On 18 May 1571 the Franciscan Friars Minor, at the time known as the Friars
Minor of the Regular Observance, received a plot of land from Grand Master
Pietro Del Monte close to Porta del Monte
(today’s Victoria Gate) in
Valletta, on which they were to build their second church and friary in Malta
after the church and friary of Santa
Maria di Gesù in Rabat, where they settled in 1500 after lengthy
preparations going back to 1482. All Mendicant Orders of religious received
plots of land in Valletta on which to build their respective conventual
churches and friaries.
The Franciscans had presented their request to Grand Master Del Monte some
time before 19 April 1571. On that same day the Grand Master accepted their
request and published the decree by which he donated to them, free of charge
like he did to all other religious, a plot of land in the area between Via Del
Monte (St. John Street), Via San Pietro (St. Ursola Street) and Via Santa Maria
della Vittoria (St. Lucia Street).
The contract was drawn on 18 May 1571 in front of Notary Placido Abela.
Present at the drawing up of the contract were, on the part of the Commissaries
entrusted by the Grand Master and Council, the knights Fra’ Raimondo Fortuyn
and Fra’ Giorgio Cacherano, and the Maltese engineer and architect Girolamo
Cassar, who was to be the architect of the new church. On the part of the
Franciscan religious community who came from Rabat the contract mentions Fra’
Nicola di Calabria as Vicar of the Sicilian Provincial, Fra’ Baptista di Malta,
Fra’ Michele di Malta, Fra’ Domenico di Malta, Fra’ Benedetto di Malta, Fra’
Antonio di Tapani and Fra’ Salvo di Malta (Archives Franciscan Friars,
Valletta, Atti Originali, VII, docs.
3 and 4).
Although the contract was finalised on 18 May 1571 the actual official
laying of the foundation stone took place four years later, on 21 September
1575, even though the building must have already been progressing. That is why
the year 1575 is normally indicated as the year of the building of the Ta’
Ġieżu Church. The title given by the common people to the church and friary,
namely “Ta’ Ġieżu”, already existed in the case of the older Rabat church and
friary, dedicated to Santa Maria di Gesù
(abbreviated to di Giesu in
Sicilian), a title common to many of the churches of the Franciscan Observants
in Sicily.
This initial date in the long history of this popular church, known especially for the Crucifix by Fra’ Innocenzo da Petralia Sottana and for the devotion to the Addolorata (Duluri), is commemorted within the context of the plans for restoration on the Church and the Friary, which are one of the architectural gems of Valletta.
(Article by Fr. Noel Muscat OFM, This historical information is taken from the late P. Ġorġ Aquilina OFM, Il-Franġiskani Maltin (Ta’ Ġieżu) 1482c-1965c, Malta 2011, pp. 307-311).
