Parish Church of the Assumption, Mġarr

Church in Mġarr, Malta

Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven

Knisja Parrokkjali ta' Santa Marija Assunta

The church's façade in 2012

35°55′10.3″N 14°21′58.0″E﻿ / ﻿35.919528°N 14.366111°E﻿ / 35.919528; 14.366111Coordinates: 35°55′10.3″N 14°21′58.0″E﻿ / ﻿35.919528°N 14.366111°E﻿ / 35.919528; 14.366111
Location| Mġarr, Malta
Denomination| Roman Catholic
History
Status| Parish church
Founded| c. 1400 (first church)
Dedication| Assumption of Mary
Consecrated| 13 August 1939
Architecture
Functional status| Active
Style| Neoclassical
Years built| 1912–1946
Specifications
Number of domes| 1
Materials| Limestone
Bells| 2
Administration
Archdiocese| Malta

The Parish Church of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven (Maltese: Knisja Parrokkjali ta' Santa Marija Assunta) is a Roman Catholic parish church in Mġarr, Malta, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was constructed between 1912 and 1946 on the site of an earlier church which had existed since around 1400. The building has a large dome with an elliptical plan; this shape is said to have been chosen because of its similarity to an egg, so as to encourage residents to sell eggs to raise funds for its construction.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Architecture
* 3 Artworks
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## History[edit]

A small church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary was established in Mġarr in around 1400, and it was repaired in 1600. The village formed part of the parish of Mosta until it became a separate parish on 12 October 1898. The old church therefore became a parish church, but residents wanted to build a new and larger church in its place. Parish priest Girolamo Chetcuti organised a campaign to raise funds for the new church, and he purchased the land on which the building was constructed.[1]

The first stone of the building was laid down on 2 June 1912. The new church was constructed around the old one, which was demolished in 1918. Several masons and master builders were involved in the church's design and construction. The initial plans were drawn up by Ġammri Camilleri, who also oversaw the roofing of the sacristy and some of the chapels together with the builder Indri Deguara. Ċensu Galea oversaw the initial stages of construction, and the plans of the dome were drawn up by Ġiomaria Camilleri and Ġanni A. Cilia. Camilleri oversaw the construction of the dome. The residents of Mġarr contributed to the church's construction by providing labour and by selling eggs, fruit and livestock to raise funds.[1][2]

When the building was still under construction, part of it was temporarily roofed over to allow Mass to be celebrated inside.[1] Between 1933 and 1935, through the efforts of parish priest Edgar Salomone a number of buildings were expropriated by the government and they were demolished in order to make way for a public square and a parvis in front of the church.[3] Two bells were installed in the belfries on 1 September 1935. The almost-completed church was blessed on 13 August 1939 by Girolamo Chetcuti, but construction halted soon afterwards because of World War II. The dome's lantern and the upper levels of the belfries were designed by Ġużeppi Damato, and construction of these began on 25 February 1946.[1] The building was completed later that year.[4]

## Architecture[edit]

The church's dome which dominates the Mġarr skyline

The church has a neoclassical design which bears similarities to the Rotunda of Mosta, which is in turn based on the Pantheon in Rome.[1] Contrasting with the Mosta church's circular dome, the cupola of Mġarr church is elliptical, and this unusual shape resembling an egg is said to have been chosen to encourage residents to sell eggs in order to fund its construction.[2][5]

The church has two bell towers and a large dome which is painted silver,[6] and the latter dominates the village's skyline.[3] Internally, the church contains seven altars.[1]

## Artworks[edit]

The church's altarpiece was painted by Lazzaro Pisani, and the building also contains a number of paintings by Ramiro and Guido Calì. Another painting of the Virgin Mary by Pisani which was located in the old church is now found in the sacristy.[1]

The church's titular statue of the Assumption of Mary was purchased from Paris, and some other statues located in the church were purchased from Rome or Lecce in Italy. The church also includes some statues made by the Gozitan sculptor Wistin Camilleri.[1]

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h Guillaumier, Alfie (1987). Bliet u Rħula Maltin (in Maltese). Valletta: Valletta Publishing & Promotion Co Ltd. pp. 494–498.
2. ^ a b "About The Locality". localgovernment.gov.mt. Archived from the original on 16 January 2018.
3. ^ a b Grima, Reuben; Vassallo, Mario (2008). "Narrating the Mġarr landscape". In Zammit, M.; Mallia, J. (eds.). Ta' Ħaġrat and Skorba: ancient monuments in a modern world (PDF). Heritage Malta. pp. 3–18. ISBN 9789993257158. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 September 2020.
4. ^ "Mġarr". Archdiocese of Malta. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020.
5. ^ "Discovering Imġarr" (PDF). merill.com.mt. Mġarr Local Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 9 January 2018.
6. ^ Rix, Juliet (2019). Malta and Gozo. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 234\. ISBN 9781784770709.

## External links[edit]

* Media related to Mġarr Parish Church at Wikimedia Commons

* v
* t
* e

Roman Catholic parish churches in Republic of Malta

Archdiocese of Malta|

* Attard
* Balluta
* Balzan
* Birkirkara (St Helen)
* Birkirkara (St Joseph the Worker)
* Birkirkara (St Mary)
* Birżebbuġa
* Burmarrad
* Cospicua
* Dingli
* Fgura
* Fleur-de-Lys
* Floriana
* Għargħur
* Għaxaq
* Gudja
* Gwardamanġa
* Gżira
* Ħamrun (Immaculate Conception)
* Ħamrun (St Cajetan)
* Ibraġ
* Iklin
* Kalkara
* Kirkop
* Lija
* Luqa
* Manikata
* Marsa (Queenship of Mary)
* Marsa (Holy Trinity)
* Marsaskala
* Marsaxlokk
* Mdina
* Mellieħa
* Mġarr
* Mosta
* Mqabba
* Msida
* Mtarfa
* Naxxar
* Paola (Christ the King)
* Paola (Our Lady of Lourdes)
* Pembroke
* Qawra
* Qormi (St George)
* Qormi (St Sebastian)
* Qrendi
* Rabat
* Safi
* St Julian's
* St Paul's Bay
* San Ġwann
* Santa Luċija
* Santa Venera
* Senglea
* Siġġiewi
* Sliema (Jesus of Nazareth)
* Sliema (Our Lady of the Sacred Heart)
* Sliema (St Gregory)
* Sliema (Stella Maris)
* Swatar
* Ta' Xbiex
* Tarxien
* Valletta (St John the Baptist)
* Valletta (St Dominic)
* Valletta (St Paul's Shipwreck)
* Valletta (St Augustine)
* Vittoriosa
* Żabbar
* Żebbuġ
* Żejtun
* Żurrieq

Diocese of Gozo|

* Fontana
* Għajnsielem
* Għarb
* Għasri
* Kerċem
* Munxar
* Nadur
* Qala
* San Lawrenz
* Sannat
* Victoria (Assumption)
* Victoria (St George)
* Xagħra
* Xewkija
* Żebbuġ

Cathedrals in bold
*[c.]: circa
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*[e]: Edit this template