St. Lawrence Church

St. Lawrence church in Birgu displays fine baroque architechture and beautiful paintings from the past centuries

Vittoriosa is one of the oldest parishes in Malta. St. Lawrence Church was built by Lorenzo Gafa between 1681 and 1697. It is a fine example of Roman baroque architecture, with a richly decorated interior, with statues, paintings and an impressive marble Latin cross.

The St. Lawrence Church served as the conventual church of the Order of St. John before St. John’s Cathedral was built in Valletta. The area at the front side of the church was used as a cemetery during the Great Siege. Later, St. Joseph's Chapel and the Crucifix Chapel were built on the site. A small museum is located next to the parish church. Pope John Paul visited St. Lawrence Church in 1990 while he was visiting the Maltese Islands.

The festa of St. Lawrence is celebrated annually on the 10th of August.