Santa Marija ta 'Bir Miftuħ
Santa Marija ta 'Bir Miftuħ is a chapel near the Maltese town of Gudja and the international airport .
Building history
The chapel, built around 1430, has been redesigned several times over the centuries. In its original form it was probably smaller, it was enlarged in the 16th century. The west facade , which was built at that time, shows Gothic pointed arches, but an acanthus-decorated arch was lost during renovations in the 17th century . In 1942 she suffered war damage.
Structure
The elongated, rectangular building from the 16th century has a slightly sloping roof, which is surrounded by a low parapet . In the center above the entrance there is a three-arched bell carrier, which was added later and whose Baroque shape suggests that it was not built before the 17th century. In contrast, the gargoyles on the right side of the chapel are assigned to the original building stock. In the western gable area there is an oval window opening that allows light to penetrate into the interior of the building. During restoration work, a fresco of the Last Judgment was uncovered on the west side .
use
From 1436 to 1676 Santa Marija ta 'Bir Miftuħ served as a parish church for the surrounding villages. The chapel has been looked after by the Maltese monument protection organization Dín l-Art Ħelwa since 1970 . The Bir Miftuħ International Music Festival has been held here every summer since 1997.
supporting documents
- Chapel of St. Marija ta 'Bir Miftuh. (PDF) In: National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. Sovrintendenza tal-Patrimonju Kulturale, September 27, 2013, accessed on October 13, 2019 .
- Chapel of Santa Marija ta 'Bir Miftuh. In: Heritage Sites managed by Din l-Art Helwa. Dín l-Art Ħelwa (English).
Coordinates: 35 ° 51 ′ 6 ″ N , 14 ° 29 ′ 50.9 ″ E