Cultural tour to Capuchin cemetery

The Manoel Theatre Cultural Services is organising a visit to the Capuchin Cemetery, in Floriana on Sunday at 3 p.m. Meeting time is at 2.45 p.m. near the main door of the Capuchin Church.

Those intending to attend the visit are to contact Josette Portelli on 2122 4515 by tomorrow.

Grand Master Hugh Cardinal Loubenx de Verdalle built the Capuchin church and friary in Floriana in 1588, when he first introduced the Capuchins in Malta. The church was razed to the ground during the war in 1942 and the friary was partly damaged.

A cemetery situated under the church and friary was also damaged when the floor of the church collapsed.

After the war, both the church and the friary were reconstructed, but the cemetery remained abandoned and closed for about 37 years.

Extensive restoration work started in March 1979 and was carried on until the cemetery was reopened to the public in October of the same year.

These underground burial places were excavated out of the rocks and roofed over by barrel vaults between the years 1725 and 1730 through the endeavours of Fr Joseph Grech, then superior of the friary.

Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena also helped the project financially.