Malta 37 Valletta St John’s Co-Cathedral

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Malta
St John's Co-Cathedral
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St John's Co-Cathedral is a Catholic co-cathedral
dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built
by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578.
The church was designed by the Maltese architect
Girolamo Cassar, who designed several of the more
prominent buildings in Valletta. In the 17th
century, its interior was redecorated in the
Baroque style by Mattia Preti and other artists.
The interior of the church is considered to be
one of the finest examples of high Baroque
architecture in Europe
The entire city of Valletta is classified a
UNESCO World Heritage site.
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Bust of Pope Pius V
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The Great Siege Monument, also known as the
Monument to the Fallen of the Great Siege
consists of three bronze figures symbolizing
Faith, Fortitude (or Valour), and Civilization,
standing on top of a granite base. The monument
is the work of the sculptor Antonio Sciortino,
and it was inaugurated on 8 May 1927
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Co-Cathedral entrance
Lion statue with a drinking fountain below.
Located in St John's Square (Misrah San Gwann),
in front of St John's Co-Cathedral
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The cathedral's interior is extremely ornate,
standing in sharp contrast with the façade. The
interior was largely decorated by Mattia Preti,
the Calabrian artist and knight, at the height of
the Baroque period. Preti designed the intricate
carved stone walls and painted the vaulted
ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life
of John the Baptist. In 1831, Sir Walter Scott
called the cathedral a "magnificent church, the
most striking interior he had ever seen."
although one sees two figures, they are in fact
hewn out of one big solid marble block (1703)
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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
LIsle-Adam, Claude de la Sengle, Jean Parisot de
Valette, and Alof de Wignacourt.
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Stiletto and narrow heels are not allowed
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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 St John. 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
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The decorations on the wall were all paid for by
the two brothers Raphael Cottoner and Nicholas
Cottoner (RC and NC)
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There are nine separate chapels. Each one
represents a European region of where the Order
of St. John originated. As such, each chapel has
its own language. The Chapel of the Blessed
Sacrament. The gates are made of solid silver
and, the icon of the Madonna above the tabernacle
(in solid silver too), represents the Madonna of
Philermos and it was brought to St Johns from
the St Catherine of Italy chapel.
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Chapel of the langue of Aragon, the Spanish
language Mattia Preti Saint George and the
Dragon
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Chapel of the langue of Aragon, the Spanish
language
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In this chapel are four beautiful monuments to
four Spanish grand-masters Raphael Cottoner and
his brother Nicholas, Martin DeRedin and a
magnificent monument by Giuseppe Mazzuoli to
Grand Master Perellos, who was a prince
Monument to Grand Master Nicolas Cottoner by
Domenico Guidi
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Funeral monument to Grand Master Raphael Cottoner
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Funeral monument to Grand Master Martin de Redin
Funeral monument to Grand Master Ramon Perellos
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Funeral monument to Grand Master Ramon Perellos
by Giuseppe Mazzuoli
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Chapel of the Langue of Castille, Leon and
Portugal Funerary monument of Grand Masters
Manoel Pinto de Fonseca
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Chapel of the Langue of Castille, Leon and
Portugal Funerary monument of Grand Masters
Manoel Pinto de Fonseca
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Mattia Preti - Saint James the Greater
Funerary monument of Grand Masters Manoel Pinto
de Fonseca
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Chapel of the langue of Italy
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Chapel of the langue of Italy monument of
grandmaster Gregorio Carafa
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Chapel of the langue of Italy monument of
grandmaster Gregorio Carafa
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Monument of grandmaster Antoine de Paule
Chapel of the langue of Provence
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Stefano Erardi - Adoration of the Magi
Valletta is Europes smallest capital city but
one with an extraordinary history and
extraordinary beauty and Valletta is, in fact,
the first World Heritage City in Europe to become
European Capital of Culture (2018)
The Langue of Germany Chapel
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The Langue of Germany Chapel. Ironic as it may
sound this was the only chapel in St Johns to be
damaged by the Luftwaffe
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The funerary monument of Grand Master
Marc'Antonio Zondadari in the nave of St. John's
Co-Cathedral
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Maybe by Alessandro Algardi (1598-1654)
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Conversion of St. Paul by Mattia Preti
The Baptism of Jesus' by Mattia Preti - Ceiling
fresco
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Whilst in Malta, Caravaggio painted The
Beheading of St John the Baptist and St Jerome
Writing, both of which are preserved at St
Johns Co-Cathedral
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Of great interest in St Johns Co Cathedral is
the Oratory. The painting depicting The Beheading
of Saint John the Baptist (1608) by Caravaggio
(15711610) is the most famous work in the church.
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The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608) by
Caravaggio (15711610)
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Considered one of Caravaggios masterpieces and
the only painting signed by the painter, the
canvas is displayed in the Oratory for which it
was painted. Restored in the late 1990s in
Florence, this painting is one of Caravaggios
most impressive uses of the chiaroscuro style for
which he is most famous with a circle of light
illuminating the scene of St Johns beheading at
the request of Salome.
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The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist It is the
only work by Caravaggio to bear the artist's
signature, which he placed in red blood spilling
from the Baptist's cut throat
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The oratory also houses Caravaggios St Jerome
III (16071608). In December 1984, the painting
was stolen from the St. John's Co-Cathedral. The
canvas was cut out of the frame. Two years later,
following numerous telephone negotiations between
the thieves and the then Director of Museums in
Malta and Gozo, Fr. Marius J. Zerafa, the
painting was recovered. The masterpiece was
damaged and needed restoration before it was put
on display again
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Text Internet Pictures Sanda Foisoreanu
Gabriela Cristescu Internet
All copyrights belong to their respective owners
Presentation Sanda Foisoreanu
2017
Sound Andrew Cauchi - Bil-qawwa ta'
mhabbtek (With the power of your love)
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National Museum of Fine Arts
Valletta
Valletta
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Valletta
The Grandmasters Palace
Valletta
St John's Co-Cathedral