The Knights of Saint John established their Catholic church in 1576 and dedicated it to St Catherine of Alexandria. Inside is an impressive cupola and vault designed by painter Mattia Preti in 1659 and beautifully restored in 2011. This Baroque structure is now a parish church for the local Italian community. Chiesa di Santa Caterina d’Italia defines part of Jean De Valette Square across from Our Lady of Victory Chapel. It was founded ten years earlier after the knights’ victory over the Ottoman Empire during the Great Siege of Malta.
