The earliest documented building on this site is known from 1436. The Knights of St. John, arriving in 1530, converted the church into their conventual place of worship. After only two years it was destroyed by fire, and the present church was built by Lorenzo Gafa in the 17th century. The interior is covered in red marble, while paintings adorn the chapels. The most important work hangs behind the main altar: a depiction of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence by Mattia Preti, the largest painting the artist ever created.
The Parish Church of St. Lawrence
17th-century Knights' church with Mattia Preti's largest painting