Jump to content

Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tal-Ħerba

Coordinates:35°54′4.4″N14°27′53.6″E/ 35.901222°N 14.464889°E/35.901222; 14.464889
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Tal-Ħerba
Santwarju tal-Madonna tal-Ħerba
The church's façade and portico in 2016
Map
35°54′4.4″N14°27′53.6″E/ 35.901222°N 14.464889°E/35.901222; 14.464889
LocationBirkirkara,Malta
DenominationRoman Catholic
History
StatusChurch
Foundedc.16th century or earlier
DedicationNativity of Mary
Dedicated23 March 1783
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architect(s)Andrea/Edwin Vassallo (enlargement and dome)
StyleRococo
Years built1610 (first church)
c.1644 (second church)
1774 (reconstruction)
1797 (portico and bell tower)
1923 (enlargement and dome)
Specifications
MaterialsLimestone
Administration
ArchdioceseMalta
ParishBirkirkara (St Helen)

TheSanctuary of Our Lady of Tal-Ħerba(Maltese:Santwarju tal-Madonna tal-Ħerba) is aRoman Catholicchurch inBirkirkara,Malta,dedicated to theNativity of Mary.It was constructed at various stages between the early 17th century and the 1920s, on the site of an earlier church which had existed since at least 1575.

Pope Pius Xgranted a Pontifical decree of coronation to the venerated Marian image on 13 February 1910 signed via CardinalMariano Rampollay Tindaro, and notarized by CardinalAngelo di Pietro.The rite of coronation was executed by Archbishop of Rhodes,Pietro Paceon August 7 of the same year.

History

[edit]

The first mention of a church on the site of the sanctuary is in a 1575 report byPietro Dusina,in which he stated that it attracted some devotion.[1]This building is believed to have been replaced by a new church in 1610.[2]BishopBaldassare Cagliaresmade a pastoral visit to various churches in Birkirkara in 1615, including to one dedicated to theAssumption of Marywhich was referred to asTal-Ħerba(meaning "of the ruin" in theMaltese language). The origins of this name or nickname are unclear, and a discredited theory stated it was a corruption ofTal-Ħarba(meaning "of the escape" ) in reference to fleeing Ottoman troops after theGreat Siege of Maltaof 1565. It might also be the case that the church was known asTal-Ħerbabecause it was already old by the early 17th century,[1]or that it got its name from the ruinous state of its surroundings at the time of its construction.[3]

According to tradition, at one point a crippled man who hadcrutchesheard the church's bell ringing and was miraculously healed after entering the building. This supposed miracle led to increased devotion to Our Lady of Tal-Ħerba among the Maltese population, and the church is said to have also attracted visitors from Sicily, mainland Italy, England, France and Spain. By 1640, the church had become too small to cater for these needs, and sometime before 1644 a new church dedicated to theNativity of Marywas constructed in front of the original building. Over time the latter lost its importance and it was no longer used for worship by 1673. Some time later it was converted into asacristyfor the new building.[1]

Crucifix above the church's entrance

In 1774, the old church was demolished and it was replaced by aRococobuilding.[1]It was dedicated by bishopVincenzo Labinion 23 March 1783.[2]Between the late 18th and early 20th centuries, various popes and bishops grantedindulgencesto the church, including PopesClement XIV,Pius VI,Pius IX,Leo XIIIandPius Xand bishops Labini,Gaetano Pace FornoandPietro Pace.[1]The church's portico and bell tower were added in 1797.[1]

In 1923, the sanctuary was enlarged to its present configuration, and a dome was added.[1]The bell tower, portico, side chapel, sacristy and oratory of the existing church were retained,[3]and by this point almost no remains of the 1610 church still existed.[2]This enlargement was officially the work of the architect Edwin Vassallo,[3]although it is believed that the designs were actually made by his fatherAndrea Vassallo,who credited them to his son because he was prevented from carrying out private commissions due to his role as a government architect.[4]

A hall to house ex-voto offerings was constructed in 1955, and some restoration work was carried out in the 1990s.[1]The church falls under the jurisdiction of Birkirkara'sparish of St Helen.[2]The building is listed on theNational Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.[3]

Architecture

[edit]
The church as viewed from the rear, with its dome visible

The church has a cruciform plan,[3]and it includes a dome and a single bell tower.[1]A longparvisis located in front of the church's façade,[3]and a staircase leads to aporticowhich is topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary. The portico leads to the church's entrance, above which there is a crucifix.[1]

Apart from the nave and altar in thechoir,the church has a side chapel and a sacristy.[1]

Artworks

[edit]

The church'saltarpiecedepicts the Virgin Mary along withJohn the Baptist,aguardian angeland souls inpurgatory.[3]It was painted between 1668 and 1679, and it replaced an earlier altarpiece which is now located in the sanctuary's side chapel.[1]The painting was crowned by Bishop Pietro Pace on 7 August 1910.[1][2]

The church also contains a number of other artworks, including paintings at side altars and frescoes on the dome and roof. These depict scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, and they were painted by the artist Ġużeppi Briffa between 1926 and 1959.[1]

The church also contains about 500ex-votopaintings and other offerings, which are held in a special hall.[3]This is the largest collection of ex-voto in Malta, and it includes around 183 paintings with maritime themes.[1]Some of the ex-voto at Tal-Ħerba are of considerable historical significance: examples include a 1740 painting which is the oldest known depiction of asperonara[5]and an 1840 painting which depicts the crew of a ship being massacred bypygmiesin West Africa.[6][7]

References

[edit]
  1. ^abcdefghijklmnoXuereb, Philip."Is-Santwarju tal-Madonna tal-Ħerba ~ Birkirkara ~".Kappelli Maltin(in Maltese). Archived fromthe originalon 10 January 2020.
  2. ^abcde"Birkirkara (St Helen)".Archdiocese of Malta.Archived fromthe originalon 25 July 2020.
  3. ^abcdefgh"Church of the Madonna tal-Herba"(PDF).National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands.27 August 2012. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 September 2020.
  4. ^Mahoney, Leonard (1990)."Architect Andrea Vassallo (1908–1928)"(PDF).Melita Historica.10(3). Malta Historical Society: 225–236. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 26 March 2017.
  5. ^Muscat, Joseph (1993)."The Xprunara"(PDF).Proceedings of History Week 1993:123–150. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 22 January 2019.
  6. ^Cuschieri, Andrew; Muscat, Joseph (1989)."Maritime votive paintings in Maltese churches"(PDF).Melita Historica.10(2): 121–144. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 13 September 2020.
  7. ^Borg, Isabelle (2005).The Maritime Ex-Voto: A Culture of Thanksgiving in Malta.Malta:Heritage Books. pp. 20–21.ISBN9789993270102.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sanctuary_of_Our_Lady_of_Tal-Ħerba&oldid=1256692897"