St John’s Co-Cathedral
Rather sober-looking on the outside, baroque gem on the inside, St John’s Co-Cathedral is arguably the richest building commissioned by the Knights of Malta during their 250+ year stay in Malta. The walls of each of the eight chapels are lavishly decorated, but none so remarkable as the floor; a colourful stretch of tombstones densely packed with inlaid marble. For many, the visit’s highlight is Caravaggio’s only singed painting, The Beheading of St. John. Originally intended as an altarpiece, it rests at present in the adjacent oratory and makes part of the cathedral’s museum, which also houses significant collections of Flemish tapestries and choral books.
St John’s Co-Cathedral, Triq San Gwann, Il-Belt Valletta, Malta