St George, Victoria

The parish church of St George in Victoria was built in the 1670s. The dome of the church was a casualty of the 1693 earthquake and had to be completely rebuilt. It is built on a Latin cross plan with a wide nave and side aisles, choir, and transept arms.

The parish church of St George in Victoria was built in the 1670s.

The dome of the church was a casualty of the 1693 earthquake and had to be completely rebuilt.

It is built on a Latin cross plan with a wide nave and side aisles, choir, and transept arms. Bishop Alpheran de Bussan, consecrated the Basilica of St George on September 21, 1755.

The façade was remodelled to its present state in 1818 to the design of Don Salvatore Bondi. The two symmetrical bell towers were also incorporated within the new façade. In September 1958, the church was bestowed the title of Basilica and on December 8 1976 it became an Archipresbyteral and Collegiate Church aggregated to the Cathedral-Basilica of St John Lateran of Rome. Over the main altar of the church is built a small replica of Bernini’s baldacchino, complete with gilded Solomonic columns as that found in St Peter’s in Rome.

The Malta Environment and Planning Authority scheduled the parish church as a Grade 1 monument on August 26, 2011 as per Government Notice 782.

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