5. The chapel of the Langue of Italy
The Chapel of the Langue of Italy is dedicated to St Catherine of Alexandria, the patron saint of the Italian Knights. The altarpiece portrays the Mystic Marriage of St Catherine and is the work of Mattia Preti whilst the lunettes depict, on the left St Catherine Disputing with the Philosophers and on the right The Martyrdom of St Catherine. The monument on the right is dedicated to Grand Master Gregorio Carafa who reigned from 1680 to 1690. The bronze bust in the centre is the portrait of the Grand Master. The background depicts a battle scene. The inner walls of the arches are decorated with exquisite acanthus leaves and the double-headed eagle is the sign of the magistry of the Spanish crown. The RC motifs are a direct reference to Grand Master Raphael Cotoner. Carved in the central medallion is a lion, a motif from Grand Master la Cassiere’s coat of arms. The floor of the chapel is lined with richly inlaid marble tombstones that date to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Some of the most distinguished Knights of the Italian Langue are commemorated here, amongst them, Fra Ippolito Malaspina a patron of Caravaggio. The 5th Financial Protocol, signed between the Government of Malta and the Government of the Republic of Italy, made the conservation and restoration of the Chapel of Italy possible. This project was entrusted to the Ditta Sante Guido Restauri of Rome and was completed in November 2005.