There are more than 350 churches across Malta and Gozo, and almost all of them are free to walk into.
Two of the ones you will most want to see are not.
St John’s Co-Cathedral, Valletta
Charges for entry, and the ticket includes an audio guide.
Inside are the marble tomb slabs of the knights covering the entire floor, and two Caravaggios in the oratory. One of them is the largest canvas he ever painted.
The queue in summer is long enough that a timed ticket is worth buying ahead. It is closed on Sundays.
Stiletto heels are not allowed, because of the floor.
Mdina Cathedral
Charges too, and the ticket usually covers the cathedral museum across the square.
Quieter than St John’s and rarely has a queue. The painted ceiling fakes a dome that was never built.
Free churches worth going into
Everything else costs nothing. Some have a donation box near the door and nobody watches whether you use it.
- The Mosta Rotunda, with one of the largest unsupported domes in Europe and a replica of the bomb that fell through it in 1942.
- Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Valletta, whose dome dominates the skyline.
- The basilica at Ta’ Pinu in Gozo, out on its own in the fields.
- The parish church of any village, most of which are absurdly large for the population.
What is expected of you
Cover shoulders and knees, men and women alike. Some churches keep shawls by the door for people who turn up in beachwear.
Do not walk around during Mass, and turn the camera flash off.
Village churches shut from around noon to 4pm, so the middle of the day is the one time you cannot get in.
The best week to go
During a village festa, the parish church is hung with red damask, lit up, and open far longer than usual.
Most feasts fall between June and September. It is the one time these buildings look the way they were meant to look.
