The interior of St Lawrence parish church, formerly the Conventual Church of the Order of St John.The interior of St Lawrence parish church, formerly the Conventual Church of the Order of St John.

Every August 10, the city of the Great Siege is en fête as Vittoriosa celebrates the liturgical feast of its patron saint, San Lorenzo, an early Christian martyr from Aragon (Spain) whose devotion and charisma spread like wildfire throughout the Christian world.

The city’s attachment to this martyred saint originates from the Aragonese Castellans, the keepers of the Castrum Maris (Fort St Angelo) in medieval times. Recent research also indicates the influence of the Genoese merchants residing in this vibrant maritime city, influenced by the Laurentine cult in the Republic of Genoa which boasts of one of the most famous cathedrals dedicated to St Lawrence in Italy.

On the occasion of the 450th anniversary of the Great Siege, San Lorenzo-a-Mare, as the church was known in those days, commemorates the auspicious event with exceptional fervour and devotion as well as with a heavy heart in deep remembrance of hundreds of its valiant citizens killed in the epic siege.

Today, some of the church’s ancient artistic treasures brought over from Rhodes by the knights in 1530 are on display. Had Vittoriosa no other claim to artistic fame, the rich ancient collection of objets d’art from the Knights’ sojourn in Rhodes would undoubtedly establish it as a city of exceptional, historical and artistic merit.

The processional statue of St Lawrence on the artistic silver pedestal and walnut/ebony platform.The processional statue of St Lawrence on the artistic silver pedestal and walnut/ebony platform.

Pride of place goes to an impressive processional silver cross from a 15th century craftsman which on the feast day serves as the cross on the ornate main altar. A 15th-century devotional cross on which the Knights took the oath of office at San Lorenzo and in Rhodes impressed Fra Matthew Festing, present Grand Master of the Order, during his recent visit.

Of great interest is the recently identified priceless painting by Palma Vecchio, the great 16th-century Venetian artist.

Visitors to San Lorenzo-a-Mare will surely admire all the elements of the baroque represented by the former Conventual Church designed by Vittoriosa-born Lorenzo Gafà.

They can marvel at the unsurpassed sculpture and fine workmanship, the fruits of artistic refinement and fine taste, represented by the walnut and ebony platform for the processional statue of St Lawrence, the exquisite organ loft, the baptismal font erected in 1741 and the inlaid walnut pulpit, all emerging from the numerous botteghe housed in the narrow streets of the collachio.

Synonymous with emotion, power, drama and sheer energy, the baroque elements in Vittoriosa reach their climax on all fronts in the packed church enhanced by the baroque music of Can Luigi Fenech during the final stages of the festivities.

On this festive occasion, Birgu, Città Vittoriosa, the city of the siege beckons... inviting visitors to savour the rich legacy of their forefathers.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.