Basilicas in Malta

Basilica of Our Lady of Safe Haven and St. Dominic, Valletta, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius VI in 1816—the first in Malta.

The Basilica is one of three parish churches in Valletta and is administered by the Dominicans. The first church was built in 1571 and staffed by the Dominicans. This church closed in 1780 due to damage from storms and earthquakes. The current Baroque church was built between 1805 and 1815. It has nine domes.

Pictures are from Pinterest and Wikipedia.

Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Leo XIII in 1895.

The Basilica was built between 1958 and 1981 on the site of a previous 16th Century church destroyed during the Second World War. The current neo-Classical church is made of limestone and has been a Carmelite church since the construction of the first building. The Basilica has red marble columns and painted frescoes.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Nativity of Mary or Our Lady of Victories, Senglea, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Benedict XV in 1920.

The Baroque 16th Century church was badly damaged during the Second World War but was restored after the War. It was built in thanksgiving for a successful outcome (for Malta) of the Great Siege of Malta by the Ottoman Turks in 1565. The Basilica has a gilded wooden statue of Mary known as Il Bambina that dates to the early 17th Century. The Basilica also houses many 17th and 18th Century manuscripts.

The first picture is from Dreamstime, the second from the Times of Malta and the last two from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu, Gharb, Gozo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1937.

The origins of the shrine are unknown, but a church has been on this site at least since 1575. Ta’ Pinu means “of Philip.” The current neo-Romanesque church was built between 1920 and 1932 and has six mosaics and 76 stained-glass windows. The bell tower is 200-feet high. Popes John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis have all visited the Basilica.

The first picture is from Flickr and the other two are from Wikipedia.

St. Helen’s Basilica, Birkirkara, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

A church has been on this site since at least 1436. The current baroque Basilica was built between 1727 and 1771.

Pictures from Wikipedia and YouTube.

St. George’s Basilica, Victoria, Gozo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Pius XII in 1958.

The Baroque Basilica was built between 1672 and 1678 and is the most recent of many churches on this site dating 4th Century. The façade was rebuilt in 1818 due to earthquake damage. During the 1930s, the church was enlarged, and the main dome rebuilt. The basilica has several works of art, including two paintings by Mattia Preti, a 17th Century Italian Baroque artist. Much of the interior is marble and gold stucco. There are 11 side chapels.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Peter and St. Paul, Nadur, Gozo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

The limestone basilica was built between 1760 and 1867. The church was renovated in 1907 in an Italian Renaissance design. The ceiling is decorated with paintings depicting the lives of Saints Peter and Paul.

The first two pictures are from a local website and the last is from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, Xaghra, Gozo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

The Basilica was built in a Baroque style between 1815 and 1855, although the dome was not completed until 1892. Construction was delayed for two years because of an outbreak of the bubonic plague, which killed over a hundred residents of Xaghra including the parish priest.

The first picture is from Maltaphotos and the other two are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of the Visitation, Gharb, Gozo

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Paul VI in 1967.

The basilica was built between 1699 and 1729 in a Baroque style reminiscent of Borromini’s Church of St. Agnes in Rome.

The first picture is from Flickr and the second from Wikipedia.

Sanctuary Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady, Mosta, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2018.

The Neoclassical church was built between 1833 and the 1860s to replace a 17th Century church. The church is the largest in Malta and has one of the largest unsupported domes in the world. During the Second World War, a German bomb pierced the dome and entered the church just before Mass was about to begin. The bomb did not explode, and a replica of the bomb is now displayed in the church.

All pictures are from Wikipedia.

Basilica of St. Paul, Rabat, Malta

Declared a minor basilica by Pope Francis in 2020.

The limestone Basilica is located on a site on which churches have stood for hundreds of years. The current church was built between 1653 and 1683 in a Baroque style. Near the Basilica is a grotto thought to be where St. Paul lived for three months in 60 A.D. The grotto has been visited by the last three Popes.