41:
57:
264:
375:
403:
389:
64:
363:
back of one of the faithful being drawn towards God and the Virgin Mary. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden is depicted in the lower tier. On the north wall, there is a fresco of a woman, in a costume typical of the 16th century, holding a lily in one hand and pointing to the main altar painting with the other.
362:
The upper tier shows the
Apostles and Mary with Christ in the centre. Various saints and figures are portrayed below this tier. The second tier shows the condemned taken into the fires of hell by demons with horns, tails and webbed feet. On the left side, one can make out the wing of an angel and the
271:
The chapel stands freely and has a rectangular plan which measures about eleven by fourteen metres. Having said that, it was originally built in the shape of a cross. In 1512, the rear end of the chapel was demolished and the stones were used in the construction of the present church. It also had six
345:
The altar painting dates from the 16th century. It is painted on wood and depicts the
Eternal Father holding a crucifix surrounded by angels. Under the crucifix there is the Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus with St Peter and St Paul. The church has one altar which was consecrated on March 26, 1591.
354:
Frescos from the 16th century were uncovered between 1978 and 1980. Frescos covering the inside western wall were discovered under six layers of lime. Only parts of the frescos remain though it is clear that the topic is the
294:
in 1575 who found it well equipped for divine services. In 1655, the people of Gudja decided to build a new church in the centre of the village. Everything was transferred to the new church once it had been built in 1676.
231:
In 1436, the chapel was mentioned as one of the 12 existing parishes by Bishop
Senatore de Mello; it is believed to have existed long before that. It was not in the village centre, but mainly covered the areas of
593:
334:
563:
84:
503:
306:. The church was again restored by the parish priest of Gudja. Unfortunately, the church was abandoned until 1970 when it was handed over to the national trust
287:. It is said that in order to preserve the treasures of the church, including the bells, from the invaders, the people buried them in the tombs of the church.
272:
doors though only two remain. The church served as parish church until 1676 when the present church was built. A belfry was added in the 16th century.
568:
578:
538:
573:
484:
598:
514:
56:
311:
583:
451:
318:
were discovered above the front door. A new pavement was installed. Restoration was finished in 2004.
302:
restored this church. On April 9, 1942 the church ceiling collapsed as a result of an air raid during
426:
330:
is curator to the church and opens it on the first Sunday of each month from 9.00 am till 12.00 pm.
228:
The Chapel of St Mary was built some time in the fifteenth-century, most probably in around 1430.
153:
136:
175:
468:
280:
192:
8:
276:
170:
40:
380:
158:
489:
327:
307:
431:
421:
416:
205:
257:
279:, a captain was appointed to defend the area of Bir Miftuħ. In 1565, during the
588:
543:
394:
299:
284:
141:
249:
557:
356:
291:
99:
86:
237:
408:
303:
253:
241:
263:
374:
594:
National
Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
511:
National
Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
335:
National
Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands
187:
315:
245:
233:
217:
213:
129:
119:
290:
The church was visited by the
Apostolic Deligate Monsignor
314:, started restoring this church. During the restoration,
469:"Il-Knisja ta’ Santa Marija ta’ Bir Miftuħ - Il-Gudja -"
212:) is a medieval chapel located in Bir Miftuħ, limits of
493:, Malta, 10 October 2011. Retrieved on 29 January 2015.
564:
15th-century Roman
Catholic church buildings in Malta
547:, Malta, 04 June 2010. Retrieved on 29 January 2015.
370:
555:
45:View of the Chapel of St Mary, Ta' Bir Miftuh
27:The Medieval Chapel of the Assumption of Mary
283:, the church was desecrated by the invading
569:Roman Catholic churches completed in 1430
63:
262:
485:"Chapel of Santa Marija ta’ Bir Miftuh"
326:Today the church is in good condition.
310:. In 1973, the trust, sponsored by the
556:
475:, Malta. Retrieved on 29 January 2015.
458:, Malta. Retrieved on 29 January 2015.
359:divided into three tiers of figures.
504:"Chapel of St. Marija ta' Bir Miftuh"
513:. 27 September 2013. Archived from
452:"A medieval gem: Bir Miftuh Chapel"
33:Kappella Medjevali ta' Santa Marija
13:
14:
610:
401:
387:
373:
62:
55:
39:
579:Roman Catholic chapels in Malta
539:"Bir Miftuh chapel goes green"
532:
496:
478:
461:
444:
321:
1:
574:Medieval Maltese architecture
437:
300:Bettina Muscat Cassia D’Aurel
32:
333:The chapel is listed on the
7:
599:Limestone churches in Malta
366:
340:
312:Malta International Airport
10:
615:
349:
223:
427:List of Churches in Malta
210:Kappella ta' Santa Marija
186:
181:
169:
164:
152:
147:
135:
125:
115:
81:
50:
38:
31:
26:
21:
100:35.851639°N 14.497444°E
275:On the arrival of the
268:
267:Interior of the chapel
209:
16:Church in Gudja, Malta
266:
467:Busuttil, Roderick.
281:Great Siege of Malta
105:35.851639; 14.497444
96: /
520:on August 10, 2016
381:Catholicism portal
277:Knights of St John
269:
159:Assumption of Mary
584:Medieval churches
432:Religion in Malta
256:, Ħal Farruġ and
202:Chapel of St Mary
198:
197:
70:Chapel of St Mary
22:Chapel of St Mary
606:
548:
536:
530:
529:
527:
525:
519:
508:
500:
494:
482:
476:
465:
459:
456:Malta inside out
448:
422:History of Malta
417:Culture of Malta
411:
406:
405:
404:
397:
392:
391:
390:
383:
378:
377:
111:
110:
108:
107:
106:
101:
97:
94:
93:
92:
89:
66:
65:
59:
43:
19:
18:
614:
613:
609:
608:
607:
605:
604:
603:
554:
553:
552:
551:
537:
533:
523:
521:
517:
506:
502:
501:
497:
490:Din l-Art Ħelwa
483:
479:
473:Kappelli Maltin
466:
462:
449:
445:
440:
407:
402:
400:
393:
388:
386:
379:
372:
369:
352:
343:
328:Din l-Art Ħelwa
324:
308:Din l-Art Ħelwa
226:
104:
102:
98:
95:
90:
87:
85:
83:
82:
77:
76:
75:
74:
73:
72:
71:
67:
46:
34:
17:
12:
11:
5:
612:
602:
601:
596:
591:
586:
581:
576:
571:
566:
550:
549:
544:Times of Malta
531:
495:
477:
460:
442:
441:
439:
436:
435:
434:
429:
424:
419:
413:
412:
398:
395:History portal
384:
368:
365:
351:
348:
342:
339:
323:
320:
225:
222:
196:
195:
190:
184:
183:
182:Administration
179:
178:
173:
167:
166:
162:
161:
156:
150:
149:
145:
144:
142:Roman Catholic
139:
133:
132:
127:
123:
122:
117:
113:
112:
79:
78:
69:
68:
61:
60:
54:
53:
52:
51:
48:
47:
44:
36:
35:
29:
28:
24:
23:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
611:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
585:
582:
580:
577:
575:
572:
570:
567:
565:
562:
561:
559:
546:
545:
540:
535:
516:
512:
505:
499:
492:
491:
486:
481:
474:
470:
464:
457:
453:
450:Grech, Alex.
447:
443:
433:
430:
428:
425:
423:
420:
418:
415:
414:
410:
399:
396:
385:
382:
376:
371:
364:
360:
358:
357:Last Judgment
347:
338:
336:
331:
329:
319:
317:
313:
309:
305:
301:
296:
293:
292:Pietro Dusina
288:
286:
282:
278:
273:
265:
261:
259:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
229:
221:
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
194:
191:
189:
185:
180:
177:
174:
172:
168:
163:
160:
157:
155:
151:
146:
143:
140:
138:
134:
131:
128:
124:
121:
118:
114:
109:
80:
58:
49:
42:
37:
30:
25:
20:
542:
534:
524:19 September
522:. Retrieved
515:the original
510:
498:
488:
480:
472:
463:
455:
446:
409:Malta portal
361:
353:
344:
332:
325:
304:World War II
297:
289:
274:
270:
230:
227:
201:
199:
165:Architecture
137:Denomination
91:14°29′50.8″E
88:35°51′05.9″N
322:Present Day
250:Ħal Tarxien
188:Archdiocese
103: /
558:Categories
438:References
258:Birżebbuġa
238:Ħal Kirkop
154:Dedication
298:In 1830,
367:See also
341:Interior
254:Ħal Luqa
242:Ħal Safi
176:Medieval
116:Location
350:Frescos
316:frescos
224:History
206:Maltese
148:History
126:Country
246:Mqabba
589:Gudja
518:(PDF)
507:(PDF)
285:Turks
234:Gudja
218:Malta
214:Gudja
193:Malta
171:Style
130:Malta
120:Gudja
526:2015
200:The
260:.
560::
541:,
509:.
487:,
471:,
454:,
337:.
252:,
248:,
244:,
240:,
236:,
220:.
216:,
208::
528:.
204:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
