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San Pawl

Our Lady of Sorrows Parish Church With the increase of summer residents in the early 1900's, 'St.Paul Shipwrecked' Sanctuary became too small for this area. Marchioness Anna Bugeja provided for the building of a church and gave it to the Franciscan Conventuals. It became a Parish Church in 1905 and was cosiderably enlarged in 1968-1979. The architect was E.L.Galizia. It contains paintings by G.Cali'. Dedication date: 8th April 1979.

Parish church Our Lady of Sorrows

Chapel (at Castello dei Baroni) At Wardija, close to the Chapel of St George, there is a restored palace from the time of the Knights which the Grandmaster used as a hunting lodge. It is in private hands and used mainly for wedding receptions. January 2010 it was opened to the public as a historical building. Of course it has its own chapel.

Immaculate Conception Wardija - Wied Qannotta This chapel, commissioned by Noble Grazia Monpalao, was erected during the 16th century and up to the 17th century was dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady. By a decree of Bishop Cannaves, given on the 30th June 1717 after its rebuilding, its feast was from that time on, to be celebrated on the 8th December and the church rededicated to the Immaculate Conception. The altar piece of the new church, painted before 1744, in fact represented this dedication.

Immaculate Conception Wied Qannotta

Our Lady of Carmel This church was built in 1854-55 and blessed in 1856. Its length was doubled in 1927 with the funds donated by Marchioness A.Bugeja who also funded the Parish church. The Franciscan Conventuals running the parish church took over its administration in 1929.

Church of Our Lady of Carmel

Our Lady of Grace Wardija - tal-abbandunati This church was built by Fra Raymond Perellos before he was elected Grandmaster. It was consecrated on April 18, 1690 by Dun Antonju Manso. It is commonly known as Our Lady of the abandoned a title given to the church by the Grandmaster himself. Stefano Erardi painted its altar piece. This church was ransacked by French soldiers during their occupation in 1798 when they even slashed the Erardi altar piece. It was saved by the peasants of the area and later properly restored. Count Manduca whose family now owns the property, paid for various improvements in this church. Mass is celebrated here on Saturdays, Sundays and feasts nowadays.

Our Lady of Grace (tal-Abbandunati) Left: Quite a few decades ago Top & Right: The church nowadays

St.Anne Pwales In 1575 an older church dedicated to the Nativity of Our Lady stood in a garden owned by Tomaso Xara. The church which we now see had remained closed for a long period but was reopened in 1672 when Laurica Galea and Agata Xerri established an ecclesiastical living in it. Bishop Alpheran di Bussan decreed its deconsecration in 1731, but it was reopened by Bishop Pellerano in 1771. It suffered considerable damage during the French occupation in 1798 when some French soldiers slashed the titular picture with their bayonets and fired their rifles on the façade. It seems that after the departure of the French, those in charge of the church put up a picture of St.Anne instead of the ruined one, in this way changing the dedication! It was renovated in the 1930's when the walls were buttressed. Nowadays the Franciscan Conventuals take care of it.

Church of St.Anne

St.George Wardija Built in 1843, this church is not the first one on the site. The titular picture painted by Mr.Falzon shows the beheading of St.George, the Martyr of Cappadocia. The attached farmhouse bears the inscription: Casino Mifsud 1825.

Church of St.George

St.John Baptist Wardija - tal-Hereb Built at Wardija overlooking the bay before 1610 when it was deconsecrated after being desacrated by Muslim pirates, it used to serve as a mission church for Mellieha. It was rebuilt by Glormu Scerri, as stated by Bishop Caligares during his Pastoral Visit of 1617 and again in 1852 by the family of the owner Count Nikol Sciberras Bologna. During WWII the adjacent house was hit and demolished but not the church.

St.John Baptist church tal-Hereb Sketch by 'Kilin'

St.Joseph the Worker Xemxija The Capuchins opened a church on Xemxija heights in 1959. It was demolished in 1988 after the land started to subside. Construction works on a new church started in September 1992 and the foundation stone was laid in February 21, 1993 by Fr Philip Cutajar. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on June 25, 1994.

1959

St.Joseph the Worker

1994

St.Martin Wardija - La Verna House Built in 1466 and restored in 1566, it was taken over in 1786 by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars. With the adjoining buildings it now serves as a retreat house.

St.Martin church La Verna House

St.Nicholas Wardija Mentioned with other churches and ancient settlements in a 17th century document. St.Paul Shipwrecked tal-Huggiega A Byzantine Christian church stood on this site. The Arabs demolished it but it was rebuilt in 1090. A later building was still standing around 1610 and rebuilt after the 1693 earthquake. Grandmaster Alof Wignacourt built it again a few meters away. It is of rectangular design inside with an outside loggia. Its architect, Vittorio Cassar also designed the Wignacourt Tower nearby. Damaged in WWII, (the old paintings being saved by the Franciscan friars), the church was reconstructed to the original design of Cassar, re-opened and blessed in 1956. The building and paintings were recently restored.

St.Paul Shipwrecked

St.Simon Wardija Built by Grandmaster Perellos, it was deconsecrated in 1616. After being rebuilt, the new chapel was blessed by Canon Dun Felic Cutajar on 22 April 1868. This small but beautiful neo-gothic chapel stands beside Qannotta castle and dominates the valley. Sadly it is deteriorating rapidly and the grounds are overgrown with huge weeds

St.Simon Wardija

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