St. Nicholas of Bari Parish Church
Siggiewi was already a parish in 1436. The present church was built between 1675 and 1693. The side aisles, dome and portico were done in the later construction of 1862 when the church was enlarged according to plans drawn up by Dr. Nikol Zammit. Dedication date: 10th May 1729.
St. Nicholas of Bari Old Parish Church
Already standing in another area in 1436, is a church of St.Nicholas (which is nowadays in ruins) which had the form of a cross. It was mentioned by Mons. Dusina in 1575 during his pastoral visit. A much older smaller chapel dedicated to the Visitation stood within its cemetery. In 1585 orders were given to have the ‘Visitation’ church demolished and its masonry reused for the repairs of the parish church. In 1998 these ruins were classified as a Heritage site and in 2007 the area started to be rehabilitated as an archaeological site.
Annunciation Fawwara
This church stands on top of the troglodytic church dedicated to St.George visited around 1762 by Mons.B.Rull. This is the picturesque Gebel Ciantar heights area at the entrance to Fawwara. Gio.Paolo Cassar in 1619 built this church on the site of an older one previously dedicated to the Assumption which by 1618 was already described as an Annunciation church. The canonical deconsacration of Cassar’s church followed in 1653 but at the request of its patrons, this church was reopened on the 7th December of that same year. It was rebuilt once more in 1708 by Maria Xeberras and its altar piece included the coat of arms of her brother, Bishop Fra Domenico Xeberras.
Annunciation tal-Gholja
The early origins of this church are traceable to 1450 when it was then known as ‘Ta’ Ghemmuna’. Built by the Dean of the Cathedral Chapter, Don Guglielmo Donna, it was rebuilt in 1494 through the bounty of various persons. Sailors had special devotion towards this church as it stood on Malta’s highest peak since it was the first landmark they saw on approaching the island from the South West. Knight Fra Giacomo Christoforo Andlau, sometime before 1634, presented this church with a new altar piece. This Marian shrine was held in high esteem by the people of Malta. On its feast day, a procession led by the Siggiewi parish priest wound its way to this church. It was rebuilt under Grand Master Gregorio Caraffa during the Bishopric of Fra Girolomo Molina between 1680 and 1681, and was consecrated by Bishop Fra Paolo Alpheran de Bussan on the 3rd June 1749. Destroyed by an earthquake in 1856, it was built again a year later.
Annunciation ta’ Hal Kbir – tal-Knejjes
Situated in the neighbourhood then known as ‘ta’ Petra Nigra’, in 1598 this church was almost in total ruins. A pious burthen provided for the celebration of five Marian feasts, namely the Nativity, Annunciation, Visitation and Purification. This Annunciation church was still functioning in 1608.
Assumption ta’ Cwerra
This old church in Siggiewi’s main square was already very well established in 1575. Margaret Tabone in 1621 presented it with a new altar piece. Some years before 1740, the people of Siggiewi and the Dominican Fathers of Vittoriosa, who were the administrators of its bequests, decided to rebuild it as it had been closed to worship by Bishop Alpheran in 1736. It was rebuilt in 1742 but over the centuries, certain parts of the building deteriorated badly. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, after Vespers, a procession from the parish church to this church used to be held. A complete restoration of this church was undertaken lately.
Assumption ta’ Cabra
This old church in 1575 abutted on a similar one dedicated to St.Margaret, and was duly endowed for its mainterance. The records of the 1594 Pastoral Visit mention it needed immediate attention on account of its sad state. In 1615 Bishop Cagliares found it in ruins, and during the following Pastoral Visit held in 1618 ordered its formal canonical deconsecration.
Assumption ta’ Ganni
Although this old church was already functioning and provided for by 1575, later it was in dire need of repairs and in 1615 was on the point of being closed. In 1618, it is stated that it had already suffered this fate. It was definitively closed to all form of public worship in 1653.
Assumption ta’ Harramia
Bartolomeo Mauro built and endowed this church. The records of Notary Giuliano Muscat of 1575 give the details of Mauro’s bequest. Further endowments were provided on the 16th April 1592. This donation was registered by Notary Nicholas Xiberras. After this church was closed to worship during the 1692-98 Pastoral Visit, it was duly substituted by an altar in the new parish church.
Assumption ta’ Hax-Xluq – La Grande
Near the ruins of the old Parish Church at Hax-Xluq stood the church called Santa Maria La Grande, to distinguish it from Santa Maria la Piccola. Here, in 1513, Bartolomeo Buttigieg founded an ecclesiastical living known eventually as ‘Ta’ Bajdun’. The burthens of a number of rural churches, closed down in 1658, were transferred to this church. In 1686, the people of Hax-Xluq insisted to have a priest attached to this church to care after their pastoral needs. This request was granted them by Bishop Cocco Palmieri.
Assumption ta’ Hax-Xluq – La Piccola
Called ta’ Dun Nardu, this small church was built by Zaccharia Caruana and was originally dedicated to the Visitation. His brother Dun Leonardu Caruana had left a bequest for the endowment of this church. Zaccharia tried to have it transferred to Siggiewi’s parish church and Mgr Dusina in 1575 acceded to his request. The church at Hax-Xluq however continued to function and was rededicated to the Assumption. Known also as La Piccola (the small one) to distinguish it from the other one La Grande (the large one), it was closed to public worship in 1658.
Assumption ta’ Lapsi
Mgr Dusina in 1575 sanctioned the definite closing down of a church of this dedication in the Lapsi area.
Assumption ta’ San Gwann
This church which abutted on the one dedicated to the Beheading of St.John the Baptist, was already sufficiently endowed in 1575. Though no worship was to be allowed in it after 1615, it remained open till 1736. On the 14th May of that year Bishop Alpheran de Bussan definitely closed it, prohibiting any form of public worship in it.
Assumption ta’ Zenga or Zengha
This church stood in the estates of Mario Ciantar. Bartolomo Aquilina had provided some endowments for its maintenance in 1571 as recorded by Notary de Abela. In 1575 Mons.Dusina found it almost in total ruins, so he there and then deconsecrated it. However in 1598 we find it still functioning. Its canonical deconsecration was renewed both in 1608 and in 1618.
Beheading of St.John Baptist
The church was built in 1730 together with a residence for the priest in charge and a Capuchin hospital. The church was administered by the Capuchins during WWII. Nowadays it is used for Perpetual Adoration Monday to Saturday.
Divine Providence
In 1962 the Malta Catholic Action took over the Navy Rest Camp at Siggiewi to use as a summer camp for children attending Catholic Action Centres. In 1965 Mons.M.Azzopardi started building on the site, three seperate homes for disabled persons: Villa Mons.Gonzi for children, Villa Papa Luciani for semi-independent persons, and Villa Papa Giovanni for adults. He also took care to build a chapel where Mass is celebrated daily. The complex is called Providence House.
Holy Family
Built 1913 this oratory was for a while the meeting place for the female section of M.U.S.E.U.M. until it was hit by enemy bombing in a WWII air raid. Rebuilt after the war, it is now used as a store for parish church furnishings.
Holy Trinity
This is a pastoral centre recently built for the spiritual welfare of the population in a new area that is expanding in Siggiewi.
Nativity of Our Lady
Near a St.Matthew church at the Siggiewi main square, there was a church of this dedication mentioned in 1615 and closed to public worship in 1667. Mariano Bonello and his heirs were in duty bound to look after its needs.
Nativity of Our Lady ta’ Gwannett
A Nativity of Our Lady church at Fawwara, was closed to public worship in 1621.
Nativity of Our Lady ta’ Hal Tabuni
At Hal Tabuni (an old village now absorbed by Siggiewi), a church of this dedication is mentioned in 1598 records, where it is stated that Giovanni Muxi made a donation to this church recorded by Notary Giuliano Muscat and duly registered at the Episcopal Curia on the 2nd December 1586. In 1658, it was closed to public worship.
Nativity of Our Lady ta’ Saliba
An old Nativity church, in the ‘ta’ Mwiegel’ neighbourhood is mentioned. Mario Attard in 1615 was bound to provide for the celebration of its feast. In 1658 this church was deconsecrated.
Our Lady of Carmel Fawwara
This church was first built in 1616 by Girolama Ciantar wife of Martino Vella in a garden known as ta’ Gebel Ciantar. Its administration later passed on to the Confraternity of Our Lady of Charity of St.Paul’s church Valletta. The Confraternity was heir to the foundress and took care to rebuild this church during the 1750s.
Our Lady of Consecration Girghenti
An outdoor chapel not sanctioned by the ecclesiastical authorities was installed by Guza Mifsud from Siggiewi in the middle of the family property. She claimed to have seen Our Lady who told her to pray for sinners. This happened in the middle of the 20th century and Guza drew a picture of what she allegedly saw and named her Our Lady of Girghenti. There is also a small chapel with the original drawing in the farmhouse building .
Our Lady of Divine Providence
The church is situated where once there was the village of Hal Kbir. In 1575 Pietro Xara was bound to provide for the celebration of its feast. Its founder, Andrea Xara, was buried in this church, which was known as ‘Santa Maria l-gdida’ (the new St.Mary). It was closed down during the Pastoral Visit of 1658, but was reopened on the 13th August of the following year, at the insistence of the people of Hal Kbir and dedicated to The flight to Egypt. In 1737 various repairs were deemed to be essential and so Bishop Alpheran ordered its canonical deconsecration and its closure. The present church was built in 1747 and blessed in 1753. In 1815 a portico was added to the church to stregthen it after it suffered damages through lightning and an earthquake. It has an unusual set of statues around the rim of the dome.
Our Lady of Trapani
Our Lady of Trapani built in 1645 is closely linked with the Testaferrata family. It was founded by Giacomo Testaferrata de Robertis and his wife Theodora who endowed it for its maintenance and the celebration of its feast to be held on the 15th August. The Vice-Chancellor of the Order of St John, Fra Gio. Francesco Abela, a relative of the founders, also left some bequests to this church. It is highly probable that the presence of this church has influenced the topography of this neighbourhood commonly known as Ta’ Trapna. The church was already deconsecrated and closed in 1866 when A Ferres lists all the churches in the islands of Malta and Gozo.
Our Saviour
Built in 1663, and where Mass was celebrated once a year, nowadays Lost.
St. Agatha
It was also referred to as Santa Maria ta’ Bjar Gabrun. Its formal canonical deconsecration was decreed in 1658.
St. Blaise San Blas
Built in the 17th Century to replace an older medieval chapel. Slaves captured from the surrounding farming communities often came back, once freed, to give thanks for their freedom. A large number of old graffiti exist on its outer walls hinting to this fact. This church is a benefice of the Cathedral of Mdina. Recently the Cathedral Chapter entrusted it to the Social Action Movement for use in their retreats.
St.Charles Borromeo Girghenti – Inquisitor’s palace
The palace was built by Inquisitor Onorato Visconti in 1625 and its chapel by Inquisitor (later Cardinal) Angelo Durini in 1763. From 1625 up till when the French regime suppressed the Inquisition in 1798, Girghenti was the summer residence of Malta’s Inquisitors. The Maltese Inquisition had, as one of its principal tasks, keeping the peace between the two religious powers on these islands, namely the Bishop and the Grand Master of the Order of St.John. During the British period this palace served briefly as the summer residence of the Lieutenant Governors of Malta. In WWII it was used as one of the stores for the National Museum’s collection of antiquities and art. Later it fell into total disrepair and after that was partially restored between 1966 and 1967. The church and palace again fell into disrepair in the 1970s but were finally fully restored between 1988 and 1990, when the palace became the country residence of the Prime Ministers.
St.George Preca
In 2007 Archbishop Paul Cremona inaugurated a chapel dedicted to St.Gorg Preca the first newly canonized Maltese Saint, during a Mass celebrated at Komunita’ Santa Marija, the residential rehabilitation centre for drug abuse, run by ‘Agenzija Sedqa’ in Siggiewi.
St. James
Said to have stood in Siggiewi. Nowadays a niche marks the place.
St. Lawrence
Built in the 17th century on top of a hill on the outskirts of Siggiewi, this church was deconsacrated in 1859 by Bishop Gaetano PaceForno and nowadays used as a private residence.
St. Leonard
The ‘Kamrun’ (big room) started as a small church dedicated to St.Leonard built in the early 17th Century. Most probably it was built in thanksgiving by Duminku Tabone when he was freed after four years as a slave under the Muslims. In 1637 it had already been deconsecrated and then blessed again by Bishop Balaguer. In 1719 it was in a state of ruin and permission was acquired by the people of Siggiewi to build a storehouse for the festa decorations in its place since this was a convenient spot near the newly built Parish Church.
St.Margaret
There was already a chapel on the site when Mons Dusina made his Apostolic visit to Siggiewi in 1575. Rebuilt in 1707 on a centralized plan covered with a dome, most of the church was dismantled after WWII for street widening. The main sanctuary was left intact and the facade rebuilt close to it leaving a few feet of space from the door to the altar. The titular picture shows Our Lady with St Margaret kneeling in front. Behind the Saint is the figure of St Nicholas. Everything is in bad shape because of water seepage nowadays. The elegant bellcot is from the original facade.
St.Mark
This church was built in 1608 on the site of an earlier church. Mass is still celebrated here nowadays and the Legion of Mary members use it for their meetings.
St.Nicholas
It is thought that there already was a church here in the 12th century. The present edifice is from the 17th century raised by the Benedictine fathers of Catania. This chapel is a benefice of the Mdina Cathedral and sits squarely on the edge of Siggiewi where it touches Qrendi, its parvis actually in the latter village.
Visitation
In his 1575 pastoral report, Mons.Dusina lists a Visitation chapel on the left hand side of Siggiewi’s old parish church within its cemetery. In 1585 orders were given to have it demolished and its masonry reused for the repairs of the parish church.
Chapel
A nissen hut chapel which served the British airforce personnell and families, at RAF Ta Kandja old WWII airstrip.
Source: malta-canada.com