Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Valletta

First church The Carmelite Order had a presence on Malta from at least 1418, and it established a church and convent within Valletta shortly after the city's founding in 1566. Hospitaller Grand Master Pierre de Monte transferred a plot of land to the Carmelites on 27 July 1570; the deed of transfer was retained within the records of notary Placido Habel. The property was transferred for 66 scudi, but in April 1571 del Monte issued two decrees which rescinded this sum, such that the Carmelites were granted the land for free. Carmelite vicar Ġwann Vella commissioned architect Girolamo Cassar to design the church and priory. While these were being constructed, mass was celebrated in a small temporary chapel dedicated to the Annunciation. Inquisitor Pietro Dusina visited it in February 1575 and made a record of its contents. The chapel served as the first parish church of Valletta, Cassar's church was completed in 1591 and some internal alterations were also made at this point. The church's altarpiece was crowned by Bishop Carmelo Scicluna on 15 July 1881, The church's interior was sculpted by Joseph Damato over a period of 19 years. The church falls under the jurisdiction of the parish of St Dominic, and the building is listed on the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands. == Architecture ==

The 16th century church had a length of and a width of , and it consisted of a wide nave and lateral chapels with a total of ten altars. It had a low dome and a bell tower, and the interior was decorated by painted frescoes. == Artworks ==

The church's altarpiece is a painting of the Virgin Mary holding a baby Jesus, flanked by saints Simon Stock and Agatha of Sicily. The painting's artist and origins are unknown, but it is believed to date back to at least the late 16th or early 17th centuries and some attribute it to Filippo Paladini. Some sources state that the work was acquired by the Carmelites from Sicily at the time of the first church's construction. The painting was restored by Paul Cuschieri in 1856, by Samwel Bugeja in 1978, and by Godwin Cutajar in the 21st century. A wooden statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which was sculpted in Naples in 1781 is located within a niche in the church. It stands on a silver pedestal designed by Abram Gatt, and it was restored by Publius Magro in the 21st century. The church also includes the 1670s work Beato Franco by Maria de Dominici. == Burials ==

Numerous people were buried inside the church, including several Hospitaller knights, == Notes ==