While walking the back lanes of Gozo, my wife and I have become accustomed to orienting ourselves with reference to the domes and towers of the parish churches. We no longer rely on a map to tell us where we are – each church has a distinct architectural presence on the landscape.

The dome in Gharb is rather short, and its twin towers are tall in comparison. The dome at Ghasri is tall. The campanile and long nave at Ta’ Pinu leave no mistake about the importance of this shrine. The Zebbug parish church straddles the ridge between two hilltops; its distinctive lateral silhouette is visible from the either side. In Victoria St. George’s basilica and the monastery churches of San Francisk and Santu Wistin are woven into the urban fabric, but the dome and towers are discernible to the practiced eye, especially when viewed from the Citadel. The massive dome at Xewkija is visible from across Gozo’s central plateau, while the basilica churches of Xaghra and Nadur are perched on hilltops to the north overlooking this plain. The spires of Ghajnsielem church and the Lourdes Home are landmarks on the eastern part of the island.

Other parish churches and chapels across the island are unique in their size, shape and situation in the landscape. There is no need for signposts and maps to point the way. Architecture and landscape are the best guides. Once the rambler has learned to recognize the shape of each church it is impossible to get lost on Gozo.

The most prominent landmark of all – at the centre of the island – is the Citadel, which rises above the city of Victoria. The mass of Gozo’s Cathedral and matrix church appears over the ramparts of the ancient castle. Its principal facade and the campanile are clearly visible from a distance at almost any angle, but the dome which should crown this composition is conspicuous by its absence. Where one would expect to see an imposing cupola covering the church’s presbytery there is only a flat base. This is most unusual for so prominent a temple.

This church is important from both the ecclesiastical and historical points of view, but it is distinguished as a landmark by its unusual silhouette. However, when one ventures inside the Cathedral, a dome is indeed visible! It soars above the ceiling of the nave, a magnificent coffered structure supported on groups of white marble columns, with windows on all sides and a lantern skylight at its centre. One is compelled to run outside to see if this impressive dome is really there; alas, our eyes have not deceived us – it is nowhere to be seen!

Back inside the Cathedral, upon closer examination one sees that the space of the dome is in fact a painting attached to the flat ceiling. It is a masterpiece of perspective drafting, a ‘trompe l’oeil’ that creates a convincing impression of space and grandeur. This extraordinary work of art was painted by the Sicilian, Antonio Manuele, and installed in 1739, to create the image of a cupola without the need of building one. The effect is stunning, but that which delights the eye when viewed from inside the Cathedral only confuses the mind when seen (or rather NOT seen) from the outside. Something is clearly amiss.

Many times while walking towards Victoria have I sketched the outline of such a dome in my mind’s eye. Let us consider the possibility of completing this composition. How would we go about this?

It is perhaps possible to build a stone and concrete dome on the roof of the Cathedral and then cut away the roof and ceiling beneath it to integrate the space of the new cupola with the Cathedral’s grand interior, but this approach is problematic in several ways. First, is it wise to impose a significant new load on a three-century-old building? Calculations could be made to assess the technical feasibility of such an addition, but one should be wary of disturbing the balance of forces at work within the old structure; the consequences of an error in judgment would be disastrous. Furthermore, the installation of scaffolding necessary to execute such a plan would disrupt the use of the Cathedral for months or even years.

Another problem with this approach relates to the appearance of the new dome when seen from within the Cathedral’s interior. It would be extremely costly to replicate the cupola imagined by Antonio Manuele in his ceiling painting, but to build a dome any less beautiful than the one we now see would be unworthy of this magnificent church.

And there is also the problem of what to do with Manuele’s ‘trompe l’oeil’ painting. It was designed to be seen from below, at a precise angle and at a certain distance. Viewed in any other way its impact would be lost. There is no other space in the Citadel or Cathedral complex to display the painting to its advantage. To remove it from its present location would waste this valuable work of art. The solution to this architectural puzzle should be something very special, allowing us to complete the Citadel’s skyline while preserving this marvelous painting.

A relatively lightweight metal frame could be fabricated off-site and erected over the existing flat base on the church’s roof. The structural load would be a fraction of what a stone structure of comparable dimensions would weigh. All the work would be executed from the exterior, and in much less time than it would take to build in stone, and with no disruption to services inside the Cathedral.

This dome should appear substantial, not frivolous. Its form and finish should be worthy of the matrix church and its prominence on the landscape. A cladding in stainless steel or titanium plates would reflect Gozo’s brilliant sunlight from any angle causing the dome to sparkle. Windows could be set into the sides of the new dome to match those that appear in the ceiling painting, and a lantern on top of the new cupola could be illuminated at night – like a lighthouse for all of Gozo.

This approach would satisfy the desire to make the Cathedral’s interior and exterior match. Gozo’s matrix church has waited almost 300 years for its cupola. The new dome should be completed in time for the celebration of the 300th anniversary of the church’s consecration on 11 October 2016. It will then take its place among Gozo’s landmarks, a central point of reference for Gozo residents and visitors alike. How did we get along without it for so long?

George Bruce Levine, B.Arts, B.Architecture, M.Sc.- Design Technology

Marsalforn, Gozo.

Image copyright Bruce Levine.

Permalink: A Dome on Gozo’s Cathedral – A Readers Opinion