10/5/24: Vittoriosa's Atmospheric Alleys & Doorknockers

The historic towns of Senglea, Vittoriosa (formerly Birgu), and Cospicua comprised the Three Cities surrounding Valletta and played a significant role in defending Malta, particularly during the Great Siege of 1565. Perched high upon a bastion on the southern tip of Senglea overlooking the glorious Grand Harbor was the delightful Gardjola Gardens. Built on a grid pattern in 1551, under the command of Grand Master Sengle, the gardens are home to one of Malta’s oldest fortifications, a magnificent watchtower built to warn hostile forces entering the Grand Harbor.

Senglea's vedette, or watchtower, was decorated with eyes and ears to symbolize watchfulness.

Yachts, not cruise ships, filled the harbor!

Throughout our week-long visit to Malta, Steven and I remained entranced by the stunning multi-colored balconies.

Connecting Senglea to Vittoriosa was Porta delle Bombe, meaning Bombs' Gate, originally called Porta dei Cannoni, meaning Cannons Gate. The ornamental arched gate in Floriana was built in 1721 as part of the Floriana Lines, a line of defensive fortifications surrounding the capital city of Valletta. The gate was enlarged with the construction of a second archway in 1868, and after the ramparts on either side of the gate were demolished, it looked like a triumphal arch. 

On the banks of the Grand Harbor opposite Valletta was Birgu, now called Vittoriosa, the most historic of the Three Cities. The medieval harbor town was the Knights' first base in Malta in 1530. It was from here that the Knights and the Maltese held out against the besieging Turks in the Great Siege of 1565. After it was abandoned for Valletta in 1571, Birgu became a quiet backwater until the arrival of the British Royal Navy, which was based here throughout the 19th century and during WW II. The last troops departed in 1979.

Our walking tour of Vittoriosa began at the Collegiate Parish Church of Saint Lawrence, which was erected between 1681 and 1697 to replace the 11th-century Norman church. It had served as the Conventual Church of the Order of the Knights of St. John after the Order settled in Birgu on their arrival in Malta in 1530. After the Order was transferred to St. John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta, the church became the seat of the Papal Delegates, also known as the Inquisitors. 

St. Lawrence, the patron saint of Vittoriosa and head of the seven deacons of the early Roman Church, was the most celebrated martyr of Rome. Among his primary missions was assistance to the poor, crippled, and needy. When Roman Emperor Valerian ordered the church treasures to be brought to him, St. Lawrence presented him with a group of beggars, pointing out that these were the real church treasures. Valerian became so incensed that St. Lawrence was roasted alive in 258 AD. 

The crucifix above the altar in the Chapel of the Holy Crucifix was brought from Crete in 1657 during the Cretan war with the Ottomans and donat Qazaz ed to the church by a Greek merchant.

Below the altar table were relics of St. Lucidus placed there in 1779.

After the original loft suffered great damage in World War II, this exquisite organ loft designed by an Italian firm was installed in 1952.

Pictured in the dome were scenes from the Great Siege.

This handsome statue of St. Lawrence is paraded shoulder-high through the streets of Vittoriosa on his feast day each August 10th. 

On the lower level was the Crypt of the Confraternity of St. Joseph. 

Adjacent to the church was the Oratory of St. Joseph, the meeting place of one of the oldest confraternities or guilds on the island. Here, the carpenters and other woodworkers gathered to pray. Grand Master La Vallette left his hat and sword as a thanksgiving for the island's victory against the Turks in 1565.

During the Siege's worst days, la Vallette and his Councillors prayed to Our Lady of Damascus in this Sanctuary for Malta's deliverance from the Ottomans. He later bestowed his battle sword and hat to Our Lady in the Sanctuary as a sign of thanksgiving. To mark Malta's grand victory over the Turks, la Vallette renamed the city of Birgu, Vittoriosa, the city of victory.

Am I the only one to think it was odd that the Sanctuary contained a canon ball used by the Turks during the Great Siege?

What a delightful time we had wandering along Vittoriosa's winding and narrow streets after the hubbub of Valletta the day before. There was nary a soul in the atmospheric maze of alleys, collectively known as Il Collachio.

Not that we would have wanted to, but it would have been difficult to get lost wandering aimlessly around Vittoriosa as it was just 800m long and 400m wide at its widest!

Also greatly adding to Vittoriosa's appeal was the variety of charming doorknockers.

I don't remember seeing a sign previously from a local council or government publicly expressing "its sincere thanks and appreciation to the residents of this street ... for its embellishments with potted plants near their residences."

The Auberge d'Angleterre was among the first auberges built by the Knights in the 16th century. An auberge was once an inn providing housing, rest, and a stop for members of the Order of St. John. Each of the Knights' langues or language groups had their own auberge. Hence, this auberge had been for the English Knights, but it was now used as a public library.

Nearby was the 13th-century Norman House, built with a twin-arched window, a slender central pillar, and a zigzag decoration in a style called Siculo-Norman on the first floor (the second floor for North Americans).

As I wrote in the first Valletta post, when La Vallette and the Knights of St. John planned the city, they issued regulations called capitoli that required statues or niches in all corners.   

Saint Lawrence Band Club occupied this lovely building in Vittoriosa's main square. The first band in Vittoriosa was established in 1858 and baptized La Vittoriosa in 1863. However, after mass emigration between 1872 and 1882, there were years of disruption. The following year, several musicians formed a new musical association, L'Unione, which participated in village feasts and events organized by the British Navy. After obtaining the patronage of the HRH Duke of Edinburgh in 1891, the band became known as the Duke of Edinburgh Band Club during the British times. Bandsmen were able to wear naval officers' uniforms, which was considered a privilege. The band welcomed Prince Alfred on board the HMS Surprise in the Grand Harbor in 1892.

Nowadays, each parish in Malta has a band that provides music for annual feasts. 

Vittoriosa’s Sacra Infermeria was the first hospital built by the Knights of St. John upon their arrival in Malta before they built the one in Valletta. The present Church of Saint Scholastica and Monastery of the Benedictine Nuns was built in 1679 to replace an older one. 

The stepped ramp descending into a trench in front of the infermeria led to the Bighi Sally Port, where wounded were brought by boat to the infirmary under the cover of darkness during the Great Siege

I can't imagine a better way to end this post than by leaving you with these views of Valletta's idyllic Grand Harbor, which wowed us from Bighi Sally Port.

Next post: Vittoriosa's Inquisitor's Palace.

Posted on February 28th, 2025, from our home in Denver as we watched with profound concern as yet more political norms unraveled. Wishing you and your loved ones peace and goodwill in these turbulent times. 

10/4/24: Valletta's Fat Lady Sculptures

On our first full day in Valletta, Steven and I also toured the National Museum of Archaeology which was housed in the impressive Auberge de Provence. 

There we learned that after the central Mediterranean island of Malta was permanently settled nearly 8,000 years ago, agriculture and social organization gradually became more complex. Collective burials in rock-cut tombs were introduced in the Zebbug phase some 6,000 years ago and continued for about 1600 years. Small chambers hewn out of rock were accessed through an entrance hole at the bottom of a shaft and used for many generations. 

The tomb served as both a burial place and an ossuary. The remains of previously buried individuals were pushed to the back and sides of the tomb chamber to create space for new burials. Sometimes, the clearing of bones followed distinct patterns, with skulls and long bones grouped in some order so several burials could be accommodated in one space over a long span of time. Following burial rituals, the chambers were sealed with slabs. Initially, only one or two rock-cut chambers were used, but that morphed into monumental cemeteries.

The tombs were decorated with ochre paintings and rock carvings. Sometimes, pottery and even jewelry accompanying the deceased were found in the tombs. These archaeological finds led scientists to believe that the people believed in an afterlife. The collective burials were found in the closing centuries of the fifth millennium BC on the island of Malta and the neighboring island of Gozo.

Figure from Malta's Temple Period, 4000-2500 BC:

These two colossal statues were found broken under the soil at two of Malta's megalithic temples, which we'd explore the following day. The large statue on the left occupied a prominent position upon entering Tarxien Temple, so its role must have been of great importance. Whole, it would have stood nearly 3m tall! Its marks indicate it was likely damaged by a farmer plowing his field. It's possible that the marks or scars on the smaller statue resulted from intentional mutilation. 

The corpulent statues found at the Hagar Qim Temples date to 4000-2500 BC and were previously referred to as the Fat Lady, Mother Goddess, or Goddess of Fertility, though the figures are now regarded as asexual. The female inference was generally attributed to the statues' portrayal of large thighs, usually associated with postpartum women. Some think the figures' corpulence might have indicated abundance and fertility. For these prehistoric societies, fertility equaled abundance. 

In some instances, a carved hole replaced the head, which meant the head was probably interchangeable. Scientists have queried the meaning of the arms' positions, with one arm lying under the breast and the other by the side. However, most standing statues from this period and even from different sites were represented in this manner.  Look at the tiny doll-like hands and feet!

More of the 'fat lady' sculptures: 

The Sleeping Lady depicts a female figure lying sideways on a couch or bed that appears to be sagging under her weight. The figure has traces of red ochre, and the lower part of her body is covered with a pleated skirt. If you look very closely at the detail at the base of the couch, you can appreciate how finely it was crafted. Because the figure is depicted in an underground burial chamber, it may well represent eternal sleep or death. 

This exquisite creation has become the symbol of the Maltese prehistoric period. The beautifully rendered figure was discovered in a pit in one of the painted galleries of the Hal Safflieni Hypogeum. Wasn't it staggering that such detail was wrought in a figure just 12.2 centimeters, or about 4 inches long, and fewer than 7 centimeters, or 3 inches high?

Only one of the heads carved out of stone or molded with clay found near temples fit into the corpulent statues' empty sockets. The heads' distinct features were their almond-shaped eyes. The predominant hairstyle was likely a short bob, although some heads showed long hair with braids or ponytails. 

These two stone slabs were excavated in the first left-hand side apse at the entrance to Tarxien Temples during the 1915 explorations. The apse was the most elaborately decorated, with a variety of cubical and elongated carved slabs engraved with spirals and animals. The upper surface of one slab showed signs of burning, suggesting that it was used for animal sacrifice. 

When we later explored Tarkien Temple, we spotted reliefs on the megaliths of two bulls, which in prehistoric societies were seen as a symbol of fertility. I learned that the fertility of the land, of their animals, and of themselves played an important role.

The Venus of Malta from Hagar Qim was a remarkable representation of the female figure. In the second photo, the statue's back shows realistic shoulder blades, reflecting a high level of clay modeling. Once again, the figure was minute, measuring 10cm or under 4 inches tall. 

The smallest statue in the showcase was discovered at Tarxien Temples. I found it remarkable that, despite its tiny size, it was still molded in such a natural position. Remember that the "tall statue" was under 4 inches by comparison!

The most romantic piece in the museum's collection was this Embracing Couple, which dates to about 3200 BC and was also found at Tarxien Temples. The figure, clearly showing two people hugging with their faces very close to each other, is the only artifact from the Maltese Neolithic period that demonstrates human emotions immortalized in artistic expression. The 'timeless embrace' was less than ONE INCH tall!

The Hagar Qim Altar, carved from a single limestone block during the Temple Period from 3600-2500 BC, was found in the temple's first central court. Its decorations consisted of many small holes bored next to each other. This pitting was considered the earliest form of decoration. Some hypothesize that the altar was a pot with leaves or bull horns stacked on top of each other and resting on a container.

It is believed that these decorated megaliths, most found in the first apses at Tarxien Temples, had various functions. They may have been eye-catching artistic creations in the temple interiors, sacrificial or votive altars, or screens and barriers to secure internal spaces. The megaliths were moved to the Museum between 1956 and 1957 to counter the weathering process that threatened their preservation. 

The most common designs in Maltese megalithic art were the pitted holes seen above on the Altar and the spiral design, which was used later. The spiral design is recognized worldwide as a symbol of the beginning and end of life or eternity. However, its presence in temple decoration, ceramic design, and other artwork suggests that the image was common in the Maltese islands. 

Before our visit to Valletta's National Museum of Archaeology, I had no idea where Malta's rich archaeological history stood in comparison to the rest of the world's stone wonders. Malta's temples date to 3600 BC compared to:

The Great Pyramids from 2530 BC,

Stonehenge from 2000 BC,

Palace of Knossos in Crete from 1700 BC,

The Acropolis from 600 BC,

The Great Wall from 214 BC, 

The Colosseum from 70 AD,

The Hagia Sophia from 563 AD,

The City of Copan in Honduras from 725, 

The Moai statues on Rapa Nui or Easter Island from 1100,

Notre Dame Cathedral from 1163,

The Great Zimbabwe Ruins from 1300,

St. Peter's Basilica from 1506, and 

The Taj Mahal from 1632!

Imagine Malta's temples as the forerunners of such august world wonders! When I read the list, my mouth was agape.

Next post: Touring two of the Three Cities around Valletta.

Posted on February 25th, 2025, from another 'false spring' day in Colorado's Rockies. We're all saying we'll enjoy this gorgeous weather as long as it lasts! Please take care of yourself and your loved ones wherever this finds you.