- Address
Triq santa Marija, Il-Gudja, Malta
- Web
https://dinlarthelwa.org/heritage-sites/managed-heritage-sites/chapel-of-santa-marija-ta-bir-miftuh-2/ - Visiting Hours
Almost always closed - What to see
Last Judgement fresco
St. Mary’s Church in Bir Miftuħ, built around 1430, is among the parishes mentioned by Bishop Senatore de Mello in his 1436 report. It originally served as a parish until 1676, when the new Gudja Church became the main parish, mainly due to its central location in the town, while Bir Miftuħ was on the outskirts of present-day Gudja. The parish of Bir Miftuħ encompassed what are today Gudja, Luqa, Ħal Farruġ, Tarxien, Ħal Kirkop, Ħal Safi and Birżebbuġa. Although today they are individual localities with their own parishes, the church of Bir Miftuħ remains a historical testimony to the region.
The church, rectangular in shape and free-standing in construction, was adorned internally with frescoes, some of which have survived to this day. Notable among them is the fresco depicting The Last Judgment, divided into three levels of figures, and another showing God surrounded by angels, the Virgin and Child, St. Peter and St. Paul. Over the centuries, the church experienced times of prosperity and challenges, from the sacking during the Great Siege of Malta in 1565 to the restoration in 1830 by the Marquise Elizabettina Muscat Cassia D’Aurel. Its spiritual importance is underscored by its role as a center of devotion and refuge, highlighting its resilience and relevance in the history of the region.
