Gold on the Ceiling – Exploring St John’s Co-Cathedral

Following the end of the Great Siege of Malta in 1565, the Knights Hospitaller were on a mission to build a fortified city no army could ever penetrate – a mission that culminated in the amazing UNESCO World Heritage site of Valletta (if you haven’t checked out our post on this fantastic city, here it is).

The resulting city was amazing, as you would expect from some of the most important noble families in Catholic Europe, but undoubtedly the crowning jewel was St. John’s Co-Cathedral. Set in the best location in the city, and named after the inspiration for the order – St. John the Baptist – the cathedral has become the ultimate example of High Baroque architecture in the world.

The austere exterior of St. John’s Co-Cathedral

During our 10 months in Europe we’ve made our way into a lot of churches. A lot. Maybe this has left us a little jaded when it comes to tackling churches in a new city, but it really takes something new and exciting to draw us in and wow us.

So as we stood coughing up 6 Euro each to enter St. John’s Co-Cathedral there was a lot of pressure on the place. Not only did it have to compare to the likes of the Seville Cathedral, the Mezquita, or St. Peter’s Basilica, but it also had to justify the $16 we were spending to get in.

Minutes after parting with our hard earned cash, we stood in the Cathedral’s main chamber, our mouths agape. There is gold everywhere. Gold on the walls, gold on the alter, gold on the ceiling – walking into the Co-Cathedral one would swear they’d finally found the end of the rainbow. Perhaps instead, the Co-Cathedral more closely resembles a pirate’s treasure horde, complete with skull and crossbones, skeletal figures, optical illusions, and more gold.

The interior of the Co-Cathedral

The altar of the Cathedral

The Cathedral didn’t start out so lavishly decorated, and standing inside today, it is hard to imagine that originally the austere exterior of the Cathedral was only surpassed by the interior. That all changed with the arrival of Mattia Preti in 1661. The “Knight of Calabria” as he was known was a member of the order and a celebrated artist. In 5 years he transformed the interior with a series of stunning paintings on the barrel ceiling of the Cathedral depicting the life of St. John the Baptist. Intricate carvings were created right in the walls (rather than attached after being completed) of nearly the entire structure. Eight chapels representing each of the eight “langues” of the order were decorated in a seemingly competitive battle for God’s approval.

The detail-work in the Cathedral is stunning

On of the lavishly decorate chapels

Perhaps the most striking feature of the Cathedral, and the one that intrigued us the most was the floor. Covered with inlaid polychrome marble in a myriad of colours, the floor is actually over 400 tombstones of some of the most important and influential members of the order. The tombs depict the virtues and achievements of the Knights interred below, and many are decorated in morbid fashion with skull and crossbones, skeletons, and other dark imagery.

The tombstone-laden floor

An example of the inlaid polychrome marble tombstone that make up the floor of the Cathedral

We spent more than an hour exploring the Cathedral and listening to the free audio guide which outlined the history of both the structure and the order itself. We also made sure to check out the the Oratory, which houses two of Caravaggio’s most famous works (he was a knight as well), and the treasury, which contains tapestries from Rubens and Poussin.

Caravaggio’s “The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist“

While we dislike the idea of having to pay to enter any house of worship, the fact that this Cathedral is more a museum than a church these days, coupled with the difficulty in maintaining this masterpiece (there were literally people with fine paintbrushes dusting the intricately carved walls an inch at a time) means that we were more than happy to pay. The Cathedral is definitely worth the entry fee and is a marvel to see – a must-see if you are in Valletta!

What is the most impressive house of worship you have visited? How do you feel about paying to enter religious buildings? Let us know your thought and feelings in the comments.