The cave churches in Malta and their painting : an art historical gazetteer

Abstract

This dissertation examines the cave churches of Malta, and provides a study based of the different sources which shaped the sites in question. The subject is set within the context of the Mediterranean in the Middle Ages and the cultural, political and artistic crosscurrents therein. Considered alongside the cave churches is the troglodytic phenomenon. The necessary historical context is provided in the Introduction, with emphasis on the Norman rule in Sicily and Malta, which shaped the political and social climate of the two islands. The recurring theme of Siculo-Greek Monasticism is introduced and the wide origins of cave churches are explored, along with other underlying themes, namely the eschatological element and the Sicilian type of cave churches. The Introduction also seeks to define the differences between the urban and rural cave churches. Chapter One deals with the urban cave churches in the areas surrounding Mdina. Underlying themes of this chapter include the Greek and Latin elements, the Siculo-Byzantinesque idiom and the importance of the paleochristian hypogea as sites of religious revitalization. Chapter Two, on the other hand, tackles the rural cave churches, particularly those North and around the Great Fault. Alongside the move into the countryside, the troglodytic phenomenon is here given great importance, as it is a formative element of the Maltese cave churches, particularly those found in rural areas. Providing an idea of the physical structure of the different sites is the gazetteer at the end, providing an appendix of plans of a number of the cave churches discussed in this dissertation.