Today we ventured to Valletta, Malta’s capital. Valletta is a beautiful, historic city, with much to see. World War II history surrounds the Grand Harbour, architecture dating back to the 1500’s is everywhere, roads suddenly climb and drop off from the main road, and of course religion plays a central role!
The piece de resistance is St John’s Co-Cathedral…the nondescript exterior belies the stunning beauty inside.
St Johns was built by the Knights of Malta between 1573-1578. It’s hard to decide which part of the church is the focal point because virtually every aspect of it captures you. Maybe it’s the nave (main alter) highlighted by the marble sculpture depicting the baptism of Christ by John the Baptiste. A solid silver Sanctuary lamp hangs at the front of the nave, held by two angels. The detail is impressive, everywhere you look.
Every inch is marbled, carved stone, or painted. The marble floor is composed of nearly 400 tombstones of Knights and officers of the Order, and under the church in the Crypt lies the tombs of the grandmasters.
The cathedral contains 9 chapels, 4 to one side of the cathedral, and 5 to the other, each with their own dedication including the French language, the Portuguese language, Spanish language, Grerman language, and so on. As with the main cathedral, each is laden with silver, marble, gold, and period paintings from artists from the various countries.
As ornate and beautiful as the cathedral is, the main attraction is in the oratory, where the painting depicting the beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608) by Caravaggio (1571-1610) hangs. This painting is his most famous work, and the only one bearing his signature. The painting is 5 metres x 3 metres…it is magnificent.
Just on the other side of one of the walls of the oratory hangs another Caravaggio (1607) titled St Jerome Writing.
Walking the city is also an adventure…at each intersection you wonder what the view will be. All of the roads are narrow, which doesn’t prevent the locals from driving through them, as pedestrians walk on very narrow sidewalks, sometimes built as stairs to help you up or down the steep grade.
I could go on forever, but I’ll end with the Grand Harbour. During WWII, Malta was bombed relentlessly, and there came a point where the Maltese people were desperate for supplies. A few large boats were sent to Malta with supplies but only one made it…barely…crippled by attacks but it was tugged into the harbour and was considered a lifeline by the people. The harbour itself is very picturesque, with large forts on three peninsulas. Today, this area is fairly wealthy and adorned by some rather large yachts. This harbour has some personal significance for me, and each time I visit it I envision the crippled supply boat being pulled into the harbour.
Absolutely stunning. Thanks for the detail and so many photos. Love it!
Michael what a beautiful post! I loved the history lesson. St John’s cathedral is unbelievable. I’ll have to make sure my mom is able to access this blog as she will love to read about the Cathedral’s history and see your photos. I love the views of the streets in Valletta…I bet it’s gorgeous at night with those lights all strung up.
Thanks for sharing all the pictures and history. There appears to be a lot of beheading overtones. I hope that you’re all having fun!
Love the photos and tour of Valetta – one of my favorites stops – did you grab a pastizzi too?