While Valletta is commemorating the 450th anniversary since the city’s foundation stone was laid, the Dominican friars of Valletta are celebrating the 200th anniversary since the church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo and St Dominic was honoured with the title of minor basilica, the first ever for the Maltese islands. The Dominican Order is also celebrating its 800th anniversary.

Dominican presence in Valletta dates back to 1566 when the Dominican friars of Vittoriosa, led by Fr Damiano Taliana, used to cross the harbour to spiritually assist the numerous workers who were working around the clock to transform the Xiberras peninsula into a splendid and iconic city.

In May 1569, Grand Master Pietro del Monte granted a piece of land to the Dominican friars to build a chapel and a convent in Valletta.

The Dominican friars were the first religious order granted permission to build a church in Valletta, where a small community of friars could live and offer their spiritual services to the first residents of the city.

After some time, the chapel became too small to cater for the increasing population of the city, so the friars decided to build a bigger church.

Architect Gerolamo Cassar was commissioned to design the building and the first commemorative stone of the new church was laid on April 19, 1571.

On July 2, 1571, Pope Pius V granted the church under construction the title of principal parish church. At that time it was unusual to grant parishes to religious orders, so the move created a controversy among the local Church hierarchy.

The friars went to Rome to defend their parish, and Pius V’s successor, Gregory Xlll, reaffirmed the parish status, while del Monte also gave his consent in the establishment of the first parish of Valletta dedicated to Our Lady of Porto Salvo.

The Dominican friars were the first religious order granted permission to build a church in Valletta

The church took 40 years to be completed and after some time it developed structural defects after a series of earthquakes in 1693. In 1757, part of the church had to be closed down due to damage caused by heavy rainfall and gale force winds.

Twenty-three years later, Grand Master Manuel Pinto de Fonseca ordered the friars to close down the church as it was a danger to the faithful. The friars sought a short-term solution and transformed the convent’s refectory into a chapel. This provisional arrangement lasted 19 years during which the friars, like the rest of the Maltese, had to face political turmoil when the Knights of St John had to leave Malta due to the French occupation.

The current basilican umbrella.

The building of a new church, whose architect was Antonio Cachia, started in 1804. Archbishop Vincenzo Labini blessed the first commemorative stone on November 25 of the same year, but in 1813 the bubonic plague reached Malta and work on the church had to stop abruptly.

In the meantime, the parish priest, Fr Vincenz Portelli, and his community had to move to the Jesuits church in Merchants Street to continue with their work until the new church was completed.

The friars made every effort to assist those who fell victim of the plague. When the new church was inaugurated on March 25, 1816, the liturgical feast of the Annunciation, in no mean time, Pope Pius Vll honoured the church of Our Lady of Porto Salvo with the title of minor basilica in recognition for the friars’ hard work during the plague.

Furthermore, in 1817, the same Pope honoured the Dominicans of Valletta by giving them the unique privilege of wearing a black muzzetta (small cape) with white piping.

The new church was solemmly blessed by Bishop Ferdinando Mattei on May 15, 1815.

Programme of commemorative events

To mark these anniversaries the Valletta council and the Dominican community is organising a concert, Urbs Beata, by the Sanctae Catherinae choir, under the direction of Alex Vella Gregory, at St Dominic parish church in Valletta on Saturday at 7.30pm.

A Pontifical Mass, led by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, will be held at St Dominic parish church on May 31 at 6.15pm. Prior to Mass, Mgr Scicluna will bless a new basilican umbrella. The design is by Silvio Pace and the work was carried out by Gamma di Felisi firm of Lucca, Italy.

The umbrella to replace the existing one will be carried processionally during the feast of St Dominic and other special occasions in Valletta. It features the emblems of the Dominican Order, Pope Pius VII, Bishop Ferdinandu Mattei and parish priest Vincenz Portelli.