Every Saturday evening at 7.30pm. The history of The Chapel of the Flight to Egypt by the Holy Family located at the Valletta Waterfront, known as Tal-Harba, goes back to the middle of the 18th century, when Malta experienced a boom in the construction of palaces, fortifications and mercantile facilities under the patronage of Grand Master Emmanuel Pinto de Fonseca. In 1752, the Grand Master saw to the construction of 19 vaulted large stores for the use of local merchants and the Order’s naval squadron alike. The chapel, annexed to the last of these vaults, was built as part of the Forni Magazzini extension to this mercantile complex.
The chapel is intimate in size, but it is very beautifully detailed. The style of the façade is baroque, and it is carefully adapted not to be dominated by the adjacent large warehouses façades. The architect, said to be Andrea Belli (Maltese, 1703-1772), has ensured that the narrow façade of this chapel figuratively dominates the combined frontage by including all typical elements of a larger domineering church façade, such as the two bell towers, imposing cornices and sumptuous baroque detailing. The cartouche and the high window assembly in particular highlight the architect’s finesse. The chapel interior is domed and the altar nave is a true high baroque masterpiece.
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