The Consecration of Stjohn's Conventual Church in 1578

.. ====~----------~~======~==~==~=-~~~------~~==--~------ 56 I FEBRUARY17,2019 THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA THE SUNDAY TIMES OF MALTA FEBRUARY 17,2019 I 57 -tiFE&·WElLBEING HISTORY This religious procession, led by the prior of St John's, shows the earliest known depiction of the church of St John. It is a frontispiece to Grand A presumed likeness of Gerolamo Cassar, the Bishop Mgr Tommaso Gargallo, who was overlooked in the choice of Master Hugues Loubenx de Verdalle's statutes published in 1 584 from an architect of St John's. a prelate to carry out the consecration of StJohn's conventual The fa~ade of StJohn's Co-Cathedral in the 1930s. engraving by Philippus Thommasinus. church. It happened this month The consecration of StJohn's conventual church in 1578 tion of the Knights' conventual Block number 27, near the site of the church in the new city, whose proposed Holy Infirmary (the hospi defences were still under construc tal of the Order), which is now the tion. It was decided that the new Mediterranean Conference Centre. It JOSEPH church would also include an adjoin was then realised that the bell-ringing F. GRIMA ing residence for the Grand Prior, would disturb the hospital patients who was the Order's foremost chap and that the site was out of the way lain, some rooms for the conventual and not in a central position. StJohn's floodlit portal. Under the balcony, there are the coats-of arms of the Order of StJohn and Grand Master Jean de Cassiere together with those of the then chaplains (as the Order's priests The next site chosen was in Block reigning Pope, Gregory XIII, in the centre. Two marble inscriptions under them record the dates of the building and the consecration of the church. Right: An were known), and an enclosed space number 3, which was almost in the anonymous painting depicting the fa~ade of StJohn's during the magistracy of Grand Master Lascaris (1636-57). After the great victory of 1565, the for a graveyard. centre of the new city. Because of its OrderofStJohnproceeded with the However, four years went by before elevation and central position, it was building of the new city of Valletta. the building actually started. It really realised that this site was better situ Grand Master de Cassiere insisted Its ornamentation, which had not was to be officiated by the clergy of originated from this event. Instead, During their sojourn in Vittoriosa began on the initiative of the French ated for the most important church on the exchange of the two sites and yet been undertaken, belongs to a later Malta. This deed has remained one of on September 17, 1577, de Cassiere between 1530 and 1571, the Order GraQd Master de Cassiere, of whom of the Order. a deed of transfer was drawn up and age. St John's, in fact, has been the cornerstones of the local Church's obtained an apostolic brief by had made use of that city's parochial Bartholomeo dal Pozzo, a historian of signed in front of Notary Placido described as "one of the strangest and arguments to prove the Maltese which the function of the consecra church of StLawrence for their spir the Order, wrote: "... in the midst of the Abela on June 23, 1572. The site had yet one of the most impressive Curia's ownership of StJohn's. tion of StJohn's was delegated to itual needs but this was only a tem din of Turkish weapons and of civil "The Grand Master a length of 25 canes along Strada San churches in Christendom". However, But de Cassiere went even further Mgr Ludovico de Torres, Arch porary solution. As one might clashes within the Order, inflamed by Giacomo (now Merchants Street) by one must keep in mind that Cassar's than just constructing the church. On bishop of Monreale in Sicily. expect, the Knights included the his religious zeal and piety, he started laid down that 17 canes along Strada del Monte (now 'clients', the Knights of StJohn, had a December 20,1578, he endowed it At the beginning of February 1578, erection of a conventual church in its building in 1573". StJohn's Street). military background which is reflected with his personal possessions so that two galleys of the Order of St John their building programme. Indeed, de Cassiere was a gallant .should the Order According to an inscription on the in the severity of a fat;ade, which it would always be properly officiated were at Syracuse to ferry Mgr de Tor Grand Master Jean de Valette (1557- warrior who had distinguished him- · main door of the church, the founda resembles a fortress. and served. This endowment con res to Malta. The prelate arrived on the 68) did not live to see the completion self in the 1552 assault on Zouara in relinquish the tion stone was laid on November 1, On the other hand, the Order's sisted in lands he had bought from island on February 5, and, 15 days later of the city that bears his name, and the North Africa where he saved the 1573, but no description of this event langues vied with each other to embel Giovanni Paolo Haius (the modern - on February 20 - the new church transfer of the Order from Vittoriosa colours of the Order from the enemy. Maltese islands in has come to light, at least so far. Work lish their principal church, thus lead Agius), the spolium he had inherited was solemnly consecrated with the to Valletta was carried out during the He attained the rank of Marshal of the seems to have proceeded at a rather ing to its Oater) extraordinary sump from Don Luca Xara; dean of the title of 'The Major Conventual and magistracy to his successor, Pietro del Order (reserved for the French the future, the brisk pace because the same inscrip tuousness of carved stone and Cathedral, and half the goods Parochial Church of the Gerosolimitan Monte (1569-72), who decreed but did Langue of Auvergne) and enjoyed a tion further states that the building paintings. This mother church of the assigned to him by a papal brief from Order, dedicated to StJohn the Baptist'. not build a conventual church. Its high reputation in Malta and abroad. church was to be was completed on June 22,1577. Order's is credited with being Cassar's the possessions of Matteo Falzon, a A marble table on the exterior of the erection was left to his successor, Jean His later troubles with members · The church was constructed to the most impressive building. condemned heretic. main portal records the event. The Levesque Jean de Cassiere (1572-81), of the Order were to lead to his dep officiated by the designs and under the direction of De Cassiere foresaw that the Order But before this endowment could new church was immediately sub whose magistracy witnessed the osition but he was eventually rein the well-known Maltese architect might have to depart from the island be carried out, the church was con jected to the Holy See and enjoyed epis building of most of the important stated and vindicated by the Pope. clergy of Mcillta" Gerolamo (or Geronimo) Cassar. A as, indeed, they had in the past been secrated. Unfortunately, de Cas copal privileges. public edifices of Valletta. The conven Indeed, he was high-handed and Spanish influence is apparent on the forced to relinquish their positions in siere did not entrust the consecra tual church, naturally named after the autocratic in his methods but there However, the site had already been fat;ade with its twin towers and man the Holy Land and Rhodes. Therefore, tion to the bishop-elect, the fiery Dr Joseph F. Grima is a former casual Order's patron saint, St John the is no question of his sincere motives allocated free of charge to the broth nerist details. Its rectangular inte in the foundation deed of the conven Catalan Fra Tommaso Gargano, lecturer in History and Assistant Direc Baptist, was solemnly consecrated on and religious zeal, a primary exam ers Angelo and Manoli Metaxi (or rior resembles the Order's conven tual church, signed in front of Notary who had not yet been consecrated tor of Education whose publications February 20, 1578. ple being the building of StJohn's Metaux), two priests from Rhodes of tual church in Rhodes, with a barrel Matteo Briffa on November 23, 1577, bishop. This decision has, in fact, include Zmien il-Kavallieri f'Malta When the Order was still residing whose cost he bore personally. The the Greek Eastern rite, who had vault spanning the nave which is the Grand Master laid down that led to the acceptable assumption 1530-1798 and The Fleet of the Order Scipione Pulzone de Gaeta's portrait of Grand Master Jean de Cassiere housed in at Vittoriosa, the Chapter-General of first site earmarked for the conven already been working on the building flanked by side chapels whose walls should the Order relinquish the Mal that the future troubles between of Malta-Its Organisation during the the sacristy of StJohn's Co-Cathedral, Valletta. 1569 decreed in November the erec- tual church was in the area known as of a Greek church for t uttwoyears. serve as buttresses. tese islands in the future, the church the grand master and bishop Eighteenth Century. ---------~-------- ---------- ------ - -------- - --- ---- - - - -- -- .. ' .

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