St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, is a remarkable example of Baroque art and architecture. Commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière and constructed between 1573 and 1578, it served as the Conventual Church for the Order of St. John. Designed by Girolamo Cassar, the building reflects the Mannerist style on the outside, with twin bell towers and a fortress-like façade inspired by the Order’s militaristic ethos after the Great Siege of 1565.
Inside, the cathedral is a breathtaking celebration of Baroque splendor, thanks to Mattia Preti, who painted the vaulted ceilings and designed the richly carved stone walls. The marble floor is entirely composed of inlaid tombstones of around 400 Knights, including prominent Grand Masters, whose crypts lie below the church.
The cathedral contains nine richly decorated chapels, each devoted to a division or langue of the Order, with funerary monuments, altarpieces, and sculptures. The oratory houses Caravaggio’s masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist (1608), the only signed painting by the artist. His Saint Jerome Writing is also displayed there.
In 1831, Sir Walter Scott called the cathedral “the most striking interior” he had ever seen. During World War II, the church was bombed but survived thanks to the preemptive removal of its treasures. Restoration efforts in the late 20th and early 21st centuries revived its former glory. The cathedral is now a top cultural site in Malta and home to a museum featuring Flemish tapestries, paintings of Grand Masters, and religious relics.
- Address
Triq San Gwann, Il-Belt Valletta, Malta - Web
https://www.stjohnscocathedral.com/ - Visiting Hours
Monday to Saturday from 9:00 am to 16:15 pm - What to see
Caravaggio works, Baroque decoration
