Malta Diocesan Archives

📚✨ BOOK LAUNCH INVITATION ✨📚

You are cordially invited to the launch of:
📖 Peter in the Island of Paul: Milestones in the History of Relations between Malta and the Holy See

📅 Tomorrow — Wednesday, 6 May 2026
🕡 18:30
📍 Onorati Oratory, Jesuit’s Church, Valletta

🤝 We look forward to welcoming you.

Over the past weeks, students following the Paper Conservation course at MCAST visited the Diocesan Archives’ conservation laboratory with their lecturer, Ms Sarah Portelli. During these sessions, they practised conservation techniques under the guidance of the Diocesan Archives’ conservators.

KTIEB ĠDID B'OFFERTA TA' QABEL IL-PUBBLIKAZZJONI. L-istorja tal-Knisja, u arti fil-knejjes b'riċerka ta' Fr Nicholas Joseph Doublet u fotografija ta' Daniel Cilia. Jista' jinkiseb minn Kite Group, 13 Triq il-Frangiskani Hamrun. Il-hinijiet tal-ftuh din il-gimgha jinkludu wkoll is-Sibt u l-Ħadd mid-9.00am sal-5.00pm

A surviving fragment from a now-lost architectural plan of Casa Manresa found recently sheds light on the origins of this important building, today housing the Archbishop’s Curia in Floriana.

It records that Casa Manresa was blessed and inaugurated on 16 March 1751 by Bishop Paul Alpheran de Bussan, in a ceremony attended by Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca, together with knights and Gran Croci of the Order of St John. Originally intended for the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, the building continues to serve the pastoral mission of the Church in Malta.

Casa Manresa also forms part of the national patrimony, both as an architectural landmark and as a repository of artistic works by Antoine Favray and Francesco Zahra

Today marks 275 years since the blessing and inauguration of Casa Manresa, the historic building that today houses the Malta Diocesan Archive.

A recently discovered document—once part of an architectural plan of the building, now unfortunately lost—records that Bishop Alpheran de Bussan blessed Casa Manresa on 16 March 1751. The ceremony was a remarkable occasion: the Grand Master of the Order of St John Frà Emanuel Pinto de Fonseca attended together with the Knights and several Gran Croci.

Originally founded as a house for spiritual retreats, Casa Manresa continues to serve the Church today as part of the Archdiocese of Malta's administrative offices, remaining faithful to the spirit of pastoral care for which it was established.

To mark this anniversary, the restored titular painting of the chapel, depicting the Madonna di Manresa by Antoine Favray (1748), was also inaugurated, returning this historic artwork to its rightful place in the chapel

Historic Favray painting restored as Casa Manresa marks 275th anniversary The titular painting of the Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa at Casa Manresa in Floriana, by celebrated artist Antoine Favray, has been restored to mark the 275th anniversary of the official inauguration and blessing of the historic building. Carried out over the past year by conservator Amy Sciberr

Peter in the Island of Paul. Milestones in the History of Relations between Malta and the Holy See. Author: Nicholas Joseph Doublet, Photography: Daniel Cilia - Kite Group This volume, conceived at the initiative of the Apostolic Nuncio to Malta, His Excellency Archbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai and His Grace Mgr Charles Jude Scicluna, Archbishop of Malta, marks the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the State of Malta...

Żewġ pjanti tal-knisja dedikata lis-Sagra Familja f'Birżebbuġa mressqa mat-talba lil Isqof Gaetano Pace Forno fl-1865 mir-Rev. Dr Antonio Albanese u l-Perit Luigi Ovidio Doublet.

Ref. AAM, Suppliche Vol. 64, pp. 258-9.

Dalgħodu mistednin ta' Theresa Gauci fil-programm "Minn jum għal jum" fuq Radju Malta dwar l-Arkivju Djoċesan.