Location Valletta Denomination Roman Catholic Status Active Opened 1607 Archbishop Paul Cremona | Country Malta Founded 1598 Functional status Conventual church Dedication Francis of Assisi Architectural type Church | |
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Address Republic St, Valletta, Malta Archdiocese Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta Similar Church of Our Lady of Pilar - Vall, Basilica of St Dominic - Valletta, Franciscan Church of St Mary of, Church of St Lucy - Valletta, Casa del Commun Tesoro | ||
St Francis of Assisi Church, dedicated to St Francis of Assisi (Maltese: San Franġisk t'Assisi), in Valletta (the capital city of Malta), was built in 1598 and was completed by 1607.
History
After a few decades, however, the church developed structural defects and in 1681 it was built anew through the "munificence" of Grand Master Gregorio Carafa, whose coat of arms adorns the façade.
The church was enlarged in the 1920s following plans by Emanuel Borg, which also included a dome. This implied the removal of some of the frescos by Giuseppe Calì, which were replaced with others by Gianni Vella.
However the church still hosts precious works of art including paintings by Mattia Preti, Pietro Gagliardi and Filippo Paladini, as well as the titular statue of St Francis.
The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.