Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus
| Church of St Mary of Jesus | ||
|---|---|---|
Knisja ta' Ġieżu | ||
Style Baroque and Mannerist | | |
| Administration | ||
| Archdiocese | Malta | |
| Clergy | ||
| Archbishop | Charles Scicluna | |
| Rector | Joe Caruana | |
The Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus (Convent of the Minori Osservanti) is a church in
History
In 1571 the Friars Minor were granted a piece of land in Valletta on which to build a church. Work began shortly afterwards, following the design of Girolamo Cassar.[2] The façade was replaced in 1680 by Mederico Blondel. Numerous grandmasters contributed lavishly towards the embellishment of the church which now hosts various works of art.
The church is the location of the Carnival tragedy of 1823, when many boys were crushed to death in a corridor of the building while waiting to receive bread.
Description
The main attraction is undoubtedly the impressive Miraculous Crucifix (in Maltese: Il-Kurċifiss Mirakuluż),[3] by the Sicilian friar Innocenzo da Petralia Sottana around 1630. It immediately attracted the attention of the people.[4] Accompanying the crucifix is a painting of Our Lady of Sorrows by Stefano Erardi.
The titular painting is the work of the Sicilian artist Antonio Catalano. It is dated 1600 and depicts the Visitation of Our Lady to
The first victim of the
The church hosts the grave of Blessed Nazju Falzon (1813–1865), a diocesan cleric greatly venerated by the Maltese, who taught Catholic catechism to British sailors stationed in Malta.
The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[6]
See also
- Culture of Malta
- History of Malta
- List of Churches in Malta
- Religion in Malta
References
- ^ "Thousands visit Ta' Ġieżu crucifix exposed on main altar". Times of Malta. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ "Origins of popular Valletta church go back 450 years". 23 May 2021.
- ^ "Miraculous CrUcifix to be restored through BOV's support" (PDF). www.um.edu.mt. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 23 June 2020.
- ^ "Of faith and history". Times of Malta. 7 April 2020.
- ^ Bonnici, E. (2015). "Il-flaġell tal-pesta f'Malta fl-1813" (PDF). Għaqda Każin Banda San Filep, A.D. 1851. Ħaż-Żebbuġ: 257–268.
- ^ "Church of the Madonna of Jesus" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.[dead link]
External links
