These
temples, marvels of construction before the discovery
of metals or the wheel, are the oldest examples
of architecture in the world, since they were
designed and built as freestanding monuments.
They are not adapted natural caves and are older
than the pyramids of Egypt. They are evidence
of the physical and spiritual strength of a mysterious,
prehistoric people, whose artistic achievement
still remains an invitation and propitious environment
to ask the timeless questions about the meaning
of existence which they inscribed into their stone
structures and sculptures.
That was the first golden age of Maltese culture.
A second, which also constitutes a glorious part
of the common heritage of mankind, occurred with
the advent of the Knights of the Order of St.
John, in the 16th century AD. The Order had been
established in 1076 in Jerusalem to provide care,
first medical, then military, to pilgrims to the
Holy Land. The Knights had been driven out from
several strongholds soon after their coming to
Malta; they were forced to defend the island against
the forces of Suleiman the Magnificent. in the
Great Siege of 1565. The defeat of the Turks was
a turning point that probably changed the fate
of Europe.
The collective memory of the Maltese has retained
the historic epic of 1565 as a parable of the
human condition: a state of siege by adverse forces
to be overcome by solidarity and trust in God,
a perilous experience to be undergone with courage
and sacrifice, leading to a joyous end in festivity,
a complement of the Odyssey of St. Paul.
The Maltese Islands are studded with symbols
expressive of the people’s thankfulness
for past graces and faith in the future. Great
creativity has gone into the construction of over
330 churches and innumerable works of art, especially
of the Baroque Age, including the great masterpieces
by Caravaggo in St. John’s Co-Cathedral
in Valletta. There are other large churches, such
as St. Paul’s Cathedral in the old capital,
Mdina. which are impressive by a~y standards.
But perhaps even more impressive are the small,
wayside chapels, a distinctive mark of the Maltese
landscape, some excavated in the rock, others
decorated with medieval a frescoes, most of a
rustic baroque character, inviting to quiet contemplation
and peace in the silent environment.
Of course, one of them is sited at the traditional
spot where St. Paul baptized the first Maltese
and is called "San Pawl Milqi" ("St.
Paul Welcomed’).
Even the less religiously inclined do not easily
escape the meditative spell of the Maltese context.
As one walks upon the incredible floor in the
“Co-Cathedral’ made up of tessellated
slabs over the tombs of the Knights and other
celebrated figures who had their fill of earthly
glory, one can sense the acute consciousness in
the Baroque Age of the mirroring by the ephemeral
of the eternal. But Malta and Gozo as a whole
are a wellspring of inspiration for coping with
the problems of life with invincible trust.
Ex Voto" donations are an age-old custom
in Malta and Gozo, which have lived on till the
present day. These donations are the fulfillment
of a vow made by the donator in gratitude for
the grace granted by God or the help granted by
a Saint in a very difficult situation in life.
They are symbols of the donators’ firm believe
in God and their unshakeable faith in God’s
future guidance.
"Ex Voto" donations can be seen in
many of Malta’s churches. The oldest are
several hundred years old. An interesting and
rich collection of "Ex Voto" donations
referring to the daily perils at sea can be admired
at the Museum annexed to the Church of "Our
Lady of Graces" in Zabbar and in the Church
of "Ta Pinu" in Gozo.
|
