Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady, Xagħra

The Basilica of the Nativity of Our Lady (Maltese: Knisja Kolleġġjata Bażilika ta' Marija Bambina) is a Roman Catholic parish church in Xagħra, Gozo, Malta, dedicated to the Nativity of Mary. The present building was constructed between 1815 and 1855, on the site of a smaller church which had been built in the 17th century. The dome was added in 1892. The church became a collegiate church in 1900, and a basilica in 1967.

The first parish church of Xagħra was a chapel dedicated to St. Anthony the Abbot. It was built in the 13th century, and it became the village's parish church on 28 April 1688. The building still exists, although it has been considerably altered over the centuries. In the late 17th century, a new parish church was constructed on the site of the present building. This was constructed at the request of Bishop Davide Cocco Palmieri, on land given by Grand Master Gregorio Carafa, with the aid of some Sicilians. The church was completed on 12 May 1692, and it was originally dedicated to Our Lady of Graces. It was rededicated to the Nativity of Mary on 9 October 1692. It also became commonly known as the church of Our Lady of Victory. The history of the altarpiece is uncertain, but it seems to have been brought from Senglea in 1744–51. The artist Carlo Zimech might have made some modifications for it to fit in its new location, although sometimes the entire work is attributed to him. Xagħra's population continued to grow, and by the early 19th century the church had become too small to cater for the village. In 1813, the parish priest Vincenzo Cauchi donated 500 scudi for the construction of a new church, and encouraged the population to donate more funds. The church was designed by the canon Salv Bondin, Cauchi's nephew, who made the plans for free. It was to be built next to the old church, which would be demolished upon completion of the new building. Construction was suspended due to the outbreak of the plague in 1814, which killed 104 people in Xagħra, including Cauchi. The foundation stone was laid down on 2 October 1815 but progress was slow due to a lack of funds.

Church data from Wikidata (CC0). Summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).