Church of the Immaculate Conception (Msida)

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Exterior view of the church (2017)

The Church of the Immaculate Conception ( Maltese Knisja tal-Kunċizzjoni , English Church of the Immaculate Conception ) is a Roman Catholic church of the Archdiocese of Malta and is located at Triq il-Kunċizzjoni in the Maltese city ​​of Msida on the main island of Malta . It is listed under inventory number 17 in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands .

history

The origins of the church building are said to date back to before the arrival of the Arabs in Malta in 870, when a synagogue stood in the same place . This was removed and a church was built on the foundation walls. A prehistoric hypogeum was also suspected here.

During his visitation trip in 1575, the envoy of the Roman and General Inquisition, Petrus Dusina, found a cave chapel here, which is called " troglodytic " due to its location . At that time the chapel had the patronage “ Our Lady of Perpetual Help ”. It was profaned in 1618 according to canon law , but was re-consecrated in 1636 and enjoyed great veneration among the people of Malta. The front part of the church was renewed in 1648. In 1670 a sacristy was added.

Msida became a subsidiary of Birkirkara in 1835 and its own parish in 1867 . The church served as the parish church until the parish church of St. Joseph was completed in 1894 (according to another source until 1889). Since then, the small church has been dedicated to Perpetual Adoration . In the course of its history, its patronage changed several times.

During the Second World War the church building remained intact.

architecture

Exterior description

As Narthex a simple serves portico of limestone with arcuate input by a triangular gable is crowned. Behind it rises the front wall of the nave , also made of limestone , the only window of which illuminates the interior. A round gable crowns the facade, which is structured by non-fluted pilasters and grooved friezes .

A bell gable carries two small bells above the entrance to the sacristy next to the church .

Inside description

Interior (2017)

The single-nave cave chapel, spanned by a barrel vault and windowless on the sides, gives the impression of a catacomb . The altar stands directly on the straight back wall, there is no apse .

Web links

  • Immaculate Conception Chapel - Msida. In: Planned Projects. Government of Malta, 2012, accessed on November 2, 2019 (English, description of the state of construction and necessary restoration work, as of 2012).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Eric Strijbos, Bonnie Posner: Malta en Gozo . 13th edition. Gottmer Uitgevers Groep, Haarlem 2015, ISBN 978-90-257-6089-2 , section Msida en omgeving (Dutch, limited preview in Google book search [accessed November 2, 2019]).
  2. ^ Mario Buhagiar: Late Roman and Byzantine catacombs and related burial places in the Maltese Islands . BAR, Malta 1986, p. 324 (English).
  3. ↑ a b Knisja tal-Kunċizzjoni / Church of the Immaculate Conception. (PDF; 439 kB) In: National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. Sovrintendenza tal-Patrimonju Kulturale, December 16, 2011, accessed on November 2, 2019 .
  4. ^ Msida: Immaculate Conception Church. Archdiocese of Malta , accessed November 2, 2019 .
  5. ^ Hugh Braun, British Committee on the Preservation and Restitution of Works of Art, Archives, and other Material in Enemy Hands: Works of art in Malta. Losses and survivals in the war . HM Stationery Off., 1946, pp. 18 (English).
  6. ^ Peter R. Hofmann: Underground Malta. An excursion guide to the caves and underground objects of the archipelago . 2011, ISBN 978-3-8448-8327-5 , pp. 20 .

Coordinates: 35 ° 53 ′ 48.4 "  N , 14 ° 29 ′ 16.5"  E