| Church of Our Lady of Liesse | |
|---|---|
Knisja tal-Madonna ta' Liesse | |
 View of the Church of Our Lady of Liesse | |
  Church of Our Lady of Liesse Church of Our Lady of Liesse | |
| 35°53′42.3″N14°30′48.1″E / 35.895083°N 14.513361°E /35.895083; 14.513361 | |
| Location | Valletta,Malta |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Founded | 21 November 1620 (1620-11-21) |
| Consecrated | 23 November 1806 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Andrea Belli[1] |
| Style | Baroque |
| Years built | 1620 (original church) 1740 (present church) |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Materials | Limestone |
TheChurch of Our Lady of Liesse (Maltese:Knisja tal-Madonna ta' Liesse) is achurch inValletta,Malta. The church was built in 1740 on the site of a 17th-century church. The cupola was built to the design of the Maltese architectFrancesco Zammit.[2] The church is located on the waterfront of theGrand Harbour, close toLascaris Battery and the site of the fish market. It is especially venerated by the people of the port area.
The first stone of the Church of Our Lady of Liesse was laid down on 21 November 1620, in a ceremony attended by Grand MasterAlof de Wignacourt and many other members of theOrder of St. John. The church was built with funds donated by Fra Giacomo De Chess du Bellay, who was the Bailiff of Armenia.[3]
The church appears on the side of a 1664 sketch of the Barriera Wharf.[4]
The church was completely rebuilt by theLangue of France in 1740, and was blessed byBartolomé Rull. The church was consecrated by BishopVincenzo Labini on 23 November 1806.[3]
The church was hit by German aerial bombardment in 1942 duringWorld War II, but it was repaired and reopened on 21 February 1952. It was given to theApostleship of the Sea on 15 September 1961.[3][5]
The church is built in theBaroque style.[6] It has a dome and a belfry which was designed by Francesco Zammit. It has three altars.[3]
The titular painting of the church, by Enrico Arnaux, depicts a legend about three knights and Our Lady of Liesse.[7] The relics of the martyr St. Generoso are stored in the church, and they were transferred there from the chapel ofFort Manoel. A statue of the Virgin Mary which had originally been located atFort Saint Elmo is now found in a niche in the church.[3]
The church building is a Grade 1 national monument, and it is listed on theNational Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[8]
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