Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa
| Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa | |
|---|---|
Santwarju tal-Madonna tal-Mellieħa | |
The sanctuary's façade in 2014 | |
| 35°57′37.44″N 14°21′40.68″E / 35.9604000°N 14.3613000°E | |
| Location | Mellieħa, Malta |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Church |
| Dedication | Nativity of Mary |
| Consecrated | 21 May 1747 (reconsecration, date of original consecration unknown) |
| Relics held | St Boniface, Pia, Victor, Candida and Vincent |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Years built | 16th–18th centuries |
| Specifications | |
| Number of domes | 1 |
| Number of spires | 1 |
| Materials | Limestone |
| Bells | 3 |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | Malta |
| Parish | Mellieħa (15th–16th centuries and since 1844) Naxxar (16th century–1844) |
The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa (Maltese: Santwarju tal-Madonna tal-Mellieħa) is a Roman Catholic church in the village of Mellieħa in Malta. The sanctuary originated as a natural cave which was consecrated as a church at an unknown date, and local traditions link its establishment to antiquity or the medieval period. The church's altarpiece is a Byzantine-style fresco which is believed to date back to the late 12th or early 13th centuries, and it is said to be miraculous.
It became a parish church by the early 15th century, and although it was later absorbed into another parish the church retained its importance as a pilgrimage site in subsequent centuries. The present building was constructed in various stages between the late 16th and 18th centuries, incorporating parts of the natural cave in which the church originated. A number of notable people visited the sanctuary over the centuries, including several kings and viceroys of Sicily, some Hospitaller Grand Masters and Pope John Paul II.