A memorable page in the history of the Senglea parish was written 50 years ago when, on September 4, 1971, Cardinal Giacomo Lercaro adorned the statue of Maria Bambina with a gold sprig.

The short but touching ceremony was the culmination of activities and celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the solemn crowning of the Bambina by Archbishop Dom Mauro Caruana, OSB. It was intended to be held on the same spot at the marina, but atrocious weather forced the organisers to relocate it to the basilica.

An innovative idea that emerged from the organising committee was that of holding a defilé with tableaux depicting nine episodes from Senglea’s history. Artist Joseph L. Mallia was commissioned to accomplish the task, painting the representations on sheets of hardboard.

Born in Senglea on January 11, 1937, Mallia received his education at St Michael’s School and the Dockyard Technical College. He studied at the School of Art in Valletta (1957-63 and 1964-66), at the Bath Academy, Corsham, UK, (1963-64), at Ealing School of Art, London (1966-67), and at Wimbledon School of Art, London (1967-70).

Besides a committed artistic career, he gathered a wide range of teaching experience at various levels. He started in 1964 as a peripatetic teacher of art in primary schools. Then, he taught in the secondary school sector, followed by involvement in post-secondary institutions like the School of Art, the Art and Design Centre and the University of Malta.

Mallia was head at the School of Art (1991-1996), Education Officer (Art) in the Education Division (1995-1998) and visiting lecturer at the University of Malta (1984-1998).

While he participated in various collective exhibitions, Mallia was also commissioned to design postage stamps: Christmas 1982 and 1989, the 25th anniversary of the Philatelic Society, the centenary of St Ignatius of Loyola, the venerable Maria Adeodata Pisani and the centenary of St John of the Cross issues, all in 1991. In October 1999, he initiated the morning course in creativity in the School of Art.

Mallia is one of the most intellectually active Maltese artists, always questioning or dissecting the validity or otherwise of art works, many times leaving an open-ended scale for his answers among those discussing such matters with him.

In 1551, after the Otto­mans attacked Malta and Gozo, Grand Master Juan de Homedes (1536-1553), so as to strengthen the defences of the island, decided to build two new forts, one on the Sciberras peninsula, and another on the smaller peninsula then known as Isola di San Giuliano.

The fort on l’Isola, built to a design by the military engineer Pedro Pardo, was inaugurated on May 8, 1552.

Named Fort St Michael, it was built at the neck of the peninsula, whence it could dominate l’Isola’s entrance from the landward side. The rationale behind its construction was to delay any Ottoman assault on Borgo.

In the first tableau, the bastions at the entrance to Senglea immediately catch the eye. They are drawn as at present, showing the double-arched entrance surmounted by the flag of the Order, the Dockyard clock tower (built in 1906) and the Senglea Primary School, both built on the area where Fort St Michael originally stood, and the belfries and dome of the Senglea basilica.

So as to have a clear picture of how the fortifications on this side of the peninsula were originally built, Mallia included an insert in the middle lower part of the tableau. The original squarish tower was subsequently enclosed within the bastioned enceinte and the spur of the casemated bastion was protected by a ravelin.

An innovative idea emerged of holding a defilé with tableaux depicting nine episodes from Senglea’s history. Artist Joseph L. Mallia was commisioned to accomplish the task

Grand Master de Homedes, inserted in the top left corner, is seen looking at his project, with satisfaction. In the lower left corner are three poles flying Malta’s national flag, that of the Order of St John and the banner of Grand Master de Homedes. To the right is the standard of Gran Master Claude de la Sengle.

Claude de la Sengle (1553-1557) continued on de Homedes’ footsteps. During his magistracy, he fortified the Isola peninsula with bastions designed by Nicolò Bellavanti. The progress made soon started to shape the promontory into a city – prompting La Sengle to raise its status to that of a city bearing his own name. From 1554, l’Isola became known as Città La Sengle, or Senglea.

Up until the early 14th century this finger of land that reaches out to Valletta across the harbour but fails to make contact, was a mere wasteland and practically uninhabited. The peninsula was, at the start of the 16th century, the site of a small church dedicated to St Julian in 1311 (which was later rebuilt in 1539 and again in 1712) and about 300-odd, scattered dwellings.

By the time of the arrival of the Order, l’Isola was a small fishing village. Grand Master Philippe Villiers de L’Isle Adam (1521-1534) was quick to embellish the peninsula by planting a good number of olive trees and adding a windmill.

In the central part of Mallia’s second tableau, the olive grove, church and windmill are clearly depicted, together with galleys of the Order sailing around the peninsula.

In the top right corner is the image of Grand Master la Sengle admiring the city through which his name is still recalled. The spur at the tip of the Senglea peninsula is seen still being built. The end result, complete with a vedette and a sea-level battery, is in the insert at the top left corner, flanked by the coat-of-arms of Claude de la Sengle and the year of the city’s foundation.

The strategies developed by Pardo and Bellavanti were tested in 1565 when a major Ottoman army landed in Malta in May. The enemy laid siege to Fort St Elmo, which fell on June 23.

After the fall of St Elmo, Senglea was to receive the undivided attention of the enemy. The battle was fought, if not to the last man, to the bitter end. After acknowledging the pivotal role St Elmo played at the start of the campaign, it may reasonably be said that the survival of Malta owed much to the spirited and successful defence of Senglea.

Though Senglea’s defences were not completely finished by the time of the Great Siege, it created a compact block of fortification. Its resilience prompted Grand Master Jean de Valette (1557-1568) to bestow on Senglea the title of Civitas Invicta (The Unconquered City) for the courage shown by its citizens. It was also given a highly meaningful motto – Qua Pugnavi Invicta Consido (Here where I battled, I stand unconquered).

All this struggle and battle is intensely illustrated in Mallia’s third tableau. Maltese men, women and children are seen helping the knights during the battle by pouring boiling oil and throwing stones from the top of the fortifications onto the Turks below.

At the foot of the painting, a Capuchin friar, holding high a crucifix, recalls Padre Roberto da Eboli, the first known Capuchin in Malta. He was at the forefront with the combatants in the defence of the island from the attack of the Turks. Although wounded, he became a guardian angel consoling the soldiers. He also prophesied the liberation of the island after a heavenly vision, instilling courage and confidence in the defenders of Christianity.

The dove of peace is hovering above the harsh confrontation, and Grand Master la Valette, on whose shoulders fell the task of conducting the defence of Malta during the Great Siege, looks with pride at the standard of the Order while imploring divine assistance. Indeed, on September 8, the day liturgically dedicated to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, whose effigy is superimposed on the fluttering flag of the Order, the Turkish command lifted the siege and left the island.

The people of Senglea, though weighed down by the ordeal endured, felt that 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 in 1580, with the completion of the temple, probably designed by architect Vittorio Cassar, built close to the site of Fort St Michael, where the heaviest battle of the siege was fought. Immediately, Senglea was established as an independent parish.

The statue of Our Lady of Victories, the Bambina, venerated at Senglea’s parish church, is indeed unique, being of a dainty, almost miniature scale. Its colourful origin goes back to the year 1618.

The events connected with this treasured statue were narrated and passed down from one generation to another. According to a reliable tradition, recorded in archived manu­scripts, this statue was found floating with other wreckage of a galleon. As reproduced by Mallia in the upper level of the fourth tableau, this galleon was shattered at the height of the storm and shipwrecked on one of the Dalmatian islands, modern Croatia.

The captain of an Austrian galley, sailing in the vicinity of those islands, caught sight of this holy image, fished it out of the sea, and resolved to donate it to a church on the first Christian land he reached.

The statue, which in all probability adorned the posterior part of a Christian galleon, was donated to the Senglea parish church, on the petition of two passengers, both from Senglea, who happened to be on the galley. Parish priest Don Cosimo Talavera, with ecstatic joy, received the statue on behalf of the inhabitants of the city.

Mallia pictured this scene happening close to the Sheer Bastion (the Macina). On the shore, a procession welcomes the advent of the statue of the Bambina on a small boat from the Austrian galley, seen anchored at sea.

Very soon, the statue became a cherished priceless heritage of the Senglea parish and venerated with distinct devotion.

To be concluded