Santa Cecilia Chapel

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The Santa Cecilia Chapel from the back with the Santa Cecilia Tower in the background

The Santa Cecilia Chapel ( Maltese Il-Kappella ta 'Santa Ċeċilja or Il-Kappella ta' Santa Ċilja ) is a former Roman Catholic chapel within the parish limits of Għajnsielem on Gozo in Malta , which was dedicated to Saint Cecilia of Rome . The chapel was built around 1540, but de-dedicated in 1644 and converted into an outbuilding for the nearby Santa Cecilia Tower .

It is the only remaining construction of a medieval chapel on Gozo; it was badly damaged in an arson in 2007 and partially collapsed in 2008. The chapel was then handed over to the non-governmental organization Wirt Għawdex , which restored the building between 2008 and 2011. Since its inauguration in 2012, the restored chapel has been open to the public once a month.

history

The neighboring Santa Cecilia Tower was built in 1613.

The exact year of construction of the Santa Cecilia Chapel is unknown, but it is believed that the chapel began around 1540. The area around the chapel was referred to in official documents from 1424 and 1569 as Santa Cecilie del Mugiarro or in variants thereof. In the present, it says on Maltese ta 'Santa Ċeċilja or ta' Santa Cilja . The oldest mention of the building itself goes back to a pastoral visit by Bishop Baldassare Cagliares in 1615.

In 1613 the knight Fra Bernardo Macedonia built a tower nearby, which derives its name from the chapel. In 1630 the chapel was described as in good condition, but in 1635 the structure was in disrepair and in 1644 the chapel was de-dedicated. The chapel then became an outbuilding for the tower and may have temporarily housed a mule-powered mill.

The chapel and tower were classified as Grade 1 Monument in 1996 and the following year the owners of the structure were expropriated, but the notice was not enforced due to a dispute over compensation. The chapel therefore remained an animal shed and warehouse until the early years of the 21st century. In August 2007, vandals set the interior of the building on fire, causing irreparable damage. Part of the western wall and some roof beams collapsed as a result of heavy rainfall in January 2008.

The memorial stone commemorates the inauguration of the restored chapel in 2012.

Stabilization measures were then taken and in the course of the year the chapel was handed over to the NGO host Għawdex . The renovation work lasted until 2011, and the building was inaugurated on March 24, 2012. The restoration work was carried out by Wirt Għawdex and the Ministry for Gozo, financial aid was also provided by the Baron Group of Companies and the Rotary Club of Gozo. The chapel has been converted into an event building for cultural events, including readings, exhibitions and concerts.

The building will continue to be managed by Wirt Għawdex and is open to the public free of charge on the last Saturday of the month from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The building is now also listed in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands .

architecture

The Santa Cecilia Chapel has a simple floor plan. It is a typical example of vernacular Maltese architecture from the late Middle Ages. It is the best preserved single-nave chapel in Malta, as it was once common on the islands of the archipelago. It is the only surviving medieval chapel on Gozo.

The building has an almost exactly square floor plan, measuring approximately 7 m × 7 m. The gable roof is slightly inclined. The chapel is built of locally broken limestone , with the front made of hewn stone and the other sides made of uncut broken stone. The floor of the chapel is about a meter below the surrounding area, so that three steps lead down from the entrance. The interior consists of four bays and the roof is supported by three stone arches. A small window above the door is the only source of natural light inside the building, apart from the front door.

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b A True Labor of Love…… the restoration of the Santa Cecilia Chapel . Gozo Tourism Association. October 23, 2012. Archived from the original on March 14, 2016.
  2. ↑ Joseph Caruana: Toponimi tGħajnsielem 1 Archived from the original 2016 on 18 April (PDF): L-Imnara . 9, No. 4, 2011.
  3. ↑ a b c d e Santa Cecilia Medieval Chapel . Archived from the original on June 30, 2016.
  4. ↑ a b Il-kappella ta 'Santa Ċeċilja ~ Għajnsielem, Għawdex ~ ( Maltese ) Archived from the original on August 4, 2016.
  5. ↑ Fire at St. Cecilia Chapel, Gozo (PDF) August 24, 2007. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016.
  6. ^ Part of medieval chapel collapses . In: The Times of Malta , January 13, 2008. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. 
  7. ↑ a b Belated lifeline promised for medieval chapel . In: The Times of Malta , January 20, 2008. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. 
  8. ↑ Ancient Gozo chapel restored at last . In: The Times of Malta , January 25, 2010. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. 
  9. ↑ St Cecilia chapel restored . In: The Times of Malta , March 18, 2012. Archived from the original on August 8, 2016. 
  10. ^ Opening Times . Archived from the original on June 30, 2016.
  11. ↑ St. Cecilia Chapel (PDF) March 30, 2012.

literature

  • David Mallia: The Church of St Cecilia on the Island of Gozo . Host Għawdex, Malta 2012, ISBN 978-99957-0212-0 .

Web links

Commons : Santa Cecilia Chapel  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Coordinates: 36 ° 1 ′ 43 "  N , 14 ° 16 ′ 25.7"  E