27 C
Kolkata
Thursday, May 27, 2021

Medieval Chapel Discovered Beneath 17th-Century Maltese Church

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
WhatsApp


Underneath the floors of Madonna Tal-Ħniena Church in Qrendi, a village in Malta, archaeologists discovered the remnants of a chapel dating to the late Medieval period. The discovery announced by Malta’s Superintendence of Cultural Heritage came as the team completed the first phase of an archaeological study in partnership with the Restoration Directorate.

Madonna Tal-Ħniena (Our Lady of Mercy) was built in Qrendi in 1650 C.E. After falling into disrepair, it was fully restored later in the 17th century, and a sacristy was added to house sacred vessels and vestments. Despite being deconsecrated when it had fallen into poor condition, locals continued to worship in the intervening years. The church is filled with ex-voto paintings, which function as religious offerings for divine intervention on such matters as cures for illness and shipwreck rescues.

Related Articles

At the main altar, a painting of the Madonna and child shows the pair sitting on the moon surrounded by angels, two of whom are holding a crown above Mary’s head. Another prominent painting near the church’s main entrance known as Awżiljaturi (helpers) features the 14 saints commonly invoked by the Maltese for protection against various diseases and other misfortunes.

The buried medieval chapel, thought to have been built prior to 1500 C.E., was uncovered after the team removed the Baroque church’s floor tiles. There, they found the surviving walls of an older, smaller structure. Beneath its foundations, even older archaeological deposits were found, suggesting the site may have been used prior to the Medieval period.

A little more than a half-mile away, the Neolithic temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra stand along the coastline. Some of the oldest sacred sites on earth, these ancient stone monuments date to the 4th millennium B.C.E. and attest to humanity’s long presence in the area.

Further investigation will focus on accurately dating the finds, and determining whether a third structure—the oldest of the three—may lie beneath the Medieval chapel.



Source link

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
WhatsApp
NEWS EDITOR
NEWS EDITOR - Breaking News Exchange is mainly to inform the public about events that are around them and may affect them. Often news is for entertainment purposes too; to provide a distraction of information about other places people are unable to get to or have little influence over. News can make people feel connected too.

Related Articles

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

Stay Connected

571FansLike
617FollowersFollow
144SubscribersSubscribe
- Advertisement -

Latest Articles