St Augustine Church () is one of the churches built during the creation of the new city of

Valletta Valletta ( ; , ) is the capital city of Malta and one of its 68 Local councils of Malta, council areas. Located between the Grand Harbour to the east and Marsamxett Harbour to the west, its population as of 2021 was 5,157. As Malta’s capital ...

Malta Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...

Description

The foundation stone was laid in 1571 according to the plan and guidance of

Girolamo Cassar Girolamo Cassar (, 1520 – 1592) was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1567. He was involved in the construction of Valletta, initially as an ...

, architect of the

Knights of St John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem, commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), is a Catholic military order. It was founded in the crusader Kingdom of Jerusalem in the 12th century and had headquarters there u ...

. The church was rebuilt in 1765 according to a plan of

Giuseppe Bonici Giuseppe Bonici (1707–1779) was a Maltese people, Maltese architect and military engineer. He held the post of ''Capomastro delle Opere della Religione'' and was the principal architect of the Knights Hospitaller, Order of St. John from 1761 ...

. It was elevated to a parish church in 1968.

St Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berbers, Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia (Roman province), Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced th ...

Hall, adjacent to the church, is part of the original plan of Cassar. The present church was consecrated by

Giovanni Maria Camilleri Giovanni Maria Camilleri (15 March 1843 – 7 November 1924) was a Maltese prelate who became the fourth bishop of Gozo. Life Camilleri was born in Valletta, Malta on March 15, 1843. At the age of 24 he was ordained priest of the Order of S ...

on 1 July 1906. A number of the artefacts found inside the church are originals from the first church. One of these is an important sixteenth-century painting of the Augustinian

Nicholas of Tolentino Nicholas of Tolentino, OSA (, c. 1246September 10, 1305) known as the "Patron of Holy Souls", was an Italian Catholic Christian mysticism, mystic who is invoked as an advocate for the souls in Purgatory, especially during Lent and the month of ...

depicted by the artist

Mattia Preti Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Life Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Ca ...

. This is found in the chapel of the same saint. In the first chapel to the left, there is a painting of the Augustinian

John of Sahagun John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second Ep ...

who was born in

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

in 1430. It is from the school of Preti and some of its figures can be found depicted on the ceiling of St John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Beneath it there is a small painting of

Our Lady of Grace Our Lady of Grace is a Titles of Mary, Title of Mary. The feast day associated with this title is February 7. The title of Our Lady of Grace is venerated in many countries throughout the world under various aspects. Many parishes, churches, and sc ...

, undated and unsigned, also from the first church. The church is renowned for the statue of

St. Rita Rita of Cascia, OSA (born Margherita Ferri Lotti; 1381 – 22 May 1457), was an Italian widow and Augustinian nun. After Rita's husband died, she joined a small community of nuns, who later became Augustinians, where she was known both for pr ...

. Her feast is celebrated in May with a procession with her statue in the streets of Valletta. The church building is listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...

References

External links

''Website of the church''''MEPA''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Augustin Church, Valletta Religious organizations established in the 1570s 1571 establishments in Malta Buildings and structures in Valletta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Augustinian churches in Malta Roman Catholic churches completed in 1794 18th-century Roman Catholic church buildings in Malta

Description

See also

References

External links