Constructed to elevate the souls of men and women to heaven, the Church of Our Lady of Pilar was commissioned by the Spanish Knights to praise God and the Virgin Mary and inspire all those who entered it. After Auberge d’ Aragon was built, the need for a chapel to serve the langue was strongly felt, and some knights took up the mantle to sate their needs. Built in the 1670s the chapel quickly saw the burial of its most generous benefactor, the Bailiff Fra Inniquez de Ayerba in 1691, but only two years later, disaster struck the chapel as parts of it were damaged by the earthquake of 1693.

Under the patronage of Grandmaster Ramon Perellos y Roccaful, the church was built anew. Resident architect and engineer Romano Carapecchia was entrusted with the task of remodelling the chapel. His distinct taste and talent is reflected in the genius with which he managed to include all the features required by canon law in building new churches. Faced with the challenge of building a functional yet stylish building on land that was quite restrictive, he delivered greatly, leaving us today with a gem of High Baroque architecture.

After the Knights Hospitallier left the island, the chapel and its treasures, including the titular painting by Stefano Erardi passed on to the state, as it remains till this day. Although no longer serving the Aragonese Knights, the chapel continues to play an important role in the community, having for years been both a place for the teaching of catholic doctrine, and a school run by the Franciscan Sisters of Valletta. In 2007 it was entrusted to Heritage Malta to ensure its upkeep and safeguard its future.