Church of St Mary Magdalene
Knisja ta' Santa Marija Madalena
The church's façade in 2020
35°54′01.0″N 14°31′03.2″E / 35.900278°N 14.517556°E / 35.900278; 14.517556
LocationValletta, Malta
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
Founded1595
DedicationSt Mary Magdalene
Architecture
Architectural typeChurch
StyleBaroque & Mannerism
Specifications
MaterialsLimestone

The Church of St Mary Magdalene is a Roman Catholic church building in Valletta, Malta. The church, named after Jesus' companion Mary Magdalene, was part of the Magdalene asylum situated adjacent to the church. The church was deconsecrated in the mid 20th century and was blessed again by Bishop Charles Scicluna on 25 February 2015.

History

The church was built around the 1595 as the church of the Magdalene nuns whose convent they had adjacent to the church.[1] While most Magdalene monasteries were not wealthy, Malta's Magdalene sisters were indeed. In 1602 Pope Clement VIII gave the house the rights to one fifth of the goods and estates of deceased prostitutes in Malta. This changed the financial status of the order; it soon became the richest monastery in Malta. The works of the Magdalene nuns ended in 1798 with the arrival of the French who took all the monastery's wealth and properties and disbanded its members.[2] The nuns moved into St Catherine's monastery. The last Magdalene nun died in 1846. The church later served Roman Catholic soldiers stationed in Fort Saint Elmo as well as navy families from the Camerata barracks across the road.[3] In 1941 the monastery was destroyed by air raids during World War II. A primary school was built instead. After this the church was abandoned. The altars of the church were moved to St Catherine's monastery. Later the church of St Mary Magdalene started to serve as a storage garage for carnival floats until 2006. In 2008 the church was cleared and partially restored.[4]

The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[5]

Architecture

The church is square and has a very pain exposed side only containing two windows. The façade is built in a Mannerist style with the central bay set within the square frame of the building. It has three bays on two levels. Inside the church has a baroque style.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "St.Mary Magdalen". Retrieved on 26 October 2014.
  2. ↑ "Magdalene Nuns and Penitent Prostitutes (Valletta)", melitensia.blogspot., Malta. Retrieved on 26 October 2014.
  3. ↑ Scerri, Louis. "A convent for fallen women", Times of Malta, Malta, 23 March 2014. Retrieved on 26 October 2014.
  4. ↑ "One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (65) Church of St Mary Magdalene", Times of Malta, Malta, 30 December 2008. Retrieved on 26 October 2014.
  5. ↑ "Church of Mary Magdalene" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
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