St. George's Basilica, Malta

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St George's Basilica is situated in the middle of Victoria, the ancient 'Haġar' - the capital of Gozo, the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago, and is surrounded by a maze of charming old narrow streets and alleys. The basilica was built between 1672 and 1678.

The parish originated in Byzantine times, but it is documented in manuscript sources only in c. 1250, when it is recorded functioning as a parish church. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 7 August 1672 and it was consecrated on 21 September 1755. At the time it was the largest Christian church on the island. On 6 September 1958 the church was bestowed the title of Basilica and on 8 December 1976 it became a Pontifical Collegiate Church, with the diocesan bishop as its Dean, aggregated to the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint John Lateran of Rome.

This parish church is rightly referred to as "the golden church". It is entirely covered with marble and gold stucco. The bronze and gold guilded canopy over the high altar is indeed impressive, but the main attraction is the wooden statue of the patron saint, St George, sculpted in wood by Pietru Pawl Azzopardi in 1838. It is the first titular statue acquired by a parish church in Gozo. Modern-style artistic bronze portals designed by Gozitan artist John Grima and cast in Verona, Italy, were installed in 2004.

All paintings in the dome and ceiling are by Giovanni Battista Conti of Rome. Mattia Preti, Giuseppe Calì, Michele Busuttil, Giuseppe Fenech, Francesco V. Zahra, Fortunato Venuti, Injazju Cortis, Ramiro Calì, Filippo Cosimo, Giuseppe D'Arena, Salvatore Bondì, Robert Dingli and Stefano Erardi are other famous artists whose works can be admired in the basilica and its annexes.

The liturgical feast of St George Martyr, protector of the island of Gozo and patron saint of the city, falls on 23 April, but external festivities are celebrated with great pomp in the city during the week leading to the third Sunday of July.

[edit] Sources

• http://www.gozo.gov.mt/
• http://www.stgeorge.org.mt/