Is dedicated to the Epiphany of Christ and it’s the only chapel inside St John’s Co-Cathedral that it’s bare of any Grand Master’s mausoleum. Grand Master Von Hompesch was the only one elected to rule the Order of St John from the langue of Germany in 1797, one year prior the expulsion of the Order from the Maltese islands by Napoleon Bonaparte. Ultimately, Grand Master Von Hompesch died abroad.
The altar piece and the two lunettes were executed by the Maltese born artist, Stefano Erardi. The lunettes represent ‘The Nativity of Christ’ and ‘The Massacre of the Innocents’. The decoration of the chapel of the langue of Germany commenced in 1664. The double-headed eagle, which was the emblem of the German langue was carved on the walls. Various other coat of arms can be seen inside the chapel. The coat of arms of Christian Von Osterhausen initiated the re-decoration of the chapel, the coat of arms of Fra Francis de Sonnemberg, Prior of Hungary, also contributed to fund it’s decorations. The chapel was decorated during the reign of Grand Master Perellos y Roccaful, whose coat of arms can be seen carved and gilded on the walls. The mausoleum of Grand Master Perellos y Roccaful is inside the chapel of the langue of Aragon. The coat-of-arms of Archbishop Prince of Salzburg John Ernest von Thun can be seen next to the Grand Master’s one.
The gilt stone altar of the chapel of the langue of Germany is typical of the earliest years of Mattia Preti’s Baroque influence. During the raids of Valletta during WWII, the chapel suffered some damage.
The chapel of the langue of Germany can be visited at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. For more information and opening times please follow the link on St John’s Cathedral.
