St Catherine of Alexandria, Żejtun

Żejtun was formerly known as Bisqallin and was already a parish in 1436. Before the current church was built, the old church of St Catherine, popularly known as St Gregory church, served as the parish.

The parish church dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, Virgin and Martyr was built at the turn of the 18th century designed by renowned Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafa.

The church considered by many as Gafa’s greatest achievement is built on a spacious site that adds to its dominating presence. It sits high above the square still overlooking the surrounding urban core to this very day. The monumental seven bay façade is divided by a series of Doric pilasters on the lower level that are super-imposed by Ionic pilasters on the upper level. A raised centrepiece with framing half-pilasters and a segmental pediment crowns the façade.

The slender symmetrical bell towers are well proportioned and a magnificent dome originally designed by Gafa, and dismantled and reconstructed by Joseph Zahra crowns the church gracefully. The wall surfaces are distinguished by a series of modulations.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority originally scheduled the parish church as a Grade 1 monument on March 26, 1996 as per Government Notice 198.