Wignacourt in the Chapel of Langue of France

In the Chapel of the langue of France is the somewhat restrained monument of Grand Master Adrien de Wigniacourt (1690-1697) who's oval image is well reproduced in gilded bronze he was the nephew of the Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt who layed stress of his tomb in the crypt that he was thankful to have preserved his virginity and his innocence. Adrien was a man of peace and compassion it was during his reign that the earthquake of 1693 devastated parts of Sicily and caused the great damage to Mdina and it's Cathedral. He was personally bountiful not only locally but also to the devastated people of Augusta.

A French Royal Tomb

Louis Charles d'Orleans , Count of Beaujolais's imposeing with marble tomb seems incongruous among the earlier Knightly memorials at St. John's. It is none-the-less a comemorable testimonial of artistic importance. The marble wall plaque is the work of the sculptor, painter and letogrpher Augustin Felix Fortin , and the reclining figure and sarcophagus are a good example of the ability of Jean-Jacques Pradier. Pradier was clearly a significant craftsman of his time. the louvre has collected 10 of his works and he is also represented in the 19th century collection of the Gare d' Orsay. The story of the unfortunate young men is that he came to Malta to improve his Health only to improve his health, only to die of consumption, shortly after his arrival.

The tomb of the grand Master Emanuel Pinto y Fonceca

The tomb of the grand Master Emanuel Pinto y Fonceca (1741-1773) . The Exquisite has been atributed to the roman sculpter Vincenso Pacetti who worked for the prince Borghese and who have been only 26 at that time of Pinto's death .This Grand master has reigned for 32 years ,the longest in Malta . He departed this life at the venerable age of 92 . Pinto's monument in the chaple of the langue of castille , leon and portugal is ,at first sight , perhaps not the gandest of all ,yet it is, on closer examination one of the very finest . His coat of arms displays 5 fallen creseents (couchant) signifying the felling of 5 Turks by one of his ancestors.The prince was perhaps the grandest of the order's masters and the many serviving portraits of him testify to his pomp and brilliance in a wordly sence.

Pinto took the expensive defcision to close the princely crown and upgrade his Embassies to those of a full monarchy. Infact the splendor of his court took on a style well beyond the apparent means at his desposal.He emulated the style of the french louis XIV the roi soleil and this grand master's escutcheons can be seen in a liberal distribution on many of the finest buildings of malta .

In lieu of the more common bronze or marble portrait of a grand master here for the first time we have a fine coloured mosaic portrait of his tomb.

A Woman Buried at St. John's.

The date between 1811 and befor the plague of 1813. Withmore is in Malta to 'tidy up' the place and he is planing and overseeing various structural works. He describs the aftermath of the death of a french unmarried lady who had been living in Malta

Madlle De Mignie died and as a descendant of the princess of Rohan, one of whom had been a Grand Master, the body was embalmed and lay in state in a chamber hung with black - it was carried with great pomp to St. John's church exibited in a Chapelle ardente and consigned by the bishop to the vaults of Grand Mater.

I often wonder whether the tombstone with no incription in the chaple of Italy is in fact her's something left behind by an earlier knight who decided to die somewhere else. But no, ; it is in a wrong Chaple anyway I wonder. Whatever, I think the British behaved with sensivity.

It has been said that one Governor's wife though, did make an attempt to bring the Great Temple into line with a more anglican concept of workship and have puritanical contribution was only planned to be the onset of an overall refit. The idea was to start with the Chapel of France turning it into something a little more Low Church ! This was propobly keeping with her belive that the house of God should be simple and idiealy unadorned.

The late Vincenzo Bonello Art Historian and corator of fine art, writeing in Melita Historica in 1956 fulinated, quite rightly, against the proposed changes :

These restorations were the most wretchet perhapes in the not always identifing history of Art restoration. they inspired the just and sacrosanct indignation of the country, and were condemed with burning statements by one and all.; Save for the small palace clique which had thought up a desired the changes

Fortunetly for posterity, the further projection of her Ladyship's fervour were halthed in their tracks. Some claim that the motive force behined the proposed artistic conversion of St.John's was inline with the Maltese artist Giuseppe Hyzler and the Nazarener Movement, but the philistinic idea should not be credited to this man and his worthy followers. It was more likely the folly of his patrons, albeit that the Nazareners were indeed searching new ground for their inspiration.

Grand Magisterial Crypt

The supine bronze effigy of Grand Master Jean Parisot de La Valette covers his tomb. His body was moved from the original tomb in the church of Victoria's also known as the chuch of St. Anthony Abbot.

La Valette heroism was the inspiration of the memorable victory of the hospitaller nights over the great turkish armada in 1565. The new city of Valletta was named after him. He lies beside that other brave warrior Fra Philip Vielliers De l' Isle adam was buried in the
chapel of St.Anna, at the castle of St. Angelo in 1534 and his remains were later moved to Magisterial crypt of the conventual church of Valletta.

The staircase leading down from the Chapel of the Langue of Provence allows a natural ray of light to sleep into the darkened atmosphere of the grand magisterial crypt. There is a theory that the ceiling holes, before they were blocked up , pointed directly towards the overall windows in the main church adding lumination and circulation of air to the crypt. it is understandable that the grids on the sanctuary floor were nuisance to walk on. The nazareners in 1830 under the influence of Giuseppe Hyzler hatched a hairbrained
plan to enlarge the crypt, removing several monuments including that of la Vallette who would replace La Cassiere under the High Altar

Hugues Loubenx Cardinal de Vardalle's effigy is incomparable in the church and it is fortunately well preserved. Verdala is symbolically attired in the princely robs of his high rank. His Cardinals hat is clearly visible over his coat of arms. By his side, ascertaining his military function as head of the order and plain to see, are his symbolic helmet and sword Made from white carrara marble , it is carved with meticulous care and is difficult to appreciate properly without over all view. A work of art worthy of the court of the medici. Verdala castle, his summer retreat, is one of the most delightful places in Malta boschetto, the little wood.

Fra Martino Garzes

Fra Martino Garzes was the last of the 16th Century grand Masters to rule over Malta. He was a fair man and a good diplomat. His
tomb is hailed by savants as an interesting piece of mannerist creativity. It servives in excellent condition.

Garzes tried to be a good administrator and was able to stop some of the worst shortages including the scarcity of weat so badly needed on these islands the movement of the population to the new city of Valletta coused problems to Mdina and this he sorted out sensibly by giving tax concessions to those who stayed behind . He contributed towards the protection of Gozo and built the now demolished tower of St. Martin.

Here , from a vantage point exactly under the high altar of St.John's we can observe the top of the great stone boulder covering the tomb of Grand Master Jean de la Cassiere . Opposite is the simple crypt altar surmounted by a surviving disconsolated calvary scene wood carving from the 1500's.

Grand Master Pietro del Monte's simple monument is on the gospel side of the altar . It was del monte who finally made the great move from the Borgo to the City where he planed to build his palace on the side now occupied by the Auberge of Castille . He took up residence with his nephew Eustachio del Monte and improved his house . It would eventually become the Magisterial Palace.

Famous Tombs

This is one of the famous tomb-stone in the conventual church it can be found in the corridor auvergne. Fra Anselne de Cays, the humble night buried here, did not leave his name ; it was his nephew who identified him Fra Anselne speaks to us saying : " He who
treads on me will be trodden upon, ponder on this and also trail for me." This stone strategically placed immediatly inside an important doorway of the principle street of Valletta, then known as strada San Georgio. See the tronpe l' Oeil simulating architectural quoins which we often see at the corners of the great buildings of the knights.

This early marble work is somewhat singular among the morass of the colourful stones. It dates back to the death of Fra Laurens De Virieu in 1608 and including his coat of arms on his shield, is an intricate piece with florentine influence the inscription translates as
following.