COSPICUA - THE CITY ATTACHED AND WHOLLY DEVOTED TO THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

A Bit About Bormla / Cospicua

Bormla / Cospicua is one of the so-called ‘Three Cities’, a trio of cities across the Grand Harbour from Valletta that actually predates Valletta. The Three Cities are also collectively known as ‘the Cottonera’.

The Three Cities have withstood two sieges, each worthy of more reading if you are interested in Malta: The Great Siege of 1565 (against the Ottoman Turks), and the World War II Siege (against the Axis powers), during which Malta became one of the most bombed places on earth.

Bormla was the city’s original name, but it was renamed Cospicua after the Great Siege of 1565 because of the prominent — or conspicuous role —  it played during the siege. While many tourist maps and brochures will refer to the town as ‘Cospicua,’ most of the Maltese people I’ve chatted with call it ‘Bormla.’

Finally, if you see The Three Cities called the ‘Cottonera,’ know that name goes back to when Malta was occupied by Napoleon’s troops.

THE TITULAR PAINTING

 THE TITULAR PAINTING OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION IN THE SANCTUARY

Titular Choir Pane. Painter: Pietro Paola Caruana (1794-1852).

The Sanctuary painting of the Immaculate Conception, which dominates the marble facade of the church choir, was painted by Pietro Paolo Caruana (1794 – 1852) in 1828. The idea behind this painting was that of Canon  Ludovico Mifsud Tommasi, who was a theologian, poet and great devotee of Our Lady.

This painting was not immediately accepted and it was only in 1850 that it was placed in the church. The old painting, Carlo Gimach's work (1651 – 1730), is now in the sacristy of the parish.

On 25 June 1905, Cardinal Domenico ferrata, on behalf of Pope Pius X, crowned the image of the Immaculate Mary with a golden crown on the head of Our Lady. Fifty years later, on 25 July 1955, Cardinal Federico Tedeschini placed a gold and diamond sculpture around Our Lady's head.

This painting, together with the statue of the Conception, was taken in January 1941 to the Basilica of Birkirkara for shelter from enemy bombs in World War II. They were brought back to Cospicua on a pilgrimage from Birkirkara to Cospicua, on 19 November 1944 as a form of gratitude for the divine intervention that the Church did not suffer any damage during the war. And one must take into account that Cospicua being a city in the Grand Harbour area was a prime target for the bombardments.

THE CHURCH TODAY.  FACADE RENOVATED A FEW YEARS BACK.

THE STATUE OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

 

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