Valletta's Baroque Masterpiece: A Morning Visit to St. John’s Co-Cathedral.

Hello @worldmappin community!

Since 1980, UNESCO has recognized the city of Valletta as a World Heritage Site because it is full of history. St. John's Co-Cathedral was considered the jewel of Valletta and one of the famous tourist attractions in the city of Valletta. Aside from being famous and beautiful, it was also majestic and full of history. St. John's Co-Cathedral was the place we will not skip to visit.

It was Saturday morning, another beautiful day of exploring the city. When we wanted to visit the church. Our itinerary before we go home and the main attraction in the city because it was one of the most visited places in Malta.

We woke up early, prepare for ourselves for our church visit and decided to buy our breakfast outside.

We were heading to Jeff's Pastizzeria. It's a popular local favorite in town. They sell fresh, cheap and delicious Maltese pastizzi. We bought some food and continued walking heading to the Cathedral.

We were not in a hurry, we had food in our hands and the streets were starting to become busy.

As we got closer to the Cathedral, I saw people were already outside. The cathedral will open from 9 AM, while waiting we enjoyed our crispy pastizzi.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral looks impressive from the outside.

Before you go inside visitors should remember a few things, the cathedral is a place of worship so dress modestly with your shoulders covered and skirts should be below the knee. Wear flat shoes, no heels because they damage the beautiful marble tombstones on the floor.And taking photos flashes are not allowed.

The moment I stepped inside, my first impression was so amazed. It took my breath away with the beautiful walls, floors and ceilings filled with details. I did not even know where to look first because it was richly decorated it was

Everything was so lavish and every arch had gold. The huge barrel vaulted ceiling was painted by Mattia Preti.

Then the church floor was filled with beautiful marble tombstones and detailed designs.

Every section of the church, from ceiling to floor seemed to tell a story.

One thing I love most about the cathedral was the side chapels. It was decorated with different colors, ornaments and paintings. The details were so incredible and made me realize how much time, work and craftsmanship went into creating these beautiful decorations.

📌St. Michael Archangel by Guido Tenis (Langue of Provence)

Another part of the side chapels was The Chapel of St. Michael. I noticed that each chapel belongs to a different group of knights.

📌One of the most stunning altarpiece in the Chapel of Langue of Auvergne. The painting shows the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

📌The photo shows the Chapel of the Langue of Castile, León and Portugal. Dedicated to Saint James, their Patron Saint.

📌The oratory altar and Caravaggio's masterpiece.The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.

📌The Sacristy.

📌The Adoration of the Magi.

📌The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine.

📌 Conversation of Saint Paul.The painting shows St. Paul falling from his horse on the road to Damascus. And above him was Jesus with the angels. The gold carvings are around it and make it more beautiful.

The Main Altar was so bright and looking up to the altar for a long time it looked so impressive and stunning.

As you can see on the photo, there are two golden organs on both sides. In the middle, a golden cross shining behind it. On top of it, a huge silver lamp hanging with angels. The place made me feel very rich and holy at the same time.

📌 The Baroque Monument of Grand Master Fra' Marc'Antonio Zondadari.

📌The map of St. John's Co-Cathedral that shows what's inside.

My honest opinion??? Overall I was so amazed. I couldn't imagine how simple it was outside but when we went inside, everything was shining with gold. It felt so holy, so rich and peaceful. It shows the faith and power of the persons behind building the cathedral.

My family had a great experience and if you ever go to Malta, don't skip the St. John's Co-Cathedral.

Thanks for reading my blog! 😊 Can't wait to share our next sunset experience in Valletta.

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