Knisja tal-Ġiżwiti

Knisja tal-Ġiżwiti stands in Malta as a vast Jesuit church with a Latin-cross plan. Giuseppe Valeriano, a Jesuit painter and architect, shaped its original design in the late sixteenth century. Its broad interior combines solemn stonework with the flowing lines and ornament of Baroque rebuilding.

A gunpowder-store explosion in 1634 caused severe damage to the church and adjoining complex. Francesco Buonamici led the reconstruction, while the nearby Collegium Melitense connected religious life with academic study. The Oratory of the Immaculate Conception contains sculpted walls and paintings attributed to Filippino Dingli and Stefano Erardi. The Oratory of the Assumption, also called Onorati, features angelic figures, a wooden soffit, and an altarpiece showing the Assumption.

Both oratories endured decades of neglect before restoration repaired their roofs, paintings, and carvings. Modern lighting and security now support concerts, exhibitions, and lectures within these historic spaces. Look for the wooden soffit and the carved walls, where restoration keeps seventeenth-century craftsmanship visible.