Annunciation Chapel of Ħal-Millieri

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Annunciation Chapel of Ħal-Millieri

The Annunciation Chapel of Ħal-Millieri ( Maltese Kappella tal-Lunzjata , English Chapel of the Annunciation ) is a Roman Catholic church building in the Maltese parish of Żurrieq . It is in the district of Ħal-Millieri and is registered in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands under the number 1307. The chapel is a Grade 1 building under monument protection .

history

The chapel was built in the middle of the 15th century and consecrated in 1480. Excavations show that a chapel from the 13th century previously stood on the same site. This chapel has existed in its current form since 1809. The building has been looked after and maintained by Dín l-Art Ħelwa since 1970 .

architecture

Exterior description

Bell gable

The repellent-looking facade shows a gargoyle on the left side and a small, empty bell gable that rises in the middle and is crowned by a cross. Behind the rectangular entrance portal, three steps lead down through a pointed arch into the interior of the chapel.

Adjacent are the remains of an older Annunciation Chapel.

Inside description

The interior forms a single nave and measures around 5 m wide and 7 m long. It is divided into several sections by four transverse arches that arise from pilasters on the side walls. Low stone benches ( dukkiena ) can be found between the pointed arches. To the east, an apse closes off the church interior.

The inner walls, with the exception of the apse, are covered with frescoes depicting life-size saints, identified by Gothic inscriptions and dated to the mid-15th century.

Furnishing

On either side of the western entrance door there are two pictures of St. George that appear to be replicas of each other. These frescoes are possibly copies of those that were in a previous building, as can be deduced from their iconographic findings. This contains both Byzantine and Romanesque elements that are typical for depictions of saints from the 11th and 12th centuries.

literature

  • Mario Buhagiar: The Fresco cycle in the church of the Annunciation at Hal Millieri, Malta: some iconographical and historical considerations. In: Melita Historica 11 (1993) 2, pp. 129-142.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Il-Lunzjata - Hal-Millieri. In: Churches. Żurrieq Municipality, 2014, accessed December 30, 2019 .

Coordinates: 35 ° 50 ′ 21.2 "  N , 14 ° 28 ′ 15.6"  E