GPR Investigations at St John's Co‐Cathedral in Valletta

Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) investigations at St. John's Co-Cathedral in Valletta, Malta, revealed discrepancies between the current mosaic floor inscriptions and the original burial sites beneath them. Historical records suggested that not all visible grave markers corresponded to genuine sepultures, a hypothesis supported by GPR data. The study mapped buried tombs under the main nave and lateral chapels, providing new insights into the cathedral's complex history. By employing high-resolution GPR scans, researchers identified anomalies in subsurface structures, offering a non-invasive method to study this UNESCO World Heritage Site without disturbing its architectural integrity.

Persico, R., D’Amico, S., Matera, L., Colica, E., De Giorgio, C., Alescio, A., Sammut, C., & Galea, P. (2019). GPR Investigations at St John’s Co‐Cathedral in Valletta. Near Surface Geophysics, 17(3), 213–229. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1002/nsg.12046