Chapel of the Langue of Aragon

Chapel of the Langue of Aragon, Catalunya & Navarre

Here is a detailed history and description of the Chapel of the Langue of Aragon, Catalunya and Navarre in St John’s Co-Cathedral (Valletta, Malta):

Lunette by Mattia Preti
Lunette - Mattia Preti

Identity & Patronage

Langue: Represented the Aragonese knights of the Order, which also included Catalunya and Navarre.

Dedication: St George, the soldier-saint and martyr, a fitting patron for knights.

Alterpiece in the Chapel of Aragon by Mattia Preti
St George on horseback - Mattia Preti

Art & Decoration

Altarpiece: St George on Horseback by Mattia Preti, painted around 1650s–1660s.

Preti depicts St George slaying the dragon — a dramatic, heroic composition with sharp diagonals and intense chiaroscuro, fully Baroque in spirit.

This is one of the most admired chapel altarpieces in the Co-Cathedral, highlighting Preti’s mastery after he moved to Malta in 1661.

Vault frescoes & wall decoration: Also largely entrusted to Mattia Preti, who was responsible for much of the Co-Cathedral’s transformation into a Baroque jewel. The Aragon chapel is a prime example of his work.

Marble work & gilding: Executed in the later 17th century, with richly inlaid coloured marble floors (typical of the Langue chapels) and 24-carat gilded stone carvings.

Lunette by Mattia Preti
Lunette - Mattia Preti

The list of individuals buried here are:

Tombs & Memorials

The chapel contains richly inlaid knights’ tomb slabs on the floor, like all langue chapels.

Some high-ranking Aragonese knights were commemorated here, though some prominent Grand Masters from the Aragonese Langue (e.g., Juan de Homedes, Martin Garzez) were buried in other locations of the Cathedral.

Lunette by Mattia Preti
Ceiling of the chapel

Historical Significance

The Aragonese Langue was one of the most influential within the Order, supplying several Grand Masters and important officers.

This chapel demonstrates the power and prestige of the Aragonese knights, rivaling the grandeur of the French and Italian chapels.

The choice of St George also symbolised Christian knighthood’s fight against evil, echoing the Order’s mission of defending Christendom.

The artistic contribution of Mattia Preti made this chapel a cornerstone of the Co-Cathedral’s Baroque artistic programme.

Location inside the Co-Cathedral

The Chapel of Aragon is on the south side (right side when facing the high altar).

It sits just after the Chapel of Auvergne and before the Chapel of Castile, León & Portugal.

In summary:

The Chapel of the Langue of Aragon, Catalunya & Navarre is dedicated to St George and stands out for its altarpiece by Mattia Preti, one of the Baroque masterpieces of Malta. It reflects the wealth, military ethos, and artistic patronage of the Aragonese knights within the Order.

Here’s a simple floor plan of St John’s Co-Cathedral chapels, showing their relative positions along the nave.

The Chapel of the Langue of Aragon is on the south (right) side, third from the altar.

Like the other Langue chapels in St John’s Co-Cathedral, the Chapel of Aragon, Catalunya & Navarre contains a number of burials of knights from that Langue. Most are in inlaid marble floor slabs with coats of arms, inscriptions in Latin, and elaborate coloured intarsia work.

From the cathedral records and published guides (notably by Giovanni Bonello and the Cathedral Foundation), the following are associated with the Aragon Chapel:

Tombs in the Chapel of the Langue of Aragon

Knights of the Langue of Aragon, Catalunya & Navarre (17th–18th centuries):

The floor is paved with several knightly tomb slabs, each commemorating Aragonese knights who died in Malta while serving the Order. These are individually inscribed with name, rank, date of death, and heraldic devices.

In this chapel are four beautiful monuments to four Spanish grand-masters – Raphael Cottoner and his brother Nicholas, Martin DeRedin and a magnificent monument by Giuseppe Mazzuoli to Grand Master Perellos, who was a prince.

Here’s the complete list of tombs in the Chapel of the Langue of Aragon (St George) at St John’s Co-Cathedral as recorded by the cathedral’s official register of tombstones:

Grand Master Frà Nicola (Nicolás) Cotoner

Grand Master Don Martin de Redin

Grand Master Frà Don Raimondo Despuig

Frà Don Agosto Sanz de la Llosa

Frà Don Arnaldo Seralta

Frà Melchior Dureta

Frà Don Miguel Cortes

Frà Don Juan Galdiano

Frà Don Bernardo de Ezpeleta y Xavier (listed on-site as “Ezpeletay Xavier”)

Frà Don Martino de Novar

Frà Don Arnaldo Moix

Frà Don Luis de Moncada

Grand Master Frà Don Ramon Perellos y Roccafull

Grand Master Frà Don Raphael (Rafael) Cotoner

Source: official St John’s Co-Cathedral “Tombstones & Monuments – The List of Tombs,” section Chapel of Aragon (entries 183–196).