St Paul's Pro-Cathedral
| St Paul's Pro-Cathedral | |
|---|---|
| Il-Pro-Katidral ta' San Pawl | |
|
St Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Valletta | |
| 35°54′1.2″N 14°30′41.5″E / 35.900333°N 14.511528°E | |
| Location | Valletta |
| Country |
 Malta |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | www.anglicanmalta.org |
| History | |
| Dedication | St. Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Pro-cathedral |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | William Scamp |
| Style | Neo-classical |
| Groundbreaking | 1839 |
| Completed | 1844 |
| Specifications | |
| Spire height | 200 ft (61 m) |
| Administration | |
| Archdeaconry | Italy and Malta |
| Diocese | Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe |
| Province | Canterbury |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Robert Innes |
| Chancellor | The Revd Canon Simon Godfrey SSC |
| Chaplain(s) | Fr Jeff Williams |
| Archdeacon | Jonathan Boardman |
| Laity | |
| Organist(s) |
Hugo Agius Muscat, MD MSc Philip Galea |
St Paul's Pro-Cathedral (Malti: Il-Pro katridral ta San Pawl) is an Anglican pro-cathedral situated in Independence Square, Valletta, Malta. A "pro-cathedral", is a church with cathedral status, and is one of three cathedrals of the Anglican Diocese of Gibraltar in Europe.
Origin and construction
The cathedral was commissioned by the Dowager Queen Adelaide during a visit to Malta in the 19th Century when she found out that there was no place of Anglican worship on the island. Built on the site of the Auberge d'Allemagne (the conventual home of the German Knights Hospitaller), the cathedral was designed by William Scamp and was built between 1839 and 1844. Queen Adelaide laid the foundation stone on 20 March 1839 and her banner hangs above the choir stalls.
A Valletta landmark due to its spire rising over 60 metres, it is constructed with Maltese limestone in a neo-classical style. The cathedral has columns with capitals of the Corinthian order while the capitals of the six columns of the portico are of the Ionic order. The internal dimensions of the building are 33.5 metres x 20.4 metres. The Blessed Sacrament is reserved in the Lady chapel located to the left of the pulpit facing the altar. The cathedral's steeple is a landmark on its own being notably visible in the Marsamxett Harbour.[1]
The church building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[2]
Organ
Above the entrance to the cathedral is located the organ that originated in Chester Cathedral in northwest England. The one-manual instrument was built in 1684 by Bernard Smith and is said to have been played by George Frederick Handel while en route to Dublin for the first performance of the Messiah.
Association with British military forces
The oak panels around the High Altar are a memorial to the Allied units which took part in the defence of Malta between 1940 and 1943 and twelve flags hang in the aisles representing amongst others the Royal Air Force, the British Merchant Navy, and the Royal Navy.
See also
References
- ↑ http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20150104/business-news/Valletta-vibrant-city-of-many-styles.550626
- ↑ "St. Paul's Anglican Cathedral" (PDF). National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. 27 August 2012. Retrieved 31 October 2015.
