Church of St Lawrence, Birgu, Malta
St. Lawrence Church is located in Birgu (aka Vittoriosa), one of the Three Cities of Malta. Originally established in 1090 A.D., it was the first parish church of Malta. This early chapel was demolished when a larger church was built in 1508 and subsequently became the Conventual Church of the Order for the Knights of St. John in 1530. Newly elected Grand Masters were sworn into office here before the Order moved to Valletta and erected St. John’s Co-cathedral (more on that in a future post).
Click to enlarge.
Chapel of the Holy Crucifix
I kept returning to this beautiful chapel. The crucifix was brought from Crete in 1657. The icon of the Holy Face in the center of the altar was installed in 1753 and below the altar table are the relics (i.e. bones!) of a Saint placed in 1779.
Saint Lawrence is the patron saint of the poor. When ordered by the Romans to hand over the riches of the church, he instead distributed the property to the indigent and presented a group of poor, crippled, and suffering people saying they were the true treasures of the church. He was subsequently executed and martyred. (Click to enlarge.)
The pulpit is a work of art
The work of local craftsmen in 1890, the pulpit is made of walnut and mahogany, with bronze statues and handrails.
The ceiling is adorned with paintings, including six depicting the life of St. Lawrence. (Click to enlarge.)
A second dome in the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
The original cupola was destroyed in 1941 as a result of WWII bombing. It was rebuilt in 1954 and paintings were completed in 2021 depicting the Great Siege of Malta. (Click to enlarge.)
A replica of the Holy Grail
This replica of the Holy Grail is based on the chalice sent to Valencia Cathedral in Spain by St. Lawrence. It is one of the few chalices the Vatican acknowledges as a possible original.
Afternoon light illuminates the altar. The spectacular canvas painting is The Martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Mattia Preti, 1689. (Click to enlarge.)
Beautiful marble floor tiles
The tiles are in front of the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
The rear of the church is no less magnificent. It contains an organ loft also made by local craftsman and inaugurated in 1880. (Click to enlarge.)
Another angle of the dome. See closeup photo for more information. (Click to enlarge.)
A closeup of the organ
The original organ suffered great damage when the church was bombed during WWII. Manufactured by an Italian firm, it was replaced in 1952,
Details of the golden arches on one side of the church.