Madliena

Madliena Tower

Madliena refers to three different sites on the island of Malta: a church in Valletta, a chapel in Dingli, and a chapel in St. Andrew's, all of which are dedicated to Mary Magdalene.

Valletta

The church in Valletta was built by the Knights of St. John. Inside, there are religious sculptures, including one showing the role of Mary Magdalene as a nurse. The church was damaged during World War II and later abandoned; it was partially restored in 2008.

Dingli

In Dingli, Madliena is a chapel high on the Dingli Cliffs. The chapel, under the authority of the Dominican Fathers, of whom Mary Magdalene is a patron saint, is well cared for and open to the public regularly during limited hours. The feast of St Mary Magdalene is celebrated here. It lacks the pomp, fireworks, behavior, organization, and publicity of other feasts. Unlike many feast days associated with other saints, the feast of St. Mary Magdalene is held on one day only, July 22. The Blessing of the Animals occurs outside the chapel. The building is no longer referred to as the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalene, but as the Dingli Chapel. UNESCO has declared it a World Heritage Site.

St. Andrew's

The other chapel dedicated to Mary Magdalene is in St. Andrew's. Some historians record that this chapel was used during World War II to store paintings, silverware, and other precious collections, and that the whole chapel was covered with sandbags for security. Soldiers and sailors would pay their respects to the Magdalene every time they saw the Chapel of Madliena on land or from the sea.

The original chapel, built in 1490, was demolished in 1880 to make way for the building of a fortress by the British authorities. The present chapel was built some time after 1880. Until August 1998, this chapel formed part of the Għargħur parish; however, due to circumstances within the Għargħur parish, services started to be held by the Ibraġġ Church, which had also previously formed part of the Għargħur parish.[1]

Today, the chapel is in an abandoned state, and is rarely used.

The area is also home to the Madliena tower, which served as a beacon, used mostly by the Knights of Saint John or Knights of Malta.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pace, F. Il-Gargur, In-nies u l-Knejjes Tieghu, (Kunsill Lokali Għargħur, 2000).

External links

Coordinates: 35°56′N 14°28′E / 35.933°N 14.467°E / 35.933; 14.467

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