- Address
Main Gate Street, Birgu 1023, Vittoriosa, Malta - Web
https://vittoriosahistorica.org/Leaflets/Vittoriosa-Church-Museum.pdf - Visiting Hours
Everyday from 9.30 to 12.00 - What to see
Museum, Sword of Grand Master La Valette
The Chapel of Our Lady of Damascus, also known in Maltese as Tal-Griegi (Greek Catholic Church), has its roots in an original chapel dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria, used for Roman Catholic services. With the arrival of the Greek population from the island of Rhodes in 1522, the chapel, along with those of St. George and the Visitation, was given to the Greeks for their religious services in the Byzantine tradition. In 1575, Inquisitor Pietro Dusina officially established the chapel of St. Catherine as one of the parishes of the Greek population in Birgu, changing its name to Our Lady of Damascus. The original icon of Our Lady of Damascus was moved to the Greek Catholic Church of Our Lady in Valletta in 1587. It is no longer used for religious services.
Today, as part of the parish museum, it houses valuable artifacts, including the battle sword of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette, hero during the Great Siege of Malta, who is believed to have been a regular visitor to the chapel.
