St Johns Co Cathedral, Valletta

St Johns Co Cathedral, Valletta

St John's Co-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church built by the Order of St. John in 1572-'77.

St John's Co-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic Church built by the Order of St. John in 1572-'77. Dedicated to the Order's patron Saint John the Baptist, it is a co-cathedral along with the archbishop's cathedral at Mdina. Built in limestone, its Mannerist façade was designed by Girolamo Cassar, and its breathtaking interior is considered to be the pinnacle of high Baroque architecture in Europe.

The gilded and carved stone walls, vaulted ceiling frescoes and side altars with scenes from the life of John the Baptist were done by Mattia Preti. The main altar features a marble 'Baptism of Christ' by Giuseppe Mazzuoli, and there are 9 chapels with rich works of art. Of note is the Chapel of Our Lady of Philermos or Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament which originally contained an icon of Our Lady of Philermos that is now at the National Museum of Montenegro. Other remarkable works of art include Caravaggio's 'The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist' and 'Holy Hieronymus Writing' in the Oratory, Mattia Preti's altarpiece of Saint Joris and the Dragon in the Chapel of Aragon, Stefano Pieri's 'The Riddle of Christ' above the altar of the sacristy, and an important collection of 29 Flemish tapestries. The marble floor is inlaid with a series of tombs of 400 Knights and officers of the Order. The crypt contains the tombs of Grand Masters like Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, Claude de la Sengle, Jean Parisot de Valette, and Alof de Wignacourt.

Admission with audio-guides in 8 languages (Maltese, English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese and Russian) is €10.00 for adults, €7.50 for senior and students, and free for children under 12 years.