<P> Among the many who were profoundly influenced by the brilliance and diversity of Juvarra and Guarini, none was more important than Bernardo Vittone . This Piedmontese architect is remembered for an outcrop of flamboyant Rococo churches, quatrefoil in plan and delicate in detailing . His sophisticated designs often feature multiple vaults, structures within structures and domes within domes . </P> <P> The Baroque style was introduced in Malta in the early 17th century, possibly by the Bolognese architect and engineer Bontadino de Bontadini, who was responsible for the construction of the Wignacourt Aqueduct between 1612 and 1615 . The earliest Baroque structures in Malta were the decorative elements within the aqueduct, such as the Wignacourt Arch and several fountains . </P> <P> Baroque architecture became popular after Francesco Bounamici designed the Church of the Jesuits in Valletta in 1635 . In the subsequent decades, many churches, public buildings, city gates, palaces and other structures were constructed or rebuilt in this style . New churches were built in the Baroque style, while older ones were rebuilt or redecorated . Examples include the interior of Saint John's Co-Cathedral, which was completely redesigned by Mattia Preti in the 1660s, and the Church of Our Lady of Victories, which had its façade rebuilt in 1752 . </P> <P> The architect Lorenzo Gafà designed many Baroque churches between the 1660s and the 1700s, including the Church of St. Lawrence in Birgu (1681--97), St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina (1696--1705) and the Cathedral of the Assumption in Victoria, Gozo (1697--1711). </P>

This jesuit church became the model for other italian baroque churches