Senglea marina, a waterfront haven nestled within the fortifications of Malta’s historic Three Cities, has been a silent observer to a parade of significant events that have etched their mark on the town’s historic tapestry.

Here we embark on a captivating journey through time and review some of the most noteworthy events that have unfolded within the tranquil embrace of Senglea marina.

From Dockyard Terrace to Strada Sirena

Dominating the southeast end of the marina is the Dockyard Terrace. Although it has sustained some unfortunate alterations, it is still an attractive building. In its heyday, it was considered as one of the most handsome admiralty buildings anywhere in the British Empire.

Before World War II, it was the residence of top Royal Navy Dockyard administration officers, and in times further back, it served as the residence for famous mariners.

Towards the northern end of the marina is the narrow and steep-stepped Strada Sirena and the mysterious cave, named after that mythological marine creature, the mermaid, about whom there exists a curious local legend.

A church to mark the Great Seige

September 8, 1565, the memorable day that marked the end of the Great Siege, was the day liturgically dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary.

The people of Senglea, though weighed down by the ordeal they had endured, felt they should erect a church in honour of the Virgin’s birth, serving also as a memorial of that great victory over the Ottoman Empire.

Their wish was fulfilled with the completion of the church, and its establishment as the parish church in 1581.

Origin of the titular statue

The origin of the titular statue of Our Lady of Victories, venerated at this sanctuary basilica, dates back to the year 1618. Indeed, this statue is surrounded by the charm of tradition and genuine reverence.

According to a reliable tradition, recorded in ancient manuscripts in the archives of the parish, this statue was found floating, together with other wreckage, from a galleon shattered at the height of the storm, shipwrecked on one of the Dalmatian islands, forming modern Croatia.

An Austrian galley captain caught sight of this holy figure floating among the wreckage and fished it out of the sea. Since it was a religious image, he resolved to donate it to a church on the first Christian land he reached.

This statue was, in all probability, made to adorn the outer part of a Christian galleon.

According to the said manuscript, after its recovery from the sea, it was donated to Senglea parish church by the captain of the galley, on the petition of two of his passengers, both from Senglea. Parish priest Don Cosimo Talavera, with ecstatic joy, received the statue on behalf of the city’s inhabitants at Senglea marina.

Very rapidly, the statue became a cherished priceless heritage of the Senglea parish.

This was possibly the first recorded instance where the Senglea marina witnessed a major event in the city’s chequered history.

The inhabitants of Senglea thronged to the narrow streets, among the ruins of their homes, and welcomed the King with flags and banners on this short tour of their ravaged town

Crowning of the statue

The year 1921 saw the culmination of the widespread veneration towards this statue. On account of the deep devotion with which the Bambina was venerated throughout the island, Senglea’s chapter, clergy and people, led by Archpriest Giuseppe Adami, asked Pope Benedict XV to grant them the privilege to solemnly crown the statue. The rescript for this crowning was issued by the Holy See on May 1, 1920.

Preparations for the unique celebration were immediately taken in hand. September 4, 1921, was chosen to be the much-anticipated day. On that day, since early afternoon, crowds of people, coming from all over Malta and Gozo, gathered at Senglea marina where the ceremony was to take place. Multitudes of people on every conceivable advantageous point, eagerly waited to witness this extraordinary coronation.

The statue of Maria Bambina was brought to the marina surrounded by the devout and joyful crowd. It was placed under the baldacchino, normally set up in Lija for the feast of Jesus the Saviour, but offered to the people of Senglea for this special ceremony.

Dom Mauro Caruana, OSB, Archbishop of Malta, assisted by Auxiliary Bishop Angelo Portelli, OP, Mgr Giovanni Maria Camilleri, OSA, Bishop of Gozo, and other ministers, ascended the specially prepared stage, and placed the gold crown studded with

precious stones on the head of this cherished miraculous effigy; it is testimony to the love the Maltese and, above all, Sengleans have towards her, with a promise to continue to recognise her forever as their queen.

After the coronation, the archbishop intoned the Regina Coeli, which was sung by the choir accompanied by a large orchestra conducted by Mro Paolino Vassallo. Then, the statue was solemnly transported back to the basilica amid the pealing of bells, the bursting of petards, the showers of roses and flowers, and the scent of incense.

This was unquestionably the most important event to take place at the Senglea marina, a unique focal point in Senglea’s collective memory.

Marina blitzed in WWII

The German blitzes during World War II spelt the death knell of this historic town, its rich social life and the beautiful marina. Tons of German bombs rained down on the waterfront, reducing it to heaps of rubble, mounds of ruin and a most desolate sight. Even a Stuka crashed onto the waterfront during the worst periods of the blitzes in 1942.

On April 15, 1942, King George VI awarded the George Cross to the people of Malta in appreciation of their heroism during the Siege of Malta by Italy and Germany in the early part of World War II.

In a letter to the island’s governor, Lieutenant-General Sir William Dobbie, King George attested: “So as to bear witness to the heroism and devotion of its people.”

George Cross taken to the waterfront

After an official and solemn ceremony in the capital Valletta on September 13, 1942, it was time for the George Cross to be taken around the towns and villages of Malta and Gozo to be appreciated by all the people. Although the evening of September 25 was reserved for the people of Cottonera, the morning of October 18 was set aside solely for the people of Senglea.

On that day, the band of the Dorset Regiment opened the ceremony at the Senglea waterfront. The Maltese anthem was played, and the archpriest of Senglea, Canon Emmanuele Brincat, an exemplary shepherd who daily risked his life, showing himself determined to stay in Senglea during the fiercest bombings of the war, addressed the distinguished guests and the people who gathered to witness the unusual event.

Archpriest Brincat recalled Senglea’s ordeal, expressed the hope that times will not lag to change. He exalted those present by saying: “By your behaviour, by your toil and sufferings, by your self-denial and Christian fortitude, you have proved yourself no less worthy of honour and praise than your forefathers.”

King George VI visits Senglea

Months later, on June 20, 1943, Canon Brincat, on behalf of the people of Senglea, welcomed King George VI at the Senglea marina, precisely at the Dockyard Terrace Gate.

His Majesty had entered the Grand Harbour on the cruiser HMS Aurora, in the morning of that same day, for a short surprise visit to Malta. This was the time where Malta placed aside, at least for a short while, the terrible reality of war. On that day, the king and the Maltese together shared joy and risk.

After visiting the Governor’s Palace, Valletta, the king paid tribute to the large crowd gathered in the square from the balcony of the palace. The king then proceeded to the Dockyard. The ruins of demolished buildings and twisted machinery bore silent evidence to the circumstances under which work at the Dockyard had been maintained.

Emerging from the tunnels, the royal car drove to the Dockyard Gate at Sheer Bastion and the king alighted at the Dockyard Terrace Gate. The inhabitants of Senglea thronged to the narrow streets, among the ruins of their homes, and welcomed the king with flags and banners on this short tour of their ravaged town. The bells of the heavily attacked Senglea basilica rang a steadfast welcome.

Canon Emmanuele Brincat wrote in his memoirs: “We escorted the King, proceeding to Victory Street, from Anne Street and St Peter and St Paul. He gave a sad look to the rubble in the streets where he passed through, seeing all those ruins, which once had been houses of character and magnificent palaces…”.

Senglea was the only city outside Valletta where the king alighted from his car and toured on foot among the crowd.

Up to this point in time, King George VI was perhaps the most significant personality to have walked along Senglea marina.

The Bambina returns after safekeeping at Birkirkara

During the dreadful years of World War II, great devotion and fervent prayers were addressed to Our Lady, Queen of Peace, through the statue of il-Bambina.

After the heavy bombardments of January 16, 1941, during which the Senglea basilica was severely damaged, Senglea archpriest Can. Emmanuele Brincat sought a place of refuge for the venerated effigy. The statue was eventually taken to Birkirkara collegiate church.

September 8 was always an eventful and joyful day; a day of thanksgiving recalling all the victories of Malta’s ancestors. This particular day in 1943 was to mark another event: Italy’s unconditional surrender to the Allies marked the end of a long period of distress.

Since air attacks had become rare, the Bambina was brought back to its home town. As the procession passed along the marina, where the statue had been crowned 22 years before, Archpriest Brincat received the much awaited message that Malta was now safe.

Later, when the sounds of war had died down, distinguished visitors came to see the ruins of Senglea with its devastated marina.

September 8 was always an eventful and joyful day

Winston Churchill’s visit to Senglea

On November 17, 1943, UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill returned to Malta on board HMS Renown for a brief stop. His visit was not given any publicity, nor was a programme of public appearances prepared. He visited the Governor’s Palace and appeared on the palace balcony waving his naval cap and giving the ‘V’ sign.

November 19 saw him walking along the ruined houses at Senglea marina and visiting the Dockyards where he received a warm welcome from the workers.

Franklin D. Roosvelt’s visit to Senglea

A more formal welcome awaited US President Franklin D. Roosvelt on his arrival in Malta on December 8, 1943, in a C54 Douglas Transport plane. His visit was to present a citation on behalf of the American people to the inhabitants of the island, both civil and military.

His citation provided further evidence of the dawn of a new era. In it, the president recalled that: “Malta stood alone and unafraid in the centre of the sea, one tiny bright flame in the darkness, a beacon of hope of the clearer days that have come.”

Once the simple ceremony was over, the US president decided to visit Cottonera to see for himself the scars left by the war. He entered Lord Gort’s car and, accompanied by the governor, he visited the Dockyard and Senglea marina, viewing the ruins of the battle-battered waterfront.

Throughout the impromptu tour, he was immediately recognised and heartily greeted by all, returning the salutations of the people.

25th anniversary of the Bambina’s crowning

Due to the post-war circumstances, with the basilica practically demolished, in 1946, the 25th anniversary of the solemn crowning of the Bambina could not be properly celebrated.

However, on September 4, it was commemorated in Porto Salvo church which, though facing the harbour, at the other edge of Senglea, luckily escaped the ravages of the Blitz.

Then, on September 8, the usual procession with the statue of Maria Bambina was held in the afternoon. On reaching the marina, the same place where, 25 years before, the Bambina had been crowned, the statue was placed under a simple canopy. The Ave Maris Stella was sung, followed by a commemorative speech by Mgr Michele Gonzi, Archbishop of Malta, at the end of which the Te Deum was sung.

50th anniversary of the Bambina’s coronation

In 1971, on the 50th anniversary of the coronation of the Bambina, the Sengleans wanted to make up for the above-mentioned shortfall, and fitting celebrations were held with the deserved solemnity.

On September 4, Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro, Archbishop of Bologna, presided the festivities, and placed a gold sprig at the foot of the statue, assisted by Canon Giovanni Sladden, archpriest of Senglea.

This solemn commemoration was programmed to be held at the marina, but due to inclement weather had to be transferred to the basilica.

The cardinal’s commitments continued on September 8, the titular feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A large gathering awaited his arrival by ferry from Valletta at the Senglea marina. The Queen’s Own Band, amid the great joy of all present, greeted the cardinal with the Pope’s Anthem and a joyful procession began from the marina to the basilica where he celebrated mass together with the Senglea chapter. The cardinal had a greeting and a smile for everyone and showed himself enthused by that extraordinary reception.

John Paul II’s historic visit to Senglea

United behind the theme Qalb Waħda mal-Papa (One Heart with the Pope), the Maltese people ensured an astounding welcome to John Paul II.

The historic pastoral visit, between May 25 and 27, 1990, marked the first time a pope had visited Malta. People close to the pope were impressed with the enthusiastic welcome the Maltese reserved for the Holy Father.

Among the highlights of the pope’s visit was the trip to Gozo where he celebrated mass on the esplanade of the shrine of Ta’ Pinu. On his return from Gozo, and after a brief stop next to the islands of St Paul, the pope’s catamaran docked at Senglea marina.

This visit by the pope must definitely rank as one of the highest-profile events in Senglea’s history, at par with the visit of King George VI in 1943.

While John Paul II was greeted by Canon Vincenzo Cachia, archpriest of Senglea, music and singing, organised by the Queen’s Own Band and the Maria Bambina parish choir, welcomed His Holiness ashore. From there, the pope boarded the pope mobile, and accompanied by Archbishop Mgr Giuseppe Mercieca, drove through the streets of Senglea to St Margerita Square, Cospicua, where he met workers.

The pope invited them to continue with the “outstanding virtue of the working men and women of Malta” which is their solidarity: “a commitment to the common good; a rejection of selfishness and irresponsibility”.

75th anniversary of the Bambina’s coronation

Six years later, in 1996, the Senglea parish, led by Archpriest Vincenzo Cachia, commemorated the 75th anniversary of the coronation of the statue of Maria Bambina.

That year, celebrations seemed to know no end. Much awaited was the unique occasion when the statue of the Bambina was exposed at St John’s Co-Cathedral for the Maltese worshipers. There, on August 22, 1996, a celebration was held for Maltese emigrants present in Malta at the time.

The next day, August 23, Mgr Carmelo Xuereb, Vicar General Emeritus, led a concelebrated mass together with members of the Cathedral Chapter, the Senglean Chapter and the chaplains and rectors of Valletta churches.

Afterwards, the statue of the Bambina, accompanied by the two Valletta bands and a multitude of people, was processionally transported from the Co-Cathedral to the Valletta shore, lifted on a barge and, accompanied by the Queen’s Own Band, was brought to the Senglea marina.

During the crossing of the harbour, the statue was accompanied by regatta boats, Armed Forces of Malta patrol boats, as well as a considerable number of other boats and ferries that transported the people to Senglea.

The statue of Maria Bambina was welcomed at the marina and, with the participation of the Queen’s Own Band, was carried to the basilica in a joyful and devotional procession.

The peak of the year-long festivities was reached on the evening of September 4, when Archbishop Giuseppe Mercieca led a solemn high mass at the Senglea marina. That evening, the congregation assisted to the inauguration of the statue of Our Lady, now covered with gold and silver plates, a marvellous artefact made a martello.

Words cannot describe the devotion and emotion that permeated Senglea. The bonding that Senglea has with its Bambina was tangible.

Senglea waterfront today

Nowadays, life at the Senglea marina carries on in a rather quiet way, a mere shadow of what it was in the years preceding World War II. But the sea still laps the waterfront with its briny freshness.

The marina has been rebuilt but it still has its unique character and attraction, its romantic enchantment and its unequalled maritime environment.

The happy atmosphere of its sociable way of life, especially during summer evenings, is still there, and with it the temptation to sit down by the sea and enjoy the harbour views and the cool evening summer breeze.

Popularly called ix-xatt (the waterfront) by the locals, part of the marina has been named after one of Senglea’s valiant sons, Juan B. Azopardo, founder of the first Argentine Navy, in whose honour, on June 21, 2001, a monument, donated by the Argentine government, was inaugurated at the marina.

Furthermore, on September 12, 2014, a sculpture was unveiled, dedicated to Senglea’s seafarers and their families, symbolising the suffering a sailor’s family endures when it experiences separation.

In such a picturesque maritime setting, this tribute brings to mind Homer’s dictum in The Odssey: “It is a moment in a man’s life when he has to depart from his loved ones and says farewell. If he ever returns, then he is recognised though changed and welcomed.”