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Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, Rabat

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Coordinates: 35°52′59.8″N 14°24′0.2″E / 35.883278°N 14.400056°E / 35.883278; 14.400056
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This article is about the church in Rabat, Malta. For the one in Gozo, see Church of the Nativity of Our Lady (Savina).
Church of the Nativity of Our Lady
Ta' Ġieżu
Il-Knisja ta' Santa Marija ta' Ġesù
Façade of the church
Map
35°52′59.8″N 14°24′0.2″E / 35.883278°N 14.400056°E / 35.883278; 14.400056
LocationRabat
CountryMalta
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusChurch
DedicationNativity of Mary
Dedicated31 October 1790
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Years built1500
1757 (enlarged)
Specifications
MaterialsLimestone
Administration
ArchdioceseMalta

The Church of the Nativity of Our Lady (Maltese: Il-Knisja ta' Santa Marija ta' Ġesù), commonly known as ta' Ġieżu, is a Roman Catholic church in Rabat, Malta. The church was built in 1500 and it was enlarged in 1757. It is adjoined by a Franciscan convent.

History

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The Franciscans opened their first friary in Malta in Rabat, having arrived on the islands in 1492. The church was built some years later in 1500.[1] The first Hospitaller Grand Master in Malta, Philippe Villiers de L'Isle-Adam, had a room in the friary, and he died there in 1534. The room still exists and it has been restored.[2] The church was enlarged in 1757 with the help of contributions from Italy, Spain and Portugal. It was dedicated on 31 October 1790.[1]

Parts of the church and convent were restored in 2003.[3]

The church's frescoed interior

In the early hours of 23 August 2017, two wooden beams which were supporting part of the church's ceiling gave way, leaving a hole and destroying a fresco. Falling debris damaged the marble altar and some benches and light fittings, but no one was injured since the church was empty at the time. The building was closed for some time, although there was no immediate danger of further collapse.[4] The Bank of Valletta has pledged to help in repairing the damage and restoring the church.[5]

A temporary roof was built three weeks after the collapse.[6] Planned permanent repair works initially considered the possibility of building a dome, which was included in the church's original design but was never built,[7] but studies showed that the church's structure was not strong enough to support its weight. The ceiling is to be rebuilt, and the artist Adonai Camilleri Cauchi is to cover a false ceiling under it with new frescoes.[8]

The church is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b Scerri, John. "Rabat". malta-canada.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  2. ^ "Grand Master L'Isle Adam's room open for viewing". Times of Malta. 20 November 2011. Archived from the original on 19 March 2016. Retrieved 23 August 2017.
  3. ^ Fenech, Natalino (5 August 2003). "Builder doing church restoration works recalls building industry's hard times". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  4. ^ Caruana, Claire (23 August 2017). "Rabat people in shock as ceiling collapses over the altar at Ta' Ġieżu church". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  5. ^ Powell, Rachel (23 August 2017). "Il-Bank of Valletta jwiegħed l-appoġġ tiegħu lill-Knisja Ta' Ġieżu". One News. Archived from the original on 23 August 2017.
  6. ^ "New roof in place at Ta' Ġieżu Church in Rabat, three weeks after cave-in". Times of Malta. 13 September 2017. Archived from the original on 13 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Plans for dome to replace collapsed Rabat church ceiling". Times of Malta. 24 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 August 2017.
  8. ^ "Rabat church will not get dome after all". Times of Malta. 9 October 2017. Archived from the original on 3 February 2018.
  9. ^ "No 13. National Inventory Register as per Government Gazette No 19,272 (dated 27 June 2014)". Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017.
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Media related to Church of the Nativity of Our Lady, Rabat at Wikimedia Commons

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