Malta 15 Mdina St.Paul’s Cathedral

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Malta
The cathedral of Mdina
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Of all the churches on the islands, St Paul's
Cathedral is the finest and most mature example
of Maltese Baroque. Tradition states the
cathedral is built on the site of the villa
belonging to the Roman governor, Publius, where
the shipwrecked St Paul healed Publius' father
and converted the grateful governor himself to
Christianity. (Publius later became the first
bishop of Malta and was martyred in Greece.)
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The present cathedral was built following the
earthquake of 1693, which destroyed much of
southeast Sicily and Malta. The architect was
Lorenzo Gafa, the structure was built in five
years, and was consecrated in 1697. In front are
the obligatory cannons, part of the knights'
ordinance. The bell towers, each with six bells,
are squat and a light octagonal dome, with eight
stone scrolls above a high drum leading up to a
neat lantern.
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Front of the Casa Gourgion building at St. Pauls
Square at Mdina
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Front of the Casa Gourgion
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Casa Gourgion knocker
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Saint Pauls Cathedral square
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The Cathedral of Mdina is dedicated to St. Paul
whose shipwreck on the island in 60 AD is
regarded as the beginning of the evangelization
of Malta. Its anniversary on February 10 is a
public holiday.The task of rebuilding the
cathedral was entrusted to Lawrence Gafà and it
is regarded as the masterpiece of this Maltese
architect
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Saint Pauls Cathedral square
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Madonna and child house plaque, Saint Pauls
Cathedral square
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Saint Pauls Cathedral square
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Saint Pauls Cathedral Museum
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Cicero stayed in a house on this site while
preparing his case against the thieving Roman
governor, Verres. Saint Pauls Cathedral Museum
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Saint Pauls Cathedral Museum Because Atlas was
usually portrayed on his knees, a standing male
figure is sometimes called telamon after Telamon,
father of Ajax, who in the myth built an altar to
Heracles.
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Testaferrata Palace decoration of the garden
balconies
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Testaferrata Palace decoration of the garden
balconies
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Archbishop's Palace
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Archbishop's Palace
Cathedral entrance
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Archbishop's Palace
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The interior of the cathedral resembles that of a
Roman church with a very rich decoration based on
coloured marbles, funerary monuments and chapels
with sumptuous altars. It can be considered the
swansong of Italian artistic influence on Malta.
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Domenico Brushi (1840-1910)
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Caravaggio (1571-1610) made Malta his refuge when
he became a fugitive from Papal authority for
committing a murder in Rome. The Entombment of
Christ, (16031604) original in Pinacoteca
Vaticana
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Gabriela Cristescu
Internet All copyrights belong to
their respective owners Presentation Sanda
Foisoreanu
2014
Sound Elina Garanca - Ligis
Praulins-Dievaines adapted by A.Barry and
K.M.Chichon