The saying goes that Malta has a church for every day on the calendar, which must be true considering the Maltese skyline anywhere on the Island is dominated by church spires and domes. The most amazing thing about them is that almost each and every one of them is a historical and cultural haven where even the irreligious can enter and feel instantly moved by the sheer beauty of the place and the devout atmosphere it generates.
Churches in Malta are active places of worship and should be treated as such. Even the more popular ones which form part of the nation’s cultural heritage, such as St John’s Co-Cathedral and St Paul’s Church in Valletta, the Cathedral in Mdina, the Mosta Dome, and the Xewkija Church, the Ta’ Pinu Sanctuary and Rabat Cathedral in Gozo are all still primarity places of worship.
But for those who prefer their holy places slightly less commercial, the simple parish churches scattered around the island can be equally fascinating. There are stories and legends to be told, architectural gems to be seen and artistic riches to be appreciated.
In the Three Cities of the Cottonera, you will go to Bormla (Cospicua) and be fascinated by the statue of the Immaculate Conception that is said to have once been the figure-head of an ancient ship’s hull. You will visit Isla (Senglea) and be enthralled by the facial expression of the statue of the Redeemer, for centuries a major source of national devotion. And you will go to Birgu (Vittoriosa) and be captured by the old beauty the Knights’ first conventual church in Malta.
The churches and the numerous wayside chapels all over the Islands are a reflection of the Maltese people’s deep religious roots. Malta and Gozo are gradually but surely leaving their mark on the map of world religious tourism. The moment you go into one of the Churches, you immediately realise why.
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