St. Catherine of Italy was built in 1576, the Roman Catholic church of St. Catherine of Alexandria. The temple received its current shape after adding an impressive portico in 1710. The most valuable work of art is the idea of the martyrdom of St. Catherine, whose author is Mattia Preti. The artist gave the painting to the Knights of St. John in 1659 to win the favor of the order. The frescoes on the dome are also his work.
Popular name Catherine of Italy came from the fact that the temple was founded by the Italian Knights of St. John as the "Italian language" church - one of eight language and territorial groups in the ranks of the Maltese Knights. In the vicinity there is the Italian Inn - originally the place of life of the Italian St. John.
The original chapel, designed by Girolamo Cassar, was extended in 1683, and in 1710 it became a presbytery after the construction of the octagonal main nave and portico. Currently, after renovation in 2011, the building has returned to its original function - it is the parish church of the Italian community of Malta.
Attractions inside
