The Manoel Theatre
Known simply as "Il-Teatro" from it's opening of the 19th January 1732
until the begining of British rule in 1800, the Manoel Theatre was built by the Portugese Grand Master Antonio de Vilhena to keep the young knights of the Order of St. John out of mischief but also to provide the general public with 'honest entertainment'.
Nicolo Isouard, a young Maltese composer who subsequently became very famous in Napoleon's Paris, became popular in 1790s Malta and when Napoleon expelled the Order of St. John in 1798 he was placed in charge of the Theatre.
In 1862 the Theatre passed into the hands of its first private owner, and it acquired its present name. By the lates Twenties, it had such a following, that the Manoel began to present films much more than any thing else, and this role was retained for about twenty years.
During the Second World War it escaped any serious damage, however it subsequently needed a thorough refurbishment and some restoration. This it received when it was bought back by the Maltese Government in 1957.
The Beheading of St. John the Baptist by "Caravaggio"
This is the most important painting that Caravaggio made in Malta. It is still in the Oratory of St. John (now St. John's Museum) in Valletta. This is one of Caravaggio's most extraordinary creations, for many it is his greatest masterpiece. It is characterized by a magical balance of all the parts
St. John's Co-Cathedral
St. John the Baptist is the Patron Saint of the Order. This was the Order's Church and was accorded the status of Co-Cathedral in 1882 along with the Cathedral in Imdina. Before the Cathedral was built, a Conventual Church was located at Birgu, across the Grand Harbour. Building of the Cathedral started in 1
573 under the sponsorship of Grand Master La Cassiere. La Cassiere paid for the initial cost of the building. The architect was Gerolamo Cassar.
The exterior of the building is extremely plain and very uninteresting and belies the grandeur of the interior of the Cathedral. Cassar died in 1586 before the wings were built (1598 and 1604).