Description of the attraction
The Church of Our Lady the Victorious is located just meters from the City Gate of Valletta. To see this temple, you need to go through a small square just outside the gate and turn right behind it. The church is opposite another famous local church, dedicated to St. Catherine.
According to historical chronicles, the Church of Our Lady of the Victorious is considered the first temple to appear on the territory of the capital of Malta. Moreover, local guides assure that it was with the construction of this church that the city of Valletta began. Back in 1565, the Grand Master of the Order, Jean Parisot de La Valette, celebrating the victory over the Turkish army, decided to build a small chapel here. The first stone in its foundation was laid in 1566. Under it were subsequently discovered commemorative medals and a letter for the next generations, where the date of the beginning of the construction of the church is indicated. The temple was erected by architects Francesco Laparelli and Girolamo Cassar. For a decade, until the construction of St. John's Cathedral, the Church of Our Lady the Victorious was the main one in the capital. Here Grand Master La Vallette found his last rest. As you know, then his remains were transferred to the Cathedral of Valletta.
In 1699, during the reign of Grand Master Ramon Perellos y Roccafula, the apse of the church was enlarged. In 1716, Perellos invited the Maltese artist Alessio Erardi to paint the temple's ceiling. There were depicted scenes from the life of the Most Holy Theotokos. This work was completed two years later. In 1752, the sacristy, the bell tower and the priest's house were expanded. The façade has acquired a magnificent baroque look. A bronze bust of Pope Innocent XII is installed on the facade. In the second half of the 18th century, in addition to the existing altars of St. John the Baptist and St. Paul, two other altars were installed in the church.
