Gerolamo Cassar was the first of several fine Maltese architects working for the Knights. Cassar designed Valletta's principal buildings The Grand Master's Palace; the Co-Cathedral of St John; the seven Auberges of the Langues of the Order; the Hospital (now known as the Mediterranean Conference Centre); and many of the churches. As a military architect, he designed rather austere exteriors and interiors. His belief was that Valletta's buildings should reflect their location, within the bastions of a fortress.

Another Maltese architect to express his style before Mediterranean Baroque dominated the Islands, was Tommaso Dingli (1591-1666). Dingli was profilic: he is responsible for many of the Islands' finest parish churches, notably: St Mary's, Attard, which he designed at the age of 22; and the Church of the Assumption, Birkirkara.

The most important architect of the period was Lorenzo Gafa' (1630-1704). His brother Melchiorre was a renowned sculptor to the Knights. Trained in Rome and influenced by Bernini, Lorenzo Gafa' was to design some of Malta's most impressive baroque churches.
       
His favoured style of elegant domes and majestic exteriors is the symbol of Maltese baroque. Among his finest are the Mdina and Gozo Cathedrals, the churches of San Lawrenz, Vittoriosa; St Catherine, Zejtun; St Nicholas, Siggiewi; and the parish church in Gharb, Gozo.

For highlights of churches and religious sites, see our interactive map .

Valletta

Mdina

The Knights An Introduction

Churches & Festas

Artists to the Knights

Fortifications