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Francesco Zahra
Francesco Vincenzo Zahra ( mt, Franġisk Żahra, 15 December 1710 – 19 August 1773) was a Maltese painter who mainly painted religious works in the Neapolitan Baroque style. His works may be found in many churches around the Maltese Islands, as well as in some private collections and museums. He is considered to be the greatest painter from 18th-century Malta. Biography Zahra was born in Senglea, as the son of the stone carver Pietro Paolo Zahra and Augustina Casanova. His exact date of birth is not known, but he was baptised at the Senglea parish church on 15 December 1710. Little is known of Zahra's early life, but he likely received a good education. Zahra's career as an artist lasted for four decades, and he came to be considered as the greatest painter from Malta of the 18th century. He painted in the Baroque style and was strongly influenced from the art scene of Naples. Zahra's works include many religious paintings, including altarpieces or other large paintings for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Senglea
Senglea ( mt, L-Isla ), also known by its title Città Invicta (or Civitas Invicta), is a fortified city in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is one of the Three Cities in the Grand Harbour area, the other two being Cospicua and Vittoriosa, and has a population of approximately 2,720 people. The city's title Città Invicta was given because it managed to resist the Ottoman invasion at the Great Siege of Malta in 1565. The name Senglea comes from the Grand Master who built it Claude de la Sengle and gave the city a part of his name. While Senglea is the 52nd most populated locality on the island, due to its incredibly small land area, it is the 2nd most densely populated locality after Sliema. History During the time of the Knights of St. John, Senglea was also used as a hunting area, and was known as ''L'Isola di San Giuliano''. In 1311 St. Julian's church or chapel was founded in Isola. This was the first building to be constructed on what later became Senglea. On 8 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cathedral Of The Assumption, Gozo
The Cathedral of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven ( mt, Katidral ta' Santa Marija Assunta) is a Roman Catholic cathedral in the Cittadella of Victoria in Gozo, Malta. The cathedral is dedicated to the Assumption of Mary, and it has been the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gozo since the formation of the diocese in 1864. History The Cittadella was initially a pre-historic settlement and later a Roman temple dedicated to Juno was developed, and the remains of this temple existed until the present day as part of the cathedral. Following the Christianization of Malta and Gozo, the temple was converted into a church dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Later on, Byzantine church was probably built on the site of the temple, until it was destroyed while Malta was under Arab rule. Following the expulsion of the Arabs, another church was built. The earliest reference of a parish church within the Cittadella dates back to 1299, and it was enlarged over the course ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Collegiate Church Of St Paul, Rabat
The Basilica of St Paul is a Roman Catholic Parish church located in Rabat, Malta. History The church is built on part of the site of the Roman city ''Melite'', which included all of Mdina and a large part of present-day Rabat. There were numerous churches built on the site of the present church which dates from the 17th century. In 1336 bishop Hilarius refers to the church as ecclesia Sancti Pauli de crypta, and also mentions the cemetery and the Roman ditch. The present church was built to replace a church which was completed in 1578. The new church was built with funds provided by the noble woman Guzmana Navarra on plans prepared by Francesco Buonamici. The church building commenced in 1653 was completed by Lorenzo Gafà in 1683. Annexed with the church of St Paul is a smaller church dedicated to St Publius which was rebuilt in 1692 and again in 1726 by Salvu Borg. The church was elevated to a Minor Basilica in 2020. The Grotto Entrance to the grotto is through the church o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parish Church Of St George, Qormi
The Church of St George is a 16th-century baroque Roman Catholic parish church located in Qormi, Malta. History The parish of St George is one of the 12 parishes mentioned in the rollo of Bishop Senatore de Mello in 1436. The church structure was built three times. The original parish church was demolished and a larger one was built on the same site in the mid-15th century. The church was then reconstructed in a larger form around 1585. The dome was added in 1684 on designs by Lorenzo Gafà. The church was consecrated on May 6, 1731. The church was elevated to the status of Collegiate church on 30 June, 2019. Works of art The church is the home of the last work by Mattia Preti depicting the martyrdom of St George. In the background of this painting one can see a young St George on horseback in the act of killing the dragon to save the princess. The details is the same as the St george that Preti had executed for the Chapel of Aragon in St John’s Co-cathedral in Valletta V ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Church Of The Nativity Of Mary, Naxxar
The Church of the Nativity of Mary is a Roman Catholic baroque parish church located in Naxxar, Malta. History The Naxxar parish church was one of the 10 parishes, total of 12 when including the parishes of Mdina Cathedral and St Lawrence's church in Birgu, found to be existing by Bishop Senatore De Mello in 1436 and the villages of Mosta and Għargħur were subject to it. De Mello listed it as one of the 12 parishes of Malta and it was the first parish dedicated to Our Lady after that of the old cathedral in Mdina. In 1575, the parish of Naxxar had under its control a total of 36 churches – 14 in Naxxar, 5 in Għargħur, 12 in Mosta and 5 in the neighbourhood of these villages. The present church was built between 1616 and 1630 when there were 1200 inhabitants in Naxxar and it was felt that a larger church was needed. The design was made by Tommaso Dingli, one of the leading architects of the time. The parish priest was Father Gakbu Pace. The choir and the area around it wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rotunda Of Mosta
The Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady ( mt, Santwarju Bażilika ta' Santa Marija), commonly known as the Rotunda of Mosta ( mt, Ir-Rotunda tal-Mosta) or the Mosta Dome, is a Roman Catholic parish church and Basilica in Mosta, Malta, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was built between 1833 and the 1860s to neoclassical designs of Giorgio Grognet de Vassé, on the site of an earlier Renaissance church which had been built in around 1614 to designs of Tommaso Dingli. The design of the present church is based on the Pantheon in Rome, has the third largest unsupported dome in the world and is Malta's largest and most famous church. The church narrowly avoided destruction during World War II when on 9 April 1942 a German aerial bomb pierced the dome and fell into the church during Mass, but failed to explode. This event was interpreted by the Maltese as a miracle. History Although Pietro Dusina recorded Mosta as a parish in his 1575 pastoral visit, the town actual ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Parish Church Of Our Lady Of Pompei, Marsaxlokk
The Church of Our Lady of Pompei is a Roman Catholic parish church located in the fishing village of Marsaxlokk in Malta. history The parish of Marsaxlokk was established when fishermen started to build houses near the sea coast in order to save time on travelling. Thus at the end of the 19th century it was decided to build a church that would minister to the spiritual needs of the fishermen and their families. Prior to becoming a parish, Marsaxlokk was part of the parish of Żejtun. The construction of the church started in 1890. It was built as a fulfilment of a promise made by Marquess Rosalia Apap Viani Testaferrata after she was saved from a violent storm at sea. The church was originally built in a rectangular form with the designs attributed to Dun Ġużepp Diacono. Marsaxlokk became an independent parish in 1897. The first parish priest was Reverend Salv Delia. In the 1900s the church was enlarged altering the shape to that of a Latin cross with the addition of east en ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Our Saviour's Church, Lija
Our Saviour's Church or more formally The Parish Church of the Transfiguration of Jesus is a Roman Catholic Baroque Parish church located in the village of Lija, Malta. History The parish of Lija was created on February 6, 1594. The cornerstone for the church was laid by Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri on May 20, 1694. The church was built on designs made by Giovanni Barbara and was finished by July 1702. The church was completely finished in 1782 and blessed by Bishop Vincenzo Labini on July 25, 1782. Interior The interior of the church is modelled on the Tuscan order with traces of Doric order. The titular painting depicts the Transfiguration of Jesus and is the work of Mattia Preti dating from 1698. The same artist also painted two works depicting St Luke and St Matthew, respectively. Other notable works include Our Lady of the Rosary by Alessio Erardi dating from 1702. There are also works by Francesco Zahra Francesco Vincenzo Zahra ( mt, Franġisk Żahra, 15 December 1710 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
St Mary's Church, Gudja
The Archpresbyterial and Archmatrix Church of the Assumption of Mary also simply known as St Mary's Parish Church is a Baroque Roman Catholic parish church serving the village of Gudja, in Malta. History The parish of Bir Miftuħ, part of present-day Gudja, was one of the medieval parishes mentioned in the report by Bishop Senatore de Mello in 1436. The parish church was that of St Mary's Bir Miftuħ. After the population of the village grew it eventually moved away from the medieval centre. Consequently, the present Parish church of St Mary was built in 1656 on plans by Thomas Dingli. Construction was completed by 1666. The church was consecrated on December 11, 1785. In 1858 a third bell tower was added. In fact it is the only church in Malta with three bell towers. The third tower differs from the two original baroque towers. It was built in the Neoclassical style on plans by William Baker, hence the tower's name as the William Baker Tower. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
St Mary's Church, Għaxaq
The Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary is a Baroque Roman Catholic parish church located in the village of Għaxaq, Malta. History Records show that since 1511, a church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary stood where the current church stands today. When Għaxaq became an independent parish in 1626, the church became the parish church. The church was modified and enlarged multiple times, notably in 1655. Nonetheless, a new Baroque church was built instead between 1723 and 1760. The new church was consecrated on May 2, 1784. '' |
Church Of St Bartholomew, Għargħur
The Church of St Bartholomew is a Roman Catholic Parish church in the village of Għargħur, Malta. History The original chapel of St Bartholomew, which stood on the site of the present church, was documented by inquisitor Pietro Dusina on his apostolic visit to Malta in 1575. With the growing population of the village, the Bishop of Malta Tomás Gargallo created the new parish of Għargħur. Prior to this the village was part of the parish of Naxxar. Consequently, the parish priest of Naxxar refused to recognise this decision due to financial loss for the Naxxar parish and asked for the decision to create a new parish to be withdrawn. The bishop succumbed to the wishes of the parish priest of Naxxar, the elderly Julian Borg who died in 1610, which year the bishop re-established the parish of Għargħur with Reverend John Baptist Chetcuti as the first parish priest. At first the people used the chapel of St John the Baptist as the parish church however as the population increased ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Basilica Of The Visitation, Għarb
The Basilica of the Visitation is a baroque, collegiate parish church located in the western part of the island of Gozo in the village of Għarb. History Għarb became an independent parish on 29 August 1679 by Bishop Michael Molina. It was the second parish to be established outside Victoria. The first parish church was that of the Visitation located downhill to the present church. The original parish church, also known as ''Taż-Żejt'' is located beside the village cemetery. Since the population of the village grew it was decided to build a bigger church in a more central part of the village. The present church was built between 1699 and 1729. It has an elegant façade which has been compared with Francesco Borromini's Church of Saint Agnes in Piazza Navona, Rome. The church was consecrated on 28 September 1755. The church became the second Collegiate of Gozo on 19 May 1774 and was elevated to the status of a minor Basilica on 28 November 1967. Once the church became a min ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
