Church of St Anne, Fort St Elmo

This article is about the church built in the 18th century. For the nearby chapel built between the 15th and 17th centuries, see Chapel of St Anne, Fort St Elmo.
Church of St Anne
Knisja ta' Sant'Anna
The church in 2015
Map
35°54′6.7″N 14°31′8.6″E / 35.901861°N 14.519056°E / 35.901861; 14.519056
LocationFort St Elmo, Valletta, Malta
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusChurch
DedicationSaint Anne
Architecture
Functional statusDeconsecrated
StyleBaroque
Completed1720s
Specifications
MaterialsLimestone

The Church of St Anne (Maltese: Knisja ta' Sant'Anna) is a former Roman Catholic church located in Fort Saint Elmo in Valletta, Malta. It was built in the 1720s and it was deconsecrated while the fort was controlled by the British military. The building has been restored and it is now known as the Memorial Building.

History

The church's interior in 2016

The Church of St Anne was built in 1722[1] or 1729 by the Order of St John within Fort Saint Elmo.[2] An earlier chapel with the same dedication has existed nearby since at least the 15th century.[3] The remains of Hospitaller knights who had died defending the fort during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 are reportedly buried inside the chapel.[1]

When Malta was under British rule, the church was deconsecrated and major alterations were made to its interior.[2][4]

The building was restored as part of a rehabilitation project for the entire fort between 2012[5] and 2015.[6] It was initially planned that the former church be converted into a lecture room,[5] but it eventually became a Memorial Building[1] dedicated to people who defended Malta throughout the islands' history,[7] particularly during the two world wars. The memorial includes a remembrance book listing Malta-related World War II casualties and various exhibits including military medals and artworks.[1] At times the building is also used to host temporary exhibitions.[8]

The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[2]

Architecture

The church occupies a prominent position within the fort's main piazza and it has a Baroque façade.[2]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Bugeja, Warren (21 February 2022). "Historic Fort St Elmo chapel transformed into memorial for the war dead". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 21 February 2022. Retrieved 22 February 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d "Church of St. Anne" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 June 2020.
  3. ^ "One World – Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (30)". Times of Malta. 29 July 2008. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020.
  4. ^ Dalli, Kim (22 February 2013). "Restoring St Elmo to its former glory". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b "Fort St Elmo restoration Project given go ahead by MEPA". Gozo News. 15 March 2012. Archived from the original on 16 June 2020.
  6. ^ "Fort comes back to life". Times of Malta. 9 May 2015. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020.
  7. ^ Micallef, Keith (26 March 2014). "Iconic fort is nearly back to former best". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020.
  8. ^ Borg, Coryse (9 April 2019). "A day of discovery and fun at Fort St Elmo". Newsbook.com.mt. Archived from the original on 16 October 2020.

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