About Saint John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta:
Saint John’s Co-Cathedral is a Catholic co-cathedral in Valletta, Malta, dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1573 and 1578, having been commissioned by Grand Master Jean de la Cassière as the Conventual Church of Saint John.
The Knights of Malta, more formally known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), were historically organized into eight “Langues” (or Tongues), which were regional divisions based on the language spoken by the knights.
The Cathedral itself consists of nine eloquently decorated chapels on either side; eight were constructed for each of the langues of the Knights of Saint John, and the ninth is dedicated to Our Lady of Philermos, the other patron saint of the Order.
The floor of St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Malta is a unique “skeleton floor” of nearly 400 inlaid marble tombstones of Knights and officers from the Order of St. John, each featuring their coat-of-arms, epitaphs, and symbols of their status and mortality.
Commissioned by the Knights, these elaborate slabs were created for the Order’s high-ranking members, and while some tombstones were rearranged in the early 1800s, they serve as an artistic and historical testament to the Knights of Malta.
Traveling to Saint John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta:
Address: Triq San Gwann, Il-Belt Valletta, Malta
Tel: +356 2122 0536
Click here for the official website of Saint John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta