The sacristy was completed seven years later and it began to be used as a small church by the inhabitants of the then newly built suburb of Floriana.

[1] Part of the church's façade and its dome were destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II, when it was hit by bombs on 3–4 March and 28 April 1942 and sixteen people were killed.

[2] The façade of the Church of St. Publius consists of a neoclassical portico topped by a triangular pediment, flanked by a bell tower on either side.

The altarpiece showing the martyrdom of Publius dates back to 1773, and it is the work of Antoine de Favray and his pupil Filippo Vincenzo Pace.

[7] Several other paintings are also found in the church, including works by Giuseppe Calì, Emvin Cremona and many other artists.