active
Functional status Church
Architectural type Church
Style Baroque
Administration
Archdiocese Malta
Clergy
Archbishop Charles Scicluna
Rector Anthony Galea

The Our Lady of Victories Church, formerly known as the Saint Anthony the Abbot Church, [1] was the first church and building completed in Valletta, Malta. In 1566, following the Great Siege of Malta, Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette and his Order showed interest to build a church in the name of the Nativity of the Virgin as a form of thanksgiving; the construction was funded by De Valette.

Valletta Local council in South Eastern Region, Malta

Valletta is the capital city of Malta. Located in the south east of the island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population in 2014 was 6,444, while the metropolitan area around it has a population of 393,938. Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe.

Great Siege of Malta Ottoman Empires invasion of Malta in 1565

The Great Siege of Malta took place in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire tried to invade the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The Knights, with approximately 2,000 footsoldiers and 400 Maltese men, women and children, withstood the siege and repelled the invaders. This victory became one of the most celebrated events in sixteenth-century Europe. Voltaire said, "Nothing is better known than the siege of Malta", and it undoubtedly contributed to the eventual erosion of the European perception of Ottoman invincibility and marked a new phase in Spanish domination of the Mediterranean.

Jean Parisot de Valette Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller

Fra' Jean Parisot de La Valette was a French nobleman and 49th Grand Master of the Order of Malta, from 21 August 1557 to his death in 1568. As a Knight Hospitaller, joining the order in the Langue de Provence, he fought with distinction against the Turks at Rhodes. As Grand Master, Valette became the Order's hero and most illustrious leader, commanding the resistance against the Ottomans at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, sometimes regarded as one of the greatest sieges of all time.

Contents

Origins

The church was built to commemorate the victory of the Knights of the Order of St John and the Maltese over the Ottoman invaders on 8 September 1565. [2] It was built on the site where a religious ceremony was held to inaugurate the laying of the foundation stone of the new city of Valletta on 28 March 1566. A church was chosen as the first building in order to express gratitude. Not only is the church dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin, but the titular painting is situated behind the main altar as well and it depicts the birth of the Blessed Virgin.

Grandmaster Jean Parisot de Valette funded the building's construction. He died of a fever on 21 August 1568 and was entombed in the crypt of the church. However, when St. John's Co-Cathedral was built, his remains were moved to there. [3] [4] [3]

In 1617, the order of St John chose this church as their parish church. The church was then dedicated to St Anthony the Abbot. In 1699, the apse of the church was enlarged on the orders of Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccaful. In 1716, Maltese artist Alessio Erardi was commissioned by Perellos to paint the vault with elemental scenes portraying the Life of the Virgin; these were finished in two years. In 1752, the façade, sacristy, belfry and the parish priest’s house were enlarged. The façade received a beautiful baroque look. The façade also includes a bronze bust of Pope Innocent XII. [5] In addition, in the second part of the 18th century, apart from the altars dedicated to St John the Baptist and St Paul, two other altars were built. [3]

Anthony the Great Christian saint, monk, and hermit

Saint Anthony or Antony, was a Christian monk from Egypt, revered since his death as a saint. He is distinguished from other saints named Anthony such as Anthony of Padua, by various epithets of his own: Anthony the Great, Anthony of Egypt, Antony the Abbot,Anthony of the Desert,Anthony the Anchorite, and Anthony of Thebes. For his importance among the Desert Fathers and to all later Christian monasticism, he is also known as the Father of All Monks. His feast day is celebrated on 17 January among the Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches and on Tobi 22 in the Coptic calendar used by the Coptic Church.

Ramon Perellos y Roccaful Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller

Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, known in Spanish as Raimundo Rabasa de Perellós y Rocafull and in his native Catalan of Valencia as Ramon Perellós i Rocafull was the 64th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of Malta from 1697 until his death. He was of Spanish origin and was 60 years old when he was elected as Grand Master.

Pope Innocent XII 17th-century Catholic pope

Pope Innocent XII, born Antonio Pignatelli, was Pope from 12 July 1691 to his death in 1700.

In 1837, the church became the Garrison Church to the Royal Malta Fencibles which later became the Royal Malta Artillery. Throughout the years, the church experienced several damages both to its structure and to its paintings. On 23 April 1942, the church ceiling was damaged as a consequence of an air raid that hit Valletta which also destroyed the nearby Royal Opera House. [3] In 1943, once again on 8 September another enemy, this time round the Italian fleet, surrenders; the church is now that of ‘Our Lady of Victories’.

Royal Opera House, Valletta former opera house in Valletta, Malta

The Royal Opera House, also known as the Royal Theatre, was an opera house and performing arts venue in Valletta, Malta. It was designed by the English architect Edward Middleton Barry and was erected in 1866. In 1873 its interior was extensively damaged by fire but was eventually restored by 1877. The theatre received a direct hit from aerial bombing in 1942 during World War II. Prior to its destruction, it was one of the most beautiful and iconic buildings in Valletta. After several abandoned plans to rebuild the theatre, the ruins were redesigned by the Italian architect Renzo Piano and in 2013 it once again started functioning as a performance venue, called Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

In 2000, the National trust of Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, started a project of restoration. On 8 September 2011, Din l-Art Ħelwa was entrusted as the guardian of the church by the government of Malta. Restoration is ongoing. [3] [6]

Interior of the church Interior Our Lady of Victory Valletta.jpg
Interior of the church

Works of art

The church has a number of artistic treasures. The paintings on each end above the altar depict St Anthony of Egypt and St Anthony of Padua. These were brought to Malta in 1530 by the Knights of Malta after the Emperor Charles V gave the island to the Order of St John as its base. The church also contains works by Francesco Zahra, Ermenegildo Grech and Enrico Arnaux.

In 1792, Venetian Grand Admiral Angelo Emo died in Malta. He wished for his heart to be buried in the Lady of Victories church; a monument in his name by Maltese sculptor Vincenzo Dimech was erected in 1802. [3]

Present day

In 2000, the National trust of Malta, Din l-Art Ħelwa, started a project of restoration along with the Valletta Rehabilitation Project and the Museums Department. Restoration was carried out on the roof, finials and part of the belfry, which was sponsored by Computime. The exterior restoration was completed by 2002; PricewaterhouseCoopers was a major sponsor. The interior renovation started in 2004. The church is still being restored and work should conclude by 2016. [3]

The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. [7]

The church is open to the public for free.

See also

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References

  1. Lanfranco, Guido (2000). "It-Taghlim tad-Duttrina fil-Gzejjer Maltin; Ftit ta' l-Istorja" (PDF). L-Imnara (in Maltese). Rivista tal-Għaqda Maltija tal-Folklor. Melita Historica. 6 (3): 104. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016.
  2. "Our Lady of Victory Church, Valletta". Din l-Art Ħelwa. 6 October 2011. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History of the Church". ourladyofvictory.org.mt. Din l-Art Ħelwa . Retrieved 21 September 2015.
  4. "Our Lady of Victory Church Valletta". Malta Pass. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  5. "Valletta - The Churches". romeartlover.tripod.com. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  6. "Our Lady of Victory church restoration". Times of Malta . 7 September 2013. Retrieved 14 October 2014.
  7. "Our Lady of Victory Church" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 30 March 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.

Coordinates: 35°53′45.6″N14°30′39.3″E / 35.896000°N 14.510917°E / 35.896000; 14.510917