St. Augustine Steet – Rabat, Malta
St. Augustine Street and Square in Rabat, Malta were given a new facelift with the embellishment of the new lava paving. Calleja Ltd., were given the onus to embellish the lighting of this square in the proximity of Saqqajja Hill.
Nestled in the square, one can find St. Augustine’s Priory and St. Mark’s Church, which were originally built during the 14th century. In 1530 however the Turks attacked Malta, and the Maltese, fearing that the enemy could capture St. Augustine’s priory and use it as a basis for their attack on the city, demolished the priory and church themselves.
In 1555, the Augustinians managed to obtain the chapel dedicated to St. Mark the Evangelist from Bishop Domenico Cubelles, together with a few rooms and abandoned and ruined corridors, on Saqqajja Hill. After obtaining all the necessary permits, the construction of the new church started on 13th August 1556, on the design of the Maltese architect Glormu Cassar, and the foundation stone of the church was laid in the same year. The construction of the church was completed in 1588.
After 200 years the need was felt to build a new priory next to the church. The prior Fr. Debono took charge of obtaining the necessary permits from Grand Master Ramon Despuig. The construction started on 26th August 1740, while the foundation stone was laid on 5th October.
The lighting effect used on the Church’s façade and the adjacent road and square complimented perfectly the ambience of this historical site.