St. George's Basilica, Malta
| Basilica of Saint George | |
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| The Pontifical Collegiate Basilica Arch-Matrix and Proto-Parish Church of Saint George |
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| Il-Knisja Proto-Parrokkjali u ArċiMatriċi Bażilika u Kolleġġjata Lateranensi In Urbe ta' San Ġorġ | |
Exterior of St George's Basilica
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 Basilica of Saint George
Location within Malta
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| 36°02′38″N 14°14′21″E / 36.04388°N 14.23906°ECoordinates: 36°02′38″N 14°14′21″E / 36.04388°N 14.23906°E | |
| Location |
 Victoria
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| Country |
 Malta
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| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| Website | Website of the Basilica |
| History | |
| Founded | Unknown Possibly 4th century (Original parish church) 7 August 1672 (present church) |
| Dedication | Saint George |
| Consecrated | 21 September 1755 |
| Events | 6 September 1958 (Became a Minor Basilica) 8 December 1975 (Became a Pontifical Collegiate church) |
| Architecture | |
| Status | Active |
| Functional status | Collegiate Parish Church |
| Architect(s) | Vittorio Cassar |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Baroque |
| Years built | 1672 - 1678 |
| Groundbreaking | 1672 |
| Completed | 1678 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 10 |
| Number of spires | 2 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Bells | 5 (1925) |
| Administration | |
| Parish |
Victoria Anglican community of Gozo |
| Deanery | St George's |
| Metropolis | Archdiocese of Malta |
| Diocese | Diocese of Gozo |
| Province | Malta |
| Clergy | |
| Bishop(s) | Mario Grech |
| Dean | Mario Grech |
| Archpriest | Joseph Curmi |
| Precentor | Karm Grech |
| Chancellor | Felix Tabone |
| Canon Treasurer | Dr Carmelo Scicluna |
| Laity | |
| Director of music | George Frendo |
| Organist(s) | Dr Maria Frendo |
| Music group(s) | Laudate Pueri Choir |
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St George's Basilica is a Baroque church situated in the middle of Victoria, the ancient "Ħaġar" – the capital of Gozo, the second largest island in the Maltese archipelago, and is surrounded by a maze of old narrow streets and alleys. Today's basilica was built between 1672 and 1678.
The parish originated in Byzantine times from the time of Emperor Theodosius I. The original church was the main Roman pagan temple of Gozo which had been converted by a Greek missionary into a Christian church dedicated to Saint George. The Roman temple stood at the site of the present church. The church is also documented in manuscript sources in c. 1250, when it is recorded functioning as a parish church. St George's was also listed as one of the parishes in Gozo where indulgences could be obtained on a papal bull by Pope Nicholas V for the Holy Year of 1450. Considering the fact that the parish church originated during the Byzantine period, until 1575, the liturgy in St George's parish church was celebrated in the Byzantine Rite rather than the Latin Rite. It was the last church to celebrate the Byzantine liturgy in the island until the transition to the Roman rite. The church had been rebuilt numerous times during the middle ages because of the increasing population of the island. In 1511 a scriptura apostolica declared that the church of St George was the parish church of Gozo, thus covering all the population of Gozo. It is also recorded that the parish priest of St George's church during the half of the 16th century, Reverend Lorenzo De Apapis (1501-1586), was taken prisoner together with most of the inhabitants of the island by the invading Ottomans in 1551 to Constantinople. Reverend De Apapis managed to buy his freedom some years later and returned to Gozo and rebuilt the church of St George which had been badly damaged. Likewise the church was reconstructed again in 1583 and 1598.
The present church was commissioned by Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt of the Order of St John in 1603 when he commissioned Vittorio Cassar to demolish the buildings that could serve to cover an enemy attack on the Cittadella and in the process to rebuild St George's parish church. Though it was only after 1670, when Pope Clement X issued a decree permitting the use of funds from the Holy See, that the construction of the church commenced. The foundation stone of the present church was laid on 7 August 1672. The church's construction was completed by in 1678 and it was consecrated on 21 September 1755 by Bishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan. At the time it was the largest Christian church on the island and was the first church in Gozo to be built in the form of a Latin cross. Records of the visitation of Archbishop Paul Alphéran de Bussan in 1744, claim that St George's Church is one of the first parishes erected in the Diocese of Malta.
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Wikipedia