St Francis of Assisi Church, Valletta

Church of St Francis of Assisi
Knisja ta' San Franġisk
Church of St Francis of Assisi Location in Malta
35°53′51″N 14°30′39″E
Location	Valletta
Country	Malta
Denomination	Roman Catholic
History
Status	Active
Founded	1598
Dedication	St Francis of Assisi
Architecture
Functional status	Conventual church
Architectural type	Church
Style	Baroque
Completed	1607
Specifications
Number of domes	1
Administration
Province	St Pauls' Franciscan Conventuals Order
Archdiocese	Malta
Clergy
Archbishop	Charles Scicluna
Rector	George Micallef
Vicar(s)	Joseph Bugeja

St Francis of Assisi Church, dedicated to St Francis of Assisi (Maltese: San Franġisk t'Assisi), in Valletta (the capital city of Malta), was built in 1598 and was completed by 1607.^[1]

History

After a few decades, however, the church developed structural defects and in 1681 it was built anew through the "munificence" of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa, whose coat of arms adorns the façade.

Interior of the church

The church was enlarged in the 1920s following plans by Emanuel Borg, which also included a dome. This implied the removal of some of the frescos by Giuseppe Calì, which were replaced with others by Gianni Vella.

However the church still hosts precious works of art including paintings by Mattia Preti, Pietro Gagliardi and Filippo Paladini, as well as the titular statue of St Francis.

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

See also

• Culture of Malta
• History of Malta
• List of Churches in Malta
• Religion in Malta

References

1. Rix, J. (2015). Malta and Gozo. Bradt Travel Guides Malta & Gozo. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 124. ISBN 978-1-78477-025-9. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
2. "Church of St. Francis" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2015. Retrieved 31 October 2015.