01/03/2024
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Mvy9E4VzLqy96p6W/?mibextid=WC7FNe
Qabel ma' beda il-ġenn tal-ħajja mgħaġġla, tat-traffiku u l-kostruzzjoni ta-llum, in-nies kienu joqogħdu ħafna bil-qegħda barra għal xi naqra xemx sħuna wara nofsinhar fix-xitwa jew għal-frisk fil-għaxija fis-sajf bit-tfal jilgħabu barra madwarhom. Dan għexieħ. U llum niftakruħ.
IR-RABAT IS-SABIĦ, IR-RABAT L-ANTIK
Twanny ‘is-Sineva’, Pawlu ‘in-Nunnu’ u Mario bil-qegħda barra il-Lelimar Bar mal-kantuniera ta’ Sqaq Nru. 1 fi Triq San Franġisk, ir-Rabat, Malta.
Meta Kappa Vision kien iltaqa mal-ħbieb tagħna li jidru fir-ritratt hawnhekk f’rebbiegħa ta’ ftit snin ilu, kienu qalulna li huma uħud mil-ftit nies ta’ ċertu età li kien għad fadal f’dawn l-inħawi tar-Rabat, il-parti hekk imsejjħa l-qadima. Wara nofsinhar, meta t-temp jippermetti, spiss kont issibhom miġbura bil-qegħda jgħidu kelma ħdejn il-Lelimar Bar li darba kien ukoll każin. Fis-sajf kont issibhom fil-għaxijiet ukoll, il-Bambin magħhom! Ħajja sempliċi, ħajja tajba u ġenwina mil-Malta li kbirna fiha.
L-ISTATWA
Ir-Rabat hu post mimli tifkiriet taċ-ċiviltà ta' Malta ta' I-imgħoddi. Dan bir-raġun kollu, għax f’dawn l-inħawi Malta kellha l-belt kapitali tagħha.
Fir-Rabat nsibu tifkiriet ta' kull żmien ta' l-istorja tal-gżejjer tagħna. Ma' dawn inżidu wkoll numru kbir ta' djar, palazzi, knejjes, kunventi u postijiet oħra li f'b***a minnhom seħħew ġrajjiet interessanti marbuta ma' l-istorja ta’ pajjiżna. Ma' dawn it-tifkiriet kollha wieħed jista' wkoll josserva numru kbir ta' niċeċ u statwi, u ma' b***a minnhom insibu storja, tifkira u arti.
Fl-inħawi tal-knisja u l-kunvent tal-Franġiskani Konventwali naraw numru ta' niċeċ u statwi b'rabta ma' din il-knisja. Ħdejn il-kunvent għandna tliet statwi kbar tal-ġebel. L-ewwel waħda hi l-aktar qadima u hi dik ta’ Marija Immakulata, b’devozzjoni oħra qadima ħafna fejn il-knisja ta' San Franġisk. Din tinsab fi Triq San Franġisk, kantuniera ma Sqaq Nru. 1, u tidher hawnhekk f’dan ir-ritratt.
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IN ENGLISH
Happy memories from Twanny ‘is-Sineva’, Pawlu ‘in-Nunnu’ and Mario sitting outside an old bar at an alley of St. Francis Street in Rabat, .
FRIENDS TO ALL - LIFE IN THE OLD RABAT
When we met up with them some years back, they told Kappa Vision they were among the last few people of a certain age left in this part of the beautiful, old Rabat as it’s known. In the afternoons, weather permitting, you’d often find them here chatting sitting outside Lelimar Bar, which before used to be a party ‘każin’ club. In summer you used to find them in the evenings too, God Bless them. A simply yet good, genuine life from the Malta we have grown to love. Good times!
THE STATUE
Rabat is a city full of memories and reminders of an old civilization of the Malta of old. And this for good reason as in these parts Malta had its old capital city. In Rabat we find several palaces, old houses, churches, convents and niches that stand as a testament to our past and our ancestors’ devotion. Some niches, as is common across the islands, have an interesting story or legend tied to them, and some are very artistic as well.
Around the area of the church dedicated to St. Francis and the adjacent Franciscan convent we find several niches and three large statues. One of them - the oldest - embellishes the corner of St. Francis Street with Alley No. 1 of the same street. This large free-standing statue depicts the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which has a very old devotion at the church of St. Francis nearby, too. The statue is set on a rectangular plinth decorated with acanthus leaves. It is supported by a high pedestal. The Madonna is portrayed raised on a series of clouds with three cherubs. The privately owned statue is the work of a talented sculptor as it denotes good artistic qualities.
LISTED IN THE NICPMI
The statue was listed in the National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI Inv. No. 2407; Date of Publication 27 June 2014). It was deemed to have ‘high architectural, artistic and social’ cultural property heritage value.
Photo Copyright © Kappa Vision / Jean-Paul Borg.
References:
- Superintendence of Cultural Heritage, culture .gov .mt;
- Tony Terribile, “Niċeċ u statwi fit-toroq Maltin”, 2000, Malta, PIN, Publikazzjoni Indipendenza.
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