Point of interest
St John's Co-Cathedral
in Malta, Malta
A lavish baroque cathedral in Valletta that houses Caravaggio's masterpiece, The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist.
Where it is
St John's Co-Cathedral stands in the heart of Valletta on St John Street, a few steps from the main Republic Street.
Address: Saint John Street, VLT 1113 Valletta
What it is
Highlights include the gilded interior, the marble floor inlaid with the tombs of the Knights and, above all, Caravaggio's monumental "Beheading of Saint John the Baptist" (1608), his only signed work, in the adjoining Oratory. A dedicated Caravaggio wing also displays his "Saint Jerome Writing".
History
The church was built between 1573 and 1578 by the Knights of St John as their conventual church. In the 17th century the Order's national langues transformed the interior into a lavishly decorated Baroque masterpiece reflecting the Knights' power and wealth.