The Statue of Our Lady of Victories venerated at the Sanctuary Basilica of Our Lady's Nativity in Senglea, has a colorful origin going back to the year 1618. His- torical research has established that this statue reached the town of Senglea on board a galley of the Order of St. John after it had been found floating amongst other wreckage and picked up in the Adriatic Sea.
After its recovery from the water, that statue which probably had been the figure-head of some Christian galleon, was donated to the Senglea Parish Church by the captain of the galley, on the petition of two of his passengers who hailed from the town of Senglea. The statue, popularly known as '1l-Bambina', owing to its small size, has been venerated with particular devotion ever since. It has, on various occasions, bee n the centre of attraction for special religious gatherings as well as local parochial and national pilgrimages.
As examples of the profound esteem and veneration with which it has been held, especially in the past, we may mention two events which are registered in the Parish archives. The first dates back from the year 1718, when on the 10th of April, the statue was carried in a penitential pilgrimage to the sanctuary of Our Lady known as 'Tal - Hlas' in Qormi - a distance of about 6 miles , after a long period of disastrous drought. The second happened almost a century later, in the year 1813. At that time Malta was passing through a very difficult time indeed, when a deadly plague was raking the island and hundreds were dying every week.
The Senglea Chapter vowed solemnly that if the city was spared from this affliction, they would perpetually hold three votive processions, one of which was that with the statue of 'Il-Bambina', to be held annually on every 8th of September. Through Divine Protection and Our Lady's intercession, Senglea was spared, and the promise has been duly observed.
Since this statue also represents the titular dedication of the Parish, since the year 1680, it has been solemnly and processional, carried around the main streets of the town of Senglea every year on the 8th of September. This liturgical procession is held in conclusion of the week-long solemn celebrations held annually by the parish in honor of Our Lady and leading to the feast day of the Blessed Virgin's Nativity on the mentioned date.
The year 1921 saw the culmination of the traditional popular veneration of this statue, when on the 4th of September, His Grace the then Archbishop of Malta, Dom. Mauro Caruana, placed on the head of the Madonna a crown of solid gold studded with precious stones, which had been donated purposely by the people of Senglea. The solemn crowning of this statue was effected as a result of a petition submitted to the reigning Pontiff Benedict XV by the Chapter, clergy and people of Senglea, who had asked the Pope to grant them this privilege in honor of Our Lady, in view of the deep devotion with which it was venerated throughout the island.
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As a matter of fact, this particular statue is the only statue of Our Lady in Malta to be thus solemnly crowned by a special decree of the Holy See. On that same occasion, and as a perpetual reminder of this event, the Collegiate Sanctuary of Senglea was raised by the Holy See to the dignity of a Minor Basilica.
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When the new basilica was erected after the war the
statue of the Virgin Mary was placed in a niche high up behind
the tribune, a befitting location.
The gold crown, adorned by diamonds and other precious
stones, with which the statue of the Virgin Mary was crowned,
was executed on the design of the older one. The Testa Firm of
Valletta was commissioned to select the diamonds and gemstones,
while the Muscat Firm was entrusted with melting the gold gifts
presented by the people of Senglea for this occasion. The
momentous event of Mary’s Cowning is recalled in the choir of
this collegiate church by a marble tablet under the titular
statue. |
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The platform of the titular statue made from inlaid
walnut is undoubtedly one of the most precious artefacts in this
collegiate church. It was manufactured by a number of Senglean
craftsmen on a design by Master Michele Degiovanni in 1892. |
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In 1804 sculptor Mariano Gerada had executed the statue
of the Immaculate Conception, with which he also made the
pedestal which was also used for the titular statue. It was a
pedestal adorned with straight and elegant lines, used for both
statues. In 1892
during term office of Archpriest
Tagliaferro,
an exquisite platform for the
titular statue was made. On the initiative of Can. Giuseppe
Zammil this
statue pedestal was made from silver
and inaugurated in the year 1903. This pedestal is a replica of
the one produced by Gerada with certain modifications.
In the panels were placed high
relief figures of the four prophets
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and
Daniel. Together with the pedestal of St. Lawrence at Birgu,
these are the oldest two silver
pedestals in Malta. |
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Around the statue of the Virgin Mary are four silver
angels, produced in 1934 on the initiative of Giovanni Farrugia
and funded by Lorenzo
Calleja, Francesco Grech, Giuseppe Caruana and Salvatore
Camilleri. |
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