The statue depicted in the above photo is the effigy of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God which one can find in my parish of Cospicua, Malta. We celebrate its feast on the 8th December but 9 days prior to the celebration, a novena is held to prepare the parishioners spiritually.
According to tradition, the first statue of the Immaculate Conception in Cospicua was sculptured from the trunk on which, according to the legend of the Marzabba (Whip), Our Lady had free a child from the outrage of the devil. This statue is today located in the Parish Church of Qrendi.
It was Sister Maria de Domenicis, who studied under Mattia Preti, who sculpted the statue of the Conception in wood at around 1680. But in 1905 the statue was changed from its previous appearance. It was sent to Milan to Antonio Ghezzi & Figlo where she was dressed in silver on the design Abraham Gatt (1863 – 1944). Only the head, hands, feet and snake were taken from the statue of de Domenicis. The statue was inaugurated on 18 June 1905 under the portico of the church of Santa Margerita, on the occasion of the coronation of the titular painting of the Colligiate Church.
more to follow in the coming days
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