St John’s Co-Cathedral
St John's Co-Cathedral is a Roman Catholic co-cathedral dedicated to Saint John the Baptist in Valletta, Malta. It was commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière and erected by the Order of St. John between 1572 and 1577 as the Conventual Church of Saint John. The church was designed by Girolamo Cassar, a Maltese architect who is responsible for some of Valletta's most notable structures. Mattia Preti and other Baroque artisans redecorated the interior in the 17th century. The church's interior is regarded as one of Europe's most beautiful examples of high Baroque architecture.
The church's facade was designed in architect Girolamo Cassar's classic Mannerist style. Its modest front, encircled by two huge bell towers, has a symmetrical design. On two sides, Doric columns support an open balcony from which the Grand Master frequently receives visitors on special occasions. Two vacant niches may also be seen on the side. The niches and columns contrast with the remainder of the Mannerist architecture on the outside. Overall, the exterior of St. John's Co-Cathedral is austere and fortress-like, reflecting both Cassar's military engineering style and the spirit of the Order in the years after the Great Siege of Malta in 1565.
In stark contrast to the front, the inside of the church is exceedingly opulent. The interior of St. John's Co-Cathedral was heavily adorned during the Baroque period by Mattia Preti, a Calabrian artist, and knight. Preti created beautifully carved stone walls as well as painted domed ceilings and side altars depicting scenes from John the Baptist's life. The designs on the ceiling adjacent to each column were intended to be regarded as three-dimensional sculptures, but closer examination reveals that the artist effectively generated the illusion of three-dimensional space by using your ball and location. It's also worth noting that the engravings are all done on-site rather than being carved separately and then mounted on a mortar wall.
St. John's Co-Cathedral is a short walk from the bus terminus near the City Gate in central Valletta. The primary entrance of the church is on St John's Square, although the visitor's entrance is on Republic Street, opposite the Law Court, from Great Siege Square. The church is open to the public from 10:30 a.m. to 14:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 09:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. Sundays and public holidays are closed. Adults pay €15, students and seniors pay €7.50, and children under the age of 12 pay nothing when accompanied by an adult, and audio tours are provided. Maltese, English, Italian, French, German, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian are all available. And of course, the admission price is waived for those who visit one of the 10 Most Beautiful Historical Sites in Malta just to attend Mass.
