St Roque's Church, Valletta

St Roque's Church in Valletta is a Baroque church featuring three altars, with a high altar and two side altars decorated with paintings by prominent Maltese artists. The interior space blends classical Baroque design principles with local artistic traditions.

The church was built after the plague of 1593 and underwent significant expansion around 1680 under Grandmaster Gregorio Carafa. Lorenzo Gafà oversaw these renovation works with financial backing from the Grandmaster.

The church functions today as a place of worship for the Romanian Orthodox community while remaining under Catholic Church ownership. This shared religious role reflects Malta's diverse spiritual traditions.

The church is located on Merchants Street in central Valletta and welcomes visitors during regular opening hours. As a protected historic building, it is easily reached on foot from the heart of the city.

The high altar displays a painting by Stefano Erardi depicting the Immaculate Conception surrounded by Saint Roch and Saint Angelo among plague victims. This emotional composition connects spiritual meaning with Malta's experience of the disease.

Location: Valletta

Architectural style: baroque architecture

Address: Triq Sant' Orsla

Website: http://parohia-ortodoxa-romana-nasterea-sf-ioan-botezatorul-malta.org

GPS coordinates: 35.89806,14.51600

Latest update: December 14, 2025 12:23