Parish Church of St. Mary, Birkirkara
| Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary | |
|---|---|
| Il-Knisja Parrokjali ta' Santa Marija | |
Façade of the Parish Church of St. Mary
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| 35°53′42″N 14°27′47″E / 35.89500°N 14.46306°ECoordinates: 35°53′42″N 14°27′47″E / 35.89500°N 14.46306°E | |
| Location | Birkirkara, Malta |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | www.santamarijabirkirkara.com |
| History | |
| Dedication | Assumption of Mary |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architect(s) | Vittorio Cassar and Tommaso Dingli |
| Style | Renaissance and Baroque |
| Years built | c. 1615 – c. 1679 |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Limestone |
The Parish Church of Saint Mary (Maltese: Il-Knisja ta' Santa Marija), commonly known as il-Knisja l-Qadima (the old church) is a Roman Catholic parish church in Birkirkara, Malta, dedicated to the Assumption of Mary. It was built in the 17th century, and it has a Renaissance design attributed to the architects Vittorio Cassar and Tommaso Dingli.
The church fell out of use when St Helen's Basilica replaced it as Birkirkara's parish church in the 18th century. Its roof and dome collapsed in the 19th century, and the church remained in ruins until it was restored in the second half of the 20th century. It became a parish church once again in 2005.
The Parish Church of St. Mary is located outside the historic centre of Birkirkara, and it was built on a hill so as to be protected from corsair attacks. In the medieval period, a church dedicated to the Assumption of Mary and St. Helen existed on the site of the present church. A cemetery and two small chapels were found in the vicinity.
Construction of the present church began in the early 17th century, probably in 1615 or 1616. Work on the church continued throughout the century, and the interior was almost completed by 1646. The dome was finished in around 1656, while the belfry was built in around 1679.
The church fell out of use in the late 18th century, after the St Helen's Basilica was blessed in 1782. Bishop Vincenzo Labini visited the church in 1787, and he found it in a state of disrepair, with the roof in danger of collapsing. The doors and windows of the church were barred, and it was only used for funerals. Part of the roof collapsed by 1830, and the dome and the rest of the roof were destroyed in an earthquake on 24 June 1856. The belfry was in danger of collapsing by 1894.
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