Contents Journal of the University of Malta, Gozo Centre Editors, Prof M.N. Cauchi, Mr. Joseph Calleja. All correspondence is to be addressed to: University of Malta - Gozo Centre,

THE GOZO OBSERVER (No.10-11) - May 20041

Editorial p 2

The Gozo Cathedral Public Library p 3Anton Farrugia

A Brief Outline of the Geophysical Properties of the Island of Gozo p 4George Said

Five Bells from the Knights’ Ferreria at the Gozo Cathedral p 8Joseph Bezzina

The Ecclesiastical Decorative Arts in the Maltese Islands p 11Mark Sagona

The “Social Care Course” at the University Gozo Centre p 14Victor Galea

Activities at the University Gozo Centre – 2003 p 16Joseph Calleja

International Workshop on Economic Vulnerability p 19and Resilience of Small States

Lino Briguglio

Book Review: Qala and its Insights p 20Paul Xuereb

Exhibition by Gozitan Artist Mark Sagona p 22Joseph Calleja

The Gozo Observer Issue No 10-11, May 2004The Journal of the University of Malta, Gozo CentreEditors, Prof M.N. Cauchi, Mr. Joseph Calleja.All correspondence is to be addressed to:University of Malta - Gozo Centre, Mgarr Rd., Xewkija, VCT111, Gozoe-mail: [email protected]© University of Malta Gozo Centre and individual contributors. 2002

The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Board of the University of Malta - Gozo Centre.

The Gozo Observer website:The Gozo Observer can also be seen on our website at: http://www.gozo.com/ugc

Printed by Portelli Print - Nadur. Tel: 2155 8232

Contents

2THE GOZO OBSERVER (No.10-11) - May 2004

There is no doubt that Gozo is beingcatapulted into Europe, and expectations arehigh that this will be followed by considerablebenefits to the island. Among these are thetangible economic benefits to business with,hopefully, diffusion of profits into the pocketsof the average citizen.

Equally important are developments whichlead to a betterment of our environment andway of life. Among recently announcedchanges we find two proposals which arebound to enhance our environment andpromote wider appreciation of the heritage ofwhich we are mere custodians.

The first of these is no doubt the declarationof the Dwejra region as part of world heritage.Not only is this an area of exceptionalgeographical beauty, but it also harbours inits tiny confines a collection of flora and faunaunique to the islands, and to the world. Aseminar held in June 1999 emphasised theuniqueness of this part of Gozo which, ageneration ago, was hardly thought of as morethan a place for swimming restricted to theinhabitants of G˙arb and San Lawrenz. Aspart of world heritage, and as a result of theEU funds made available for this purpose, thisparticular spot will be enhanced andpublicised world-wide. This has been madepossible through injection of EU funds for thepurpose.

Another piece of good news, long awaited forparticularly by those living in Xag˙ra andMarsalforn is the closure of the rubbish dumpwhich has been such an eyesore (and a nose-sore), as well as a health-risk, again with theassistance of EU funds. With the projectedrehabilitation of this area, there is no doubtthat it could be changed from a neglecteddump into an attractive belle-vedere.

There is still, however, a stark contrast

between the efforts of the Government atnational and European level to bring Gozo upto the mark, and the lackadaisical approachby the average Gozitan citizen to thesechallenges. There is still a great deal to be doneto convince one and all that it is essential toaspire to European standards in all walks oflife. We are still witnessing rustingrefrigerators used as improvised dividingwalls in fields, while the ubiquitous discardedplastic drip-system tubing decorating everyniche of our valleys. We see rubbleaccumulating outside every building site, andbuildings boarded up for years because workon them was suspended. Above all, at this timeof the year, we are shamed within theinternational arena by an increasing numberof hunters who find release of their primitiveinstincts in killing every bird of passage, towhich the word “protected” is just a fatallymisleading epithet.

There should be a continuing campaign toinform the public of what it means to upgradestandards. While the closure of a smelly wastedump is essential, it is equally important toensure that separation of waste should startat the home. It is unlikely that provision ofseveral large containers at a single point in avillage will induce the average householderto start separating garbage into differentcontainers, and much more effort should beplaced on educating the public on the needfor this to be done.

There is also a need to instil into the publicthe need for discipline, whether it is forparking, smoking in public, or respect for therights of others. Above all, there should be acontinuing effort to inform the public aboutthe relevance of our heritage, not only that ofarchaeological or historical importance, butalso about the physical and naturalenvironment which is so often taken forgranted and abused.

Editorial:Preserving our Heritage


The Gozo Cathedral Public Library has beenfunctional for the last 23 years. It was foundedin the ’70s, when the then Archdeacon of theGozo Cathedral, Mgr. Paul Cauchi (1896-1980)donated all his books (more than 3000) to theGozo Cathedral which marked the beginningof the this library. This fact is confirmed bythe inscriptions found on several of the saidbooks.

On the insistence of Rev. Fr. Tony Mercieca, apriest doing pastoral work in Miami, USA, thethen Archpriest of the Gozo Cathedral parishMgr. Carmelo Scicluna collected hundreds ofother books from several parishioners andadded them to the books donated by Mgr.Cauchi. Thus the library started to build upgradually with the acquisition of about twothousand books per year. Needless to say, theMost Reverend Chapter of the Gozo Cathedralapproved this initiative and gave itswholehearted blessing to this worthy cause.Another factor that affected this decision wasthe resolution taken by the Gozo PastoralCongress held in 1975 that stated: “In everyparish a library be established, furnished withinteresting books and other publications withwhich all parishioners, especially youths canenhance their culture”.

From 1979 to this day, the Cathedral Librarywent through several phases leading to itspresent situation. The library was growing dayby day, and on 7th August 1987, BishopNicholas Cauchi inaugurated a larger hall,some 50 metres from Independence Square (it-Tokk), Victoria, from where the librarycontinued operating up to 1999. During theprevious year, the Gozo Cathedral Parishforked out the sum of about Lm70,000 to buynew and larger premises for the library. On 8th

August 1999, the library had completed itstransfer to the new premises at Qasam SanGorg, also in Victoria.

The Honourable Speaker of the Malteseparliament, Mr. Anton Tabone inaugurated thenew premises which were blessed by the VicarGeneral, Mgr. John Bosco Gauci who is also thearchdeacon of the Gozo Cathedral Chapter.

The main benefactor of the library is Rev. Fr.Anthony Mercieca of Florida, USA. During thepast 23 years he sent many thousands of bookson all subjects under the sun. A fair estimatewould be that Fr. Tony has donated about 70%of all the 103,000 books that the librarypossesses at the moment of writing this article.When the University Gozo Centre opened itsdoors in our island, an urgent message wasmailed to Father Tony to concentrate onsending tertiary academic books. Fr Tonycomplied beyond our expectation.

During these 23 years, the main librarianworking full time in the library was Mr AntonFarrugia assisted by a staff of ten helpers. Allpersonnel working in the library do sovoluntarily without any pecuniaryremuneration whatsoever. In 1996, as anappreciation for the sterling work done by thelibrarian and this staff, the medal “Ìie˙ il-Parroçça” was presented to the librarian tohonour all the staff.

ANTON FARRUGIA*

Internal view of the library

The Gozo Cathedral Public Library

*Mr. Anton Farrugia is a former student at the UniversityGozo Centre and is currently librarian at the GozoCathedral Library.

(Continued on page 7)


1 See Spratt, (1843),;Trechmann, (1938); Hyde (1955); Pedley (1976, 1978, 1983, 1985); and Zammit Maempel (1977).2 Grasso, 1992.3 Reuther, 1984

Introduction

The geo-morphology of Gozo is one of itsenvironmental assets. Through the span oftime, geo-morphological processes generateddifferent landforms that today embellish theisland with its scenic beauty and ruralcharacter. Various geo-morphologicalprocesses have produced a varied surfacelandscape and coastline, restricted inaccessibility where it controls the inhabitants’lifestyle and their living.

The Stratigraphy

The origins of the Maltese archipelago can betraced to shallow marine carbonate sediments,superimposed phases of strike slip faulting andrifting and geo-morphological scars triggeredby different climatic processes and complextectonic repercussion of the advancing of theAfrican and Eurasian plates towards eachother.1 This group of limestone islands rest onthe Malta-Hyblean platform, which is a wideshelf bridge that connects the Ragusa platformof southern Sicily and the Tripolitana platformof northern Libya.2

The Maltese stratum comprises hard massivesometimes-reefal tectonically competentcoralline limestone, ductile fine-grainedbiomicrites and plastic marls and clays oftectonically incompetent behaviour.3 Thesesedimentary beds belong to the geologicallyrecent mid-Tertiary period. The sedimentssettled in shallow marine waters and theirdeposition occurred in stages with five maingeological strata, which differ in compositionand structural resistance (Refer to Figure 1).

The circulation of ocean currents acting in thepast geological times affected the depositionof this sedimentary succession. The way thestratification is presented on the limestoneexposure gives an indication of the deposition,which had occurred during the formationperiod of that particular limestone band.Parallel layers indicate that deposition of thatsediment bed probably took place where theactivity of the waves and ocean currents wasat a minimum. The exposed Tertiary section isdivided into the following five rock units,which can be seen exposed on the islands.

Lower Coralline LimestoneThe Lower Coralline Limestone is the oldestexposed formation in the Maltese Islands, whichdates back to the Upper Oligocene period (38-24 million years BP). It is mainly exposed in theforms of sheer cliffs sections which show up to140 meters near Xlendi in Gozo and somewhatless along the Maltese coastline between FommIr-Ri˙ and Bengasia Point.

GEORGE SAID*

Figure 1: The stratigraphic column of the Maltese Islands(Source: Dr. Michael Hughes Clarke)

A Brief Outline of the Geophysical Propertiesof the Island of Gozo

*Mr George Said obtained a BA (Hons) degree in geographyin 1988 and a Masters degree in the same discipline in 2001. Ageographer by profession, he works at the National StatisticsOffice in Valletta, coordinating Environmental and Regionalstatistics.


Globigerina LimestoneAbove this geological stratum, lies theGlobigerina limestone formation which wasdeposited in the Lower-Middle Miocene epoch,24 to 15 million years BP. This rock is the largestoutcrop in the Maltese Islands and itsformation in Gozo is well exposed in the valleygorges and in the western part of the island.This is a fine grained sedimentary bed is furthersub-divided into three members, the Lower,Middle and the Upper Globigerina members

Blue ClayThe Blue Clay formation dates back to the Mid-Upper Miocene epoch, Serravilian to EarlyTortonian era i.e. 14 to 9 million years BP.Outcrops occur throughout the whole islandof Gozo. The formation is an extremely softrock, which weathers away easily andtranslates itself to 45º slopes and taluses thattend to slide further downhill over theunderlying Globigerina Limestone formation.Blue Clay is non-permeable and rain waterslides down to the valley systems.

GreensandThe Upper Miocene epoch, early Tortonian era,i.e., 9 to 7 million years BP, saw the depositionof the Greensand formation. Such stratificationis composed of variable thickness of bioclastic,glauconitic limestones which are poorlycemented. Weathering leads to the release ofiron oxides form the breakdown of theglauconite and imparts an orange browncolour to the formation. Maximum thicknessof this geological member is at the Gelmus hillin Gozo where it attains a maximum of 11metres.

Upper Coralline limestoneNext in sequence, is the Upper CorallineLimestone formation which also dates backto the Upper Miocene epoch but with aspecific reference to the late Tortonian to earlyMessinian era i.e. 7 to 4 million years BP. Thisformation is similar in many ways to theLower Coralline Limestone formationespecially in colour and coralline algalcontent. It is a durable stratum frequentlyweathering into steep bound cliffs translatinginto well-developed karst topography.

Outcrops occur an all the islands of theMaltese archipelago most often in the form ofmesas. Thickness of this geological bandranges from 4 to 30 m, as various mesas donot have uniform thickness.

Quaternary DepositsAnother deposition feature in the MalteseIslands are Quaternary deposits. They occuras cavern and fissure infillings and valleyinfills. Deposits consists of alluvial fandeposits, caliche soil profiles and calcretedbreccias all of which are stained red by ironoxidation. Some of these are found inside theQawra doline in Gozo, in Comino and alongvadose sections in Dingli in Malta. Dunes andraised beach deposits like those at Ramla inGozo also belong to the Quaternarydeposition processes. All these variety ofdeposits took place during the LatePleistocene to Holocene era i.e. 1.5 million to6,000 years BP.

Tectonics

Tectonic activity has distinct importance inshaping the islands. The fracture pattern ofthe islands has been created by tectonicprocesses governed by convergent to lateralmotions taking place between the Europeanand African plates. Most tectonic movementshave been strike slip or extensional in theform of rifting. Two different rift systems,differing in age and trends control thetectonic setting in the Maltese Islands. Theisland of Gozo is characterised by a gentleregional 4º dip to the north east, producing120 meter high cliff sides on the west coastof the island.

Tectonic differences are registered in Maltaand Gozo. This is due to the presence of thesynclinal deformation on the western Maltaand Gozo which probably aided the landbetween the Victoria lines and Qala faults tobe densely segmented by rifting processesinto horsts and grabens, including thesubmerged Comino channel areas and theemerged Comino island group. (Refer toFigure 2)


Such activity caused a complex density offaults to be formed in the south of Gozo with aspecial reference to the south east tip of theisland where a feather faulting structure zoneis present. It can be observed that from thegeographical distribution of faults on the islandof Gozo indicate that the island is a tectonicgrip. This leads to the exposure of all bands ofall the geological strata on diverse scales to beeroded to the extent of forming differentsurface landforms due to the various geo-morphological processes. The mesa roundedhilly topography accompanied by variousvalley systems and coastal formations are theresults of tectonic presentation aided byvarious scales of sub-aerial and marineprocesses due to different climates which wereacting in the latest phase of the formation ofthe Mediterranean Sea. (Refer to Photo 1)

Geomorphology

The central and eastern sections of the Islandof Gozo exhibit a younger erosion surface thanthat of Malta. The west is dissected and theUpper Coralline Limestone is left exposedabove the 45º Blue Clay slopes. It is probablethat up to 130 m of the upper surface has beenactive enough to be removed by erosion, whichhas been active enough to prevent thickaccumulations of soil, leaving instead barelimestone pavements on the more exposedlocations. This has a direct effect on thedrainage patterns on the island. The moststriking aspect of the drainage patterns is thedominance of channels draining northeastwards over those draining to the south andsouth west. (Refer to Photos 2&3)

Such occurrence is also due to the shoulder uparching of the Pantelleria rift system, which hascreated high land on the western Malta andeastern Gozo and drowned the fluvial valleysof eastern Malta. However, shallow linearchannels occur on the fault scarps of the horstand graben structures of Malta and south eastGozo. Tilting has made the drainage patternof the islands highly asymmetrical, yet formermarine and continental erosion surfaces can bedetected. They occur mostly on the westernpart of Gozo, where the surface is progressivelymore dissected towards the west. Current sealevel, in relation to recent and inactive pasttectonics processes has led to the drowning ofthe rias, grabens, dolines and shore platforms.Photo 1: A Valley system surrounded by a mesa landscape in

central Gozo

Figure 2: A fault map of the Maltese Islands

Photo 2: Wied il- Ghasri – a submerged valley drainingnorthward on the island of Gozo


Conclusions

The geology and geomorphology of theMaltese Islands are quite young in age,common phenomena in most islands. They arealso lithogically uncomplicated, have a simpleclimate, heavily dependent on external controlsand are areas of reduced landform scale. Thesephysical assets have conditioned the set-up ofagricultural activity, the distribution ofsettlement patterns and the economy as awhole of the Maltese Archipelago.

Photo 3: Hanging valley in the North West of Gozo whereerosion was not powerful enough to cut the valley down to sealevel because of the small catchment area

BibliographyBowen Jones H. and eds. Malta background for development.Department of Geography University of Durham., 1965David A. A review of the physical geography of Malta and itssignificance for tectonic geomorphology. Quaternary ScienceReviews, Vol 7., 1988 pp41-53Grasso M. Pleistocene structures at the Ionian Side of the HybleanPlateau (SE) Sicily: Implications for the tectonic evolution of theMalta Escarpment. UNSECO Marine science Reports, 58., 1993Hyde P.T. The geology of the Maltese Islands. Lux Press. MaltaIllies J.H. Graben formation - The Maltese Islands, A case history.Tectonophysics 73., 1981 pp151-168Pedely H.M. Miocene sea floor subsidence and later subarealsolution subsidence in the Maltese Islands: Proceedings of theGeologist Association, 85 (4)., 1975 pp 533-547Pedely Martyn, Hughes Clarke Michael & Galea PaulineLimestones Isles in a Crystal Sea. PEG Ltd Malta; 2002Pirazzoli P.A. A comparision between Post glacial isostaticpredictions and late Holocene sea level field data from Mediterraneanand Iranian coastal area. Geo Research Forum Vols 3-4., 1998 pp401-420Reuther C.D. Tectonics of the Maltese Islands. Centro Vol 1.No.1., 1984 pp1-20Spratt T.A.B. On the geology of the Maltese Islands. Proceedingsof the Geological Society of London 4., 1843 pp 225-232Trechmann C.T. Quaternary conditions in Malta. GeologicalMagazine, 75 (1)., 1975 pp1-26Trenhaile A.S. Modeling the development of wave cut shoreplatforms. Marine Geology 166., 2000 pp163-178Vossmerbaumer H. Malta ein beitrag zur geologie and geomorphologiedes zentral Mediterranean Raumes. Wurzburger GeographicsheArbeiten, 38., 1972 pp 463-482Zammit Maempel G. An outline of Maltese Geology. Privatelypublished in Malta., 1972

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

A word of thanks goes to the HonorableMinister for Gozo, Mrs. Giovanna Debono,who for the past few years contributed anannual donation of Lm300-500 to meet someof the inherent expenses incurred in therunning of the library. Another word of thanksalso goes to the Honourable Speaker ofParliament, who weekly, almost without fail,sends to the library all, or almost all, copies ofthe Malta Government publications.

Many educational courses have been organisedby the library during these 23 years. The numberof student enrolments, especially, universitystudents, has been growing at a steady rate.This, as already mentioned, is due to the fact thatthe library now specialises in books related totertiary education such as philosophy, theology,sociology, psychology, archaeology, art andarchitecture, computer science and technology,and the physical sciences.

The Gozo Cathedral Public Library is openfrom Monday to Friday, from 5.00 p.m. to 8.00p.m. and on Saturdays from 9.00 a.m. to 11.30a.m. The library is kept closed on Sundays,public holidays, and for the five days precedingthe feast of Santa Marija in August. Thelibrarian appreciates donations of books andfinancial help for the continual upgrading ofthe library. Those who would like to volunteermay contact the librarian on one of thesetelephone numbers: 21554101; Fax: 21564572;E-mail: [email protected] making use of the library resources

(Continued from page 3)


The Cathedral belfry that dominates the GozoCitadel now house a set of five new bells whichwere produced by John Taylor BellfoundersLimited of Loughborough, Leicestershire,United Kingdom, the largest bell-foundry inthe world. They replace five other bells, theearliest of which has pealed from the belfry forthe past three hundred and sixty four years.

Bells and Social Routine

Bells of all sizes have been used throughoutthe world for signalling – tolling the hours,marking significant points of ritual, calling toworship, announcing events, rejoicing,warning, and mourning.

From medieval times to the early twentiethcentury, the division of the day and the nightin Gozo and Malta depended entirely onchurch bells. This was due to the fact that inGozo there was only one public clock, situatedwithin the Citadel, and the number of clocksin households was negligible.

It was the church bells that proclaimed asuccession of prayers and services frommorning to evening at recognized hours. It wascustomary to refer to the hours of the day inrelation to the striking of the church bells. Atfour in the morning, the Pater Noster bellannounced day-break and summoned thepeople to mass and, later on, to proceed to earntheir daily bread. Tat-Tmienja, at eight in themorning, invited them for a short prayer. Tal-Borom, literally ‘of the pots’, at eleven in themorning, marked the time for the rekindling offires and the preparation of meals. Ta’ Nofs inhar,at noon, marked midday. Tat-Tlieta, at three inthe afternoon on Fridays, reminded the hour ofthe death of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The AveMarija bell was rung an hour before sunset and,an hour later, the Ta’ l-Imwiet bell, invited thefaithful to pray for the departed brethren.

Special ringing called people to worship. Asuccession of twenty or so chimes by a singlebell invited the people to mass. A mota, (pluralmoti), or the ringing of more than one bellsuccessively and concurrently marked thecelebration of a feast day or the beginning of aspecial ceremony in church. A very specialceremony was announced by the ringing ofthree successive moti several minutes long oneach quarter of the hour preceding thebeginning of the ceremony.

Bells were also rung to announce events. Theelection of a bishop or a grandmaster wasproclaimed by the pealing of all church bells.They were also rung to open the city gate, toannounce the approach of advancing armies,or the imminence of a storm. Death is alwaysannounced by the parish bell; the slow tone ofa funeral bell was part of daily life.

Bells imparted the social routine in towns andvillages and, for this reason, everyone, sinceearly childhood, was taught how to translatethe ringing into a precise message.

Bells from the Knights’ Ferreria

The foundation of the church that is presentlythe Cathedral goes back to medieval times. Adocument from 1299 hints that a church withinthe castle or citadel of Gozo was functioningas a parish church. A century later this churchbegan to be referred to as the Matrice of SantaMarija, the mother church dedicated to theAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

On Sunday, 13 February 1575, the churchreceived a very important person. PietroDusina, who a few weeks earlier had beendesignated as apostolic visitor to Malta andGozo by Pope Gregory XIII, made his formalvisit to the Matrice. From the report of thisdistinguished visitor (Visitatio Apostolica [1575]419v), it is known that the Matrice church hadthree bells in 1575. It was the only church in

JOSEPH BEZZINA*

Five Bells from the Knights’ Ferreriaat the Gozo Cathedral

*Rev. Dr. Joe Bezzina is Head of Department of Church Historyat the University of Malta.


Gozo to have bells. Yet none of these three bellshas survived.

In the 1630s, the Matrice’s authorities decidedto acquire two more bells to add to the threealready hanging in the belfry. The order wasplaced with the Ferreria or Foundry of theKnights of Saint John, the rulers of Malta since1530. The Ferreria was situated just inside thecity gate, Valletta, occupying the block betweenthe present Ordinance Street and South Street.It was demolished late in the nineteenthcentury to make way for the palace that tookits name from the foundry, Palazzo Ferreria.

The Ferreria was established to meet themilitary needs of the Order, especially gunsand related tackle. Bells were only a side-product of the Ferreria and were cast uponrequest by church authorities. The truth is that,according to Kenneth Cauchi, who kindlyprovided the technical information for thiswrite-up, the founders at the Ferreria were notbell-founders, but simply master artisans oftheir craft. These founders did produce anumber of good toned bells, but they lackedthe expertise to complement the tones of thevarious bells that they produced. When bellsdid match, it was probably just a matter ofcoincidence.

The Two Smallest Bells

The two new bells of the Matrice have beentraced by Robert Cassar, an expert in the field,to Vincenzo Sardo, the master founder of theFerreria, who definitely cast the two slightlylarger bells at the Mdina Cathedral. The latter,produced six years earlier in 1633, are still inplace. The Gozo bells were ready in 1639 andwere blessed by Bishop Michael Balaguer atSaint Francis Church, Valletta, the church nextdoor to the Ferreria.

The smallest, known in fact as iz-Zghira, has adiameter of 735 mm. Around its top rim, itcarries the inscription ‘VIVENTES VOCO ET QVE

PERIERE GEMO’ – I call the living, and weep forthe dead. It has an embossment of the BlessedVirgin Mary, an incised coat-of-arms of BishopBalaguer, and the inscription ‘CONSACRATA’, on

one side; and an embossment of the HolyFamily and the date ‘1639’, on the oppositeside.

The slightly larger bell, lately called by the notso graceful name of l-Im©el©la, - the cracked(bell) - has a diameter of 840 mm. It also carriesan inscription: ‘DAEMONES EXPELLO,TEMPESTATESQUE SERENO, 1639’ (I have the powerto expel devils, and to calm tempests). Thisinscription is quite common on medieval bellsof Europe, but a rarity in the Maltese islands.It has an embossment of the ImmaculateConception, an incised coat-of-arms of BishopBalaguer, and the inscription ‘CONSACRATA’, onone side; and, like the other, an embossmentof the Holy Family and the date ‘1639’, on theopposite side.

These bells, probably slightly larger than thethree earlier bells, have a very sharp hum tone.All five bells were lowered from the belfry in1693, soon after the 11 January earthquake thatcaused considerable structural damage to themedieval church. In the following years, theold Matrice was demolished and thefoundation stone of a much larger church waslaid on 21 September 1697.

The new church, built on a design by thefamous Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà, wasofficially opened on 14 August 1711. Thechurch was provided with a handsome well-proportioned campanile attached to its north-east side. The five bells were raised inside thenew belfry and they peeled for hours and hourson 11 October 1716, when Bishop GiacomoCañaves, in a twenty-four-hour-long ceremony,solemnly dedicated the new Matrice to theAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary intoHeaven and Saint Ursula.

Two Larger Bells

The new massive belfry required two largerand better bells. They were ready in 1739,exactly one hundred years after the foundingof the first two. They were again produced bythe Ferreria of the Knights by the masterfounder Aloysius Bouchet. They were blessedin front of Saint Francis Church, Valletta, by


Bishop Alpheran de Bussan on 5 December1739. When they were raised into the Matricebelfry, they probably took the place of the twosmall bells mentioned in 1575.

The third largest bell has a diameter of 1245 mm.It is named Ursula et Barbara, but wascommonly referred to as tal-Quddies, (‘of themass’), since it was mainly used to announcethe time of mass. It has an embossment of theAssumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, on oneside; the date ‘ANNO DOMINI 1738’ and the coat-of-arms of Bishop Alpheran, on the other side. Thisindicates that the bell had been cast the yearbefore and brought to Gozo with the other bell.

The largest bell, known in fact as il-Kbira, hasa diameter of 1472 mm and is named MariaAssumpta. It has an embossment of the BlessedVirgin Mary with the Child Jesus surroundedby putti, on one side; the date ‘ANNO DOMINI 1739’as well as the coat-of-arms of Bishop Alpheran,on the other side. A flat moulding band spansthe entire circumference of the soundbow, andfurther up, a set of three raised thin wires, spanacross the waist – a characteristic typical onall bells produced by master founder AloysiusBouchet.

The Fifth Bell

In 1791, still another bell was founded for theMatrice. It is the work of the brothers Francescoand Gioacchino Trigance, master founders ofthe Knights’ Ferreria. It was popularly knownas il-Ìdida, (the new one). It has a diameter of1295 mm and is thus the second largest of thefive. It is also the finest bell in both tone and inthe founding work.

The bell was paid for by the Sodality of SaintPhilip Neri for Priests founded within the sameMatrice. It has an embossment of Saint PhilipNeri on one side; and, on the other side,another embossment of the Blessed VirginMary with Baby Jesus, an inscription recordingthe benefactors and date, ‘EXPENSIS SODALITATIS

PRESBITERORUM FACTA ANNO DNI 1791’, and beneath,the name of the founders, ‘FRATRES TRIGANCE

FECERUNT’.One of the new bells being lifted up to the belfry on 18th

December 2003(Continued on page 13)


The development of the ecclesiasticaldecorative arts in the Maltese Islands is one ofthose fields of artistic practice, which, so far,had not yet received any scholarly andacademic attention. As a result, the story ofchurch decoration in the Maltese Islands, albeitof utmost importance in the holisticunderstanding of artistic endeavour in Malta,has been almost totally ignored. Over the ages,since the re-Christianisation of the MalteseIslands in the thirteenth century, churchdecoration has proved to be one of thekeystones of art in Malta. Together withpainting, sculpture, and architecture, thedecorative arts played a seminal role in theembellishment of the numerous places ofworship that dot the islands.

Many items of church furniture dating from thefifteenth and sixteenth century show thatimportant works were present before the adventof the Knights Hospitallers. The latter gave a newimpetus to church decoration and during theeighteenth century, in particular, artistic activityin this field thrived. This drive for churchdecoration was once more in full force in the latenineteenth and early twentieth century, whenmany churches underwent substantial physicalalterations and a large amount of churchfurniture and liturgical objets d’art werecommissioned to embellish the sacred spaces.This period was extremely fertile in thisproduction. It is impressive that in a small placelike Malta, a large amount of artists andcraftsmen designed and produced works of aconsiderable artistic quality. This productiontakes a higher dimension when one takes intoaccount the hardship that was, at times, present.

MARK SAGONA*

My Master’s degree thesis has aimed topartially fill a void that has been for longoverdue. It is a continuation on myundergraduate research which had discussedthe most important designers of churchfurniture and decoration in Gozo in the first halfof the twentieth century.1 This study focuseson the oeuvre of Emanuele Buhagiar who wasone of Malta’s most important designers ofchurch furniture and liturgical objets d’art.

Born in Vittoriosa in 1876, Emanuele Buhagiarreceived his artistic training entirely in Malta. Thepainters Lazzaro Pisani (1854-1932) and GiuseppeBonnici (1835-1900), together with the sculptorsAristide Bonnici (1851-1888) and VincenzoCardona (active late nineteenth/early twentiethcentury) were among his mentors. EmanueleBuhagiar embarked on his artistic career at a veryearly age and his first documented works datebefore his marriage in 1898 to Ersilia Calì, the nieceof the influential painter Giuseppe Calì (1846-1930).During his long artistic life, he invented andproduced numerous works. His first bottega wassituated in Vittoriosa but in 1906 he left his nativecity for good and subsequently put up residenceand workshop in Tarxien and Paola. By the timeof his death in 1962, almost every church in Maltahad commissioned one or more works by the artist.

Numerous works, including all types of churchdecoration and furniture, were produced by alarge number of designers. Inevitably, the largenumber of designers obviously meant thatartistic quality fluctuated. Emanuele Buhagiar’sworks, together with those of his artistic rivalAbram Gatt (1863-1944), single themselves outfor their invention and artistic quality. A

*Mark Sagona is an artist and art historian. He holds a First Class B.A.(Hons.) and an M.A. with Distinction in Art History fromthe University of Malta. The aim of this short article is to highlight some aspects of the recent research presented in my M.A. degreethesis, entitled: Emanuele Buhagiar (1876-1962): his Contribution to the Ecclesiastical Decorative Arts of the Maltese Islands. Thispost-graduate study, which was under the supervision of Prof. Mario Buhagiar, Head of the Art Unit of the University of Malta, waspresented to the same university in 2003. The foreign examiner was Prof. Clara Bargellini Cione from the Instituto de InvestigacionesEstéticas of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. The Board of Examiners awarded the degree with Distinction.

1Mark Sagona, The Designs of Abram Gatt, Francesco Saverio Sciortino, Emanuele Buhagiar and Giuseppe Galea for the Churches ofGozo, unpublished B.A. (Hons.) dissertation, University of Malta 1999.

The Ecclesiastical Decorative Arts in the Maltese Islands


Plate 1 Emanuele Buhagiar, Altar Canopy, c.1929,Parish Church of St Catherine, Zejtun.

comparison between Buhagiar’s output and thatof other important artists working in this fieldshows that he was one of the most prolific artistsof his time. Buhagiar was also the last significantexponent of the wood intarsia technique, whichhad come down from generation to generationsince the time of the Knights.

The present study, besides evaluating thecontribution of Emanuele Buhagiar in an art-historical and critical sense, discusses his oeuvrein conjunction with other designers workingduring his time. Particular importance is givento Buhagiar’s relationship with Abram Gatt.Buhagiar realised several works on designs byGatt, becoming influenced from the style of thelatter. The thesis also evaluates Buhagiar’sworks of art in the light of the peculiar andunique Maltese context at the turn of thetwentieth century, such as the dominating roleof religion and the celebration of the village festa.The feasts of the patron saints and secondarysaints started to be celebrated on a larger scaleand, as a result, people were keener tocommission new works of art for theembellishment of the church on the great annualoccasion. Research has shown that Buhagiarwas especially popular in the southern districtsof the island, where he kept his workshop. Infact, during the festa days, some churches, suchas the parish churches of Gudja and Qrendi, areveritable museums of works by the artist. Thethesis also presents some of the new materialwhich was unearthed on various artists,designers and craftsmen active in Malta at thetime, and whose opus is still relatively obscure.

Throughout his life, Buhagiar designed a wholearray of items including antependia, sanctuarylamps, candlesticks, pedestals, reliquaries,monstrance thrones, missal covers, altar cruets,thuribles, altar canopies, processional crossesand lanterns. The majority were generallysculpted in wood and later water-gilt. In the casethat the objet d’art would have been destined tobe manufactured in silver, the artist nonethelessproduced a full-scale wooden modello. A typicalexample is the silver antependium which adornsthe high altar of the Tarxien Parish Churchduring the titular feast of the village.

Buhagiar also produced designs which wereproduced in embroidery such as sacredvestments, tabernacle covers, altar-cloths andprocessional banners. His set of pontificalvestments for the parish church at Luqa areartistically the most important of their kind intwentieth century Malta. Other importantcontributions in this field include thetabernacle cover for the high altar at Safi ParishChurch and the altar cloth on the altar of theVirgin of the Rosary at Tarxien Parish Church.

Buhagiar’s stylistic timbre is characterised bythe Maltese love for the baroque idiom anddraws on the ornate and profuse style whichappears in various works of the eighteenthcentury. In the typical eclectic fashion of theperiod, the principal baroque syntax issprinkled with other stylistic influences.Among these influences, there are Gothicrevival elements and other ornamentalvocabulary which was in popular usage in latenineteenth century England. Many of hisworks, such as the massive altar canopy at theZejtun Parish Church [Plate 1], show anauthentic love for decoration and a constantquest for originality. On Gozo, his mostrepresentative work is the organ balcony at StGeorge’s Basilica in Victoria.

Buhagiar’s popularity is intimately linked withthe various predelle for titular statues, which heproduced for many churches in Malta, such asthose for Gudja, Zabbar, Dingli and Attard [Plate2] parish churches. He became much sought afterfor this kind of work and during his career heproduced no less than twelve statue predelle.


These are very rich in artistic and sculpturalcontent, and also employ high qualitycraftsmanship. The Buhagiar predella generallymakes use of different types of wood togetherwith fine wood-inlaid and ebony panels. Thesecreate a wonderful play of chromatic values,texture and contrasts. His first work in this genre,the predella for the titular statue of theImmaculate Conception at Cospicua ParishChurch, set the standards in this item of churchfurniture for the following decades in Malta.

Plate 2 Emanuele Buhagiar, Predella for TitularStatue, 1925, Parish Church of the Assumption, Attard.

This thesis has brought to light many works ofart by Emanuele Buhagiar for the first time.Painstaking research, conducted in churcharchives and in private collections on a span ofthree years, has unearthed a very considerablenumber of designs which the artist produced inpreparation for his commissions. These wereusually produced in pen and wash, but pencil andcharcoal also recur. The fact that the major partof these designs are signed and dated, haveenabled the construction of the artist’schronological oeuvre, which is very difficult toascertain where the decorative arts are concerned.

This post-graduate study has thrown substantialnew light on this little known artist, filling alacuna in the study of the ecclesiastical decorativearts in the Maltese Islands at the turn of thetwentieth century. It has also contributedtowards the full and holistic understanding of theexciting story of Maltese Art in general. However,it has also clearly shown the extensive amount ofacademic research that remains to be done so thatthe full story of church decoration in Malta andGozo is woven into a one, coherent whole.

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A Set of Five New Bells

These five bells rang their most important motaon Friday afternoon, 23 September 1864, whennews reached Gozo that on 16 September, PopePius IX had established Gozo and Comino as aseparate diocese and declared the old Matricethe Cathedral of the new diocese. These wererung for the last time at twelve noon onPentecost Sunday, 8 June 2003. On 5 and 13 July2003, they were lowered down from theCathedral belfry for the last time.

The five new bells reached Gozo fromLeicestershire on 31 July 2003 and were blessedby Bishop Nikol Cauchi of Gozo in a solemnceremony held at Pjazza Savina, Rabat, on 2August. The bells are named, from the smallestto the largest, Aloysia, Pavla, Iosepha-Francisca,Ursula, and Maria Assvmpta. Their weightranges from the 310 kg of the smallest to the4275 kg of the largest, and their diameter from800 mm to 1955 mm.

Each bell is decorated with a set of ornatecanons bearing six cherubs, and a garland ofEnglish roses round the waist. The titular effigyof the Assumption and an inscription recordingtheir blessing is embossed upon the largest bell,whilst Saint Ursula and Pope Pius IX areembossed on the second largest.

Conclusion

The five old bells from the Knights’ Ferreria,after a much needed rehabilitation, have beenhung as a tourist attraction within the archedrecess in front of the entry to the Cathedralcrypt in Triq Bieb l-Imdina. They will continueto be rung on very special occasions toannounce far and wide a message of goodtidings.

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The First Two Courses

A Certificate Level Course in Social Care wasoffered at the Gozo Centre in 1997–98. Forty-seven students applied for this course andtwenty-seven completed all study units andwere awarded a certificate by the Gozo Centre.

This course proved popular enough and wasoffered for the second time during thefollowing academic year 1998–99. Twenty-three students registered for this course andfifteen successfully completed the course andwere awarded with a certificate of completion.

The Third Course

After these two certificate courses in SocialCare, the need was felt for furtherspecialisation in the social care field and aCertificate Course in Day Care and ResidentialWork was offered between the years 2001 – 03.The course was open for twenty-fiveapplicants. This course consisted of 16 creditsthrough 5 study-units and was divided in threedifferent levels: Introductory level,Intermediate level and Advanced level. Of thetwenty-five applicants, fourteen completed allthe three levels as well as a practical study unitand a long essay. They were awarded acertificate signed by the Head, Department ofSocial Policy and Social Work during apurposeful ceremony on the 19th of December2003.

The Introductory Course for Day Care andResidential Workers consisted of two credits.This study unit developed the knowledge,understanding, practical skills and values foremployment or further study in the caringservices. The course was very practical anddeveloped the experience and knowledge that

agencies in the caring field usually look for. Bythe end of this course the students were ableto demonstrate personal and interpersonalqualities and skills required for caring inrelation to the needs of the service users.Students were able to understand theimportance of the role of the care/volunteeras a front worker. They also gained a solidknowledge and ability to recognise the needsof service users.

The Intermediate Level

The Intermediate Course for Day Care andResidential Workers consisted of another twocredits and it continued to develop further theknowledge, understanding, practical skills andvalues that students acquired in theIntroductory Level. By the end of theintermediate Level, students were able to valuebasic principles of social care, acquiredknowledge and aptitude to recognise thesociological and psychological needs of serviceusers, evaluated their personal contribution inthe role of a day care/residential/voluntarywork, as well as affirmed their role of the daycare/residential worker or volunteer in acaring agency.

The Advanced Level

The Advanced level Course for Day care andResidential Workers consisted of three creditsand continued to help students gain moreknowledge and skills to work in a team and inunderstanding group dynamics. Besides,students acquired knowledge and aptitude onpersonality and the different client groups.They learned to address the service user froma systemic approach and gained insight to legalaspects. Skills in behaviour and riskmanagement were also part of the curricula.Finally students were able to evaluate theirpersonal contribution in creating equalopportunities in the role of a day care/residential worker.

VICTOR GALEA*

The “Social Care” Course at the University Gozo Centre

*Mr. Victor Galea is a Programm Coordinator (Parents inEducation) within the Foundation for Educational Services. Hewas responsable for the coordination of the courses in SocialCare at the University Gozo Centre.


Mr Victor Galea delivering a short talk during thepresentation of certificates event

A Practical Approach

The Certificate Course in Day Care andResidential Work demanded students toundergo a practical study unit which wasworth four credits. Students were required tospend a minimum amount of 100 hours in aDay Care or Residential setting approved bythe Board of Studies, as well as keep a Project-Journal related to the field placement.Workshops and tutorials were offered along.The general aim and objective of the practicalplacement was to give an opportunity forstudents to practice and evaluate the skillstaught along the course and implement socialcare theories into practice by involvingthemselves within an organisation as aneffective volunteer/care worker. Studentsperformed their practicum within varioussettings amongst which were day-care andresidential homes for the elderly, persons withmental disability, children and young persons,refugees, battered wives, substance abusersand homeless amongst others.

Research Work

The final requirement for the students to beawarded a certificate of completion requiredstudents to write a long essay under tutorialsupervision. The exercise provided thestudents with an opportunity to examine indepth a selected area and to understand betterthe relationship between theory, research andpractice. It required from the student a

sustained effort to identify an area ofinvestigation, review the literature, analyseand compare concepts theories andperspectives, weigh and assess evidence anddraw the final conclusion on the subject. Theresults of the long essays of the Day-Care andResidential Work are now available for publicuse at the Gozo Centre library.

The Final Assessment

The course was offered by the Departmentof Social Policy and Social Work of theUniversity of Malta in collaboration with theUniversity of Malta Gozo Centre and theMinistry for Gozo. Spread over foursemesters, the final grade was based on the16 study-unit assessments and a finalexamination.

The course was very beneficial for Gozobecause it provided tuition and training ina very important aspect of life in Gozo,namely Day Care and Residential Work.

The performance of the students was verysatisfactory. During the presentation ofcertificates the students were asked to makea presentation about their work, and itclearly emerged that the students not onlyavailed themselves of the tuition andtraining given but also contributed byproducing very original and useful workthemselves.

One of the successful participants delivering a presen-tation on her long essay during the presentation ofcertificates event”.


The graduates who followed the BA course offered at theUniversity Gozo Centre between 1998 and 2003 withProfessor Lino Brigulio, Director of the Centre, just afterthe conferment of the degree, in November 2003

JOSEPH CALLEJA*

Degree/Diploma/Certificate CoursesCompleted in 2003

• The BA (General) Course came to an endin June 2003. Twenty-two studentscompleted the course successfully. Thesestudents were conferred with their degreein November at the University of Malta.

• The Bachelor of Commerce Course cameto an end in June 2003. Five studentscompleted the course successfully and wereconferred with their degree in Novemberat the University of Malta.

• Two students who were following the

Masters of Education Course completedthe course successfully and in Novemberthey were conferred with their degree at theUniversity of Malta.

• The Certificate course in Education forLearning Support Facilitators also cameto an end in June. Thirty-three studentscompleted the course with success and inNovember they were awarded with theircertificate.

• The Certificate course in Day Care andResidential Work came to an end in June.This course was offered by the UniversityGozo Centre in collaboration with theSocial Work and Social Administration Unitof the University of Malta. Fourteenstudents completed the course withsuccess.

• The 3-year Certificate Course in LaceMaking also came to an end with 13students.

Degree/Diploma/Certificate CoursesCommenced in 2003

• A 5-year course leading to the degree inBachelor of Commerce commenced inOctober with 12 students.

• A 3-year course leading to a MastersDegree in Islands and Small States Studiescommenced in October with 14 students.

• A 1-year course leading to a Certificate inLace Studies commenced with 13 students.

• A Certificate Course in Lace Makingstarted in November with 8 students.

Short Courses offered during 2003

The short courses offered at the UniversityGozo Centre during 2003 were:• Communication Skills co-ordinated by Ms

Ruth Falzon. (18 participants)• Coping with Negative Emotions, co-

ordinated by Mr Laner Cassar. (13participants)

Activities at the University Gozo Centre – 2003

One of the students who successfully completed thecertificate course in Education for Learning SupportFacilitators, delivering a talk during the conferment ofcertificates event held at the University Gozo Centre inNovember 2003.

*Joseph Calleja is the administrator of the University Gozo Centre


• Basis of Medicine, co-ordinated by ProfMaurice Cauchi. (10 participants)

• Word-processing and Spreadsheets, co-ordinated by Mr Frank Tabone. (8participants)

• Internet and Website Creation, co-ordinated by Mr Saviour Formosa. (10participants)

• SAGE – Tha Accounting Package, co-ordinated by Mr Ivan Grixti (22participants)

• Principles of Industrial Hydraulics, co-ordinated by Mr Frank Fenech (17participants)

• The Challenges of Today’s Families, co-ordinated by Mr Laner Cassar (8participants).

• Applied Business Statistics, co-ordinated byMr Gordon Cordina (18 participants)

• Power Electronics, co-ordinated by MrFrank Fenech. (10 participants)

• Photoshop, co-ordinated by Dr DjorkeVukelic. (12 participants)

• Computer for Senior Citizens, co-ordinatedby Mr Frank Tabone. (23 participants)

• Environmental Studies, co-ordinated by MrGeorge Said, (10 participants)

• Systems of Knowledge, co-ordinated by MrLouis Scerri (28 participants)

Seminars/Public Lectures

A number of seminars/public lectures wereheld at the Centre. These included:

• 1st February 2003 – A one day seminarentitled “Understanding Dyslexia” was heldby Ms Margaret Naudi Griffiths and Ms AnnJenkins (29 participants)

• February, March and April – Series of Publiclectures entitled “Gozo Past and Present”were held at the Ministry for Gozo.

• 5th April 2003 – A one day seminar entitled“Understanding Dyslexia” was held (34participants)

• 4th October 2003 – A one day seminarentitled “The Mediterranean Sea: How itWorks and Lives” was held. (15 participants)

Activities

• On 4th May 2003, the Centre organised theLace Day, in which speeches by the Hon.Giovanna Debono, Ms ConsigliaAzzopardi, and Prof Maurice Cauchi weremade. Rev. J. Manicaro gave a short lectureon the use of Lace in Religious Vestments.A number of items related to Lace Makingwere exhibited. In addition a number ofstands were set up dealing with theInternational Organisation of Needle andBobbin Lace. Certificates were presentedto students. The exhibition was visited bya large number of Maltese and Gozitans,as well as tourists. The event was alsovisited by the ‘National Council of Women’.

• 20th August 2003 – The “Presentation ofCertificate” event was held at the centre. The

Hon. Giovanna Debono distributedcertificates to 173 candidates who wereeligible after they had followed courses at theCentre between December 2002 and July 2003.

A lecture in progress during a one-day seminar

Ms Consiglia Azzopardi delivering her speech during the“Lace Day’ held on 4th May 2003.

(Continued on page 21)


The University Gozo Centre hosted anInternational Workshop organized by theCommonwealth Secretariat and the Universityof Malta. The workshop held between 1 and 3March 2004, was inaugurated by H.E. JagdishKoonjul, the Chairman of the Alliance of SmallIsland States (AOSIS) which represents fortystates in the United Nations. The workshopfocused on economic vulnerability and resiliencebuilding of small states.

Twenty-six experts from all Commonwealthregions participated in a workshop oneconomic vulnerability and resilience of smallstates held at the University Gozo Centre,Malta, between 1 and 3 March 2004. Theseincluded academics, practitioners, policymakers, and representatives of internationaland regional organizations. Participantsincluded experts from the Caribbean, Pacific,Indian Ocean and Mediterranean region.Representatives of UNDP, UNCTAD,UNDESA, the Commonwealth Secretariat andother international organizations also attended.

This workshop took place in the context ofpreparations for the International Meeting forthe review of the implementation of theBarbados Programme of Action for theSustainable Development of Small Island

Developing States (SIDS). The workshopdiscussed features of economic vulnerabilityof small states, particularly SIDS, and strategiesfor developing their resilience; and tookaccount of the conclusion of the ad hoc expertgroup on Vulnerability Indices, which met inNew York in December 1997, that “as a group,SIDS are more vulnerable than other groupsof developing countries”. The participants alsodiscussed trade as the main engine of growthand development.

During the inauguration session Dr EliawonyKisanga, Director Economic Affairs of theCommonwealth Secretariat said that thecollaboration between the CommonwealthSecretariat and the University of Malta isbearing fruit as witnessed by this veryimportant workshop which has broughttogether experts from different parts of theworld to discuss issues of great importance forsmall states. Professor Lino Briguglio who isthe convener of the meeting stated that theUniversity of Malta has been actively involvedin research on islands and small states issuesand has been instrumental in the developmentof the economic vulnerability index.

International Workshop on Economic Vulnerabilityand Resilience of Small StatesLINO BRIGUGLIO*

The Hon John Dalli, Minister of Foreign Affairs addressing theparticipants. The author of this article (left) chaired this session

The inaugural session of the International Workshop

*Prof. Lino Briguglio is the Director of the University Gozo Centre


Participants noted that the regionalpreparatory meetings for the InternationalMeeting, held in Samoa, Cape Verde andTrinidad and Tobago, confirmed that SIDS, asa group, face particular handicaps as a resultof the economic, environmental and socialvulnerability and the Interregional PreparatoryMeeting of SIDS, held in Nassau, The Bahamasin January 2004, reconfirmed the economicvulnerability of SIDS and called for thedevelopment of an economic resilience index.

The Hon Giovanna Debono, Minister for Gozo addressing theparticipants

The participants also considered a number ofissues that are of concern to small states,notably: the issue of graduation from leastdeveloped country (LDC) status of a numberof SIDS; and the need for special anddifferentiated treatment and necessary policyspace for small states, particularly SIDS, withinthe World Trade Organization (WTO).Participants recognized the role that a focusedconceptual framework on vulnerability andresilience building could play in addressingthese concerns, as well as in strengtheningnational and regional policy approaches. Theyalso recognized the need for participatory andcollaborative schemes, involving all majorstakeholders, to ensure the success of resiliencestrategies.

The participants reaffirmed that the inherenteconomic vulnerabilities of small states havebeen internationally recognized. Suchvulnerability arises from exposure to adverse

external shocks beyond their control, as wellas structural handicaps, exacerbated by intera l i a a high degree of openness, exportconcentration and high dependence onstrategic imports, remoteness and hightransport costs, susceptibility to naturaldisasters exacerbated by climate change andsea level rise. These conditions pose serioushandicaps for the sustainable economicdevelopment of small states.

Background Information

The economic characteristics of small states arewell documented, and include limited abilityto exploit economies of scale; lack of naturalresource endowments and high import content(especially of strategic imports such as foodand fuel). Other characteristics relate tolimitations of diversification possibilities andmarket thinness; limitations on the extent towhich domestic competition policy can beapplied; dependence on a narrow range ofexports; inability to influence internationalprices; and in the case of island states,uncertainties of supply due to remoteness andinsularity. Small size also creates problemsassociated with public administration, the mostimportant of which is probably the smallmanpower resource base from which to drawexperienced and efficient administrators.

Acknowledgments

Participants expressed their gratitude to theGovernment of Malta and the University ofMalta for their kind hospitality and warmwelcome and for creating congenial conditionsfor a successful meeting.

The participants also thanked the Minister ofFinance and Economic Affairs and the Ministerfor Gozo for their contributions to thedeliberations, and the support expressed byboth ministers in promoting measures infavour of small states.

The participants requested the Government ofMalta to submit these workshop conclusionsto the Secretary General of the UN forcirculation as an official document of the UN.


Joseph Bezzina, Qala: the Village with Valleysand Views, Qala: Qala Council – Gaulitana,2003 68 pp., illus. ISBN 99909-57-21-5

The 24th in the Gaulitana series written andedited by Rev. Dr Joseph Bezzina, this littlebook is also the fourth in a sub-series of shortworks about Gozo’s towns and villages.

It is well illustrated and includes a useful mapof Qala, a small village that has grownconsiderably during the last couple of decades,though oddly enough it lacks a map of Gozoshowing Qala’s geographical position. Whileit is not one of the best written numbers of thisseries and is structured rather loosely, itcontains much useful information for bothresidents and casual visitors.

Qala is an attractive village even if its notablesights are very few. It has one relic, a menhir,of the island’s prehistory, that scholars oftenregard as the sole remaining sign of amegalithic structure built in the Temple periodwhich produced Gozo’s most remarkablemonument, the Ìgantija temples at Xag˙ra,though the cart ruts at is-Sidra may also beprehistoric.

The area now occupied by the village has notbeen inhabited for a long time and the earliestsettlement was probably created in latemedieval times. As late as 1667, the village’spopulation was just 65 living in 14households, most of them farmers or farm-workers.

According to the 1995 census Qala’spopulation that year was 1,492 out of a totalGozitan population of just over 29,000. Thename itself, Qala, refers not to the village butto the inlet in the coast below, Óondoq ir-Rummien, the word being a late Latin noun(cala) meaning inlet or creek.

So little material is available about the historyof this quiet village, that much of Bezzina’shistorical information is about the history ofGozo in general and not about Qala. Evenduring the 1939-45 war Qala was spared muchsuffering. Of the 11 Qalin who were killedmost of them died while serving in theMerchant Navy.

Qala has not given Gozo a great number ofdistinguished personalities, but there is nobiographical information about the few it hasproduced, such as Dr Anton Butigieg, author,lawyer and politician, who ended his careeras President of the Republic of Malta, whileanother Anton Buttigieg made himself wellknown as an educator and writer on localtopics and was also active at one time in localpolitics. Yet another Buttigieg, MikielFrangisk, became Gozo’s first bishop in 1864.

PAUL XUEREB

Book Review: Qala and its Sights

THE GOZO OBSERVER (No.10-11) - May 200421○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

The best sections of the book are the onesdescribing churches and areas like Óondoqir-Rummien or Ras il-Qala with its 18th centurySt Anthony Battery. Bezzina tells the simpletale of Kurraw (originally Corrado?) who atsome time in the Middle Ages is said to havefled from his hermitage in Wied il-Ghasel,Mosta, to Comino, sailing miraculously on hiscloak as it floated on the waves, and endedhis days in a cave below the Sanctuary of theImmaculate Conception that overlooks thechannel between Gozo and Comino. The taleof Kurraw and of the miracles he wrought isprobably fictitious, but the visitor is stillshown Kurraw’s cave that can be enteredthrough an aperture in the floor of theSanctuary.

The Sanctuary owes its first shape to the 16th

century, but its façade and parvis were builtin the 19th century. The main points of interestare the graffiti made by people as a sign ofgratitude to the Virgin for help received, andthe altar-piece attributed to the 16th centuryItalian artist Federico Barocci di Urbino,showing the Immaculate Conception. Though

it lies on the village’s outskirts, this church ismuch frequented and not just by the peopleof Qala.

The parish church dedicated to St Joseph ismuch more recent. The foundation stone waslaid in 1882 and the building began to be usedas a parish church in 1889, but the bell-towerswere built in the early years of the newcentury. The architect was an amateur, theparish pries of the time, Dun Guzepp Debono,and much of the actual building was carriedout by village people for the love of it.

A section of the book is devoted to the village’sinstitutions, clubs and associations, and to itsfeast and other folkloristic attractions. Bezzinavery sensibly gives telephone and faxnumbers for readers seeking up-to-dateinformation on the various activities andassociations.

There are several attractive illustrations. It isa pity, however, that the definition of thepicture showing a bird’s eye view of Qala ispoor.

Ms Lynn Chircop performing one of her songs during “An Evening withFour Eurovision Singers” held at the University Gozo Centre on 22ndAugust 2003.


• 22nd August 2003 – ‘An Eveningwith Four Eurovision Singers’ wasorganised at the Centre with theparticipation of Ms Lynn Chircop, MsIra Losco, Ms Miriam Christine and MsClaudette Pace. The event wascompered by Mr Charles Saliba andwas attended by a large audience.

• 14th November 2003 – Presentationof Certificates to students whosuccessfully completed the CertificateCourse in Education for LearningSupport Facilitators.

Publications

• The 9th edition of “The GozoObserver” was published in February.



Young GozitanArtist MarkSagona, who alsolectures at theUniversity GozoCentre, hasrecently put up hissecond personalexhibition ofpaintings. Theexhibition, entitled‘Recent Insights’

was held at the Banca Giuratale in Victoria,Gozo between the 24th January and the 8th

February 2004. It brought together twenty-fourpaintings, all produced in 2003 and themajority of which were realised in oil oncanvas. The exhibition was curated by DrJoseph Paul Cassar, and inaugurated by theMinister for Gozo, the Hon. Giovanna Debono.

A full-colour exhibition catalogue waspublished for the occasion, containing a criticalstudy by Dr Joseph Paul Cassar. Although theexhibition deals with landscape, Sagona usesthis theme in a new and unusual way. The localor foreign experience offers the artist the initialidea, which is then filtered, elaborated andreinvented through the emphasis of colour andform. The use of strong chromatic valuesmakes the paintings vibrate and the effects oflight are enhanced through the use oftranslucent layers of pigment.

In the words of Dr Cassar, who lectures onModern and Contemporary Art at theUniversity of Malta: “The Gozitan landscapeis the main focus of Mark Sagona’s second one-man exhibition. He does not only present itsrelevance to today’s world but does so with asense of rich invention….. Sagona is essentiallyconcerned with patterns, light, a sense ofarchitectural structure, and all that contributesto his understanding and knowledge of place.The intensity of light beams that he inventsserve as veils of colour, transparently laid overthe scene through the application of thinglazes…. Mark Sagona’s artistic journey hascome a long way with some interesting results.His art is changing gradually as he remainskeen in exploring simultaneously newdirections in his paintings.”

A cross-section of MarkSagona’s works of artmay be visited online on:www.marksagona.com.The website wasinaugurated on theoccasion of thisexhibition. The artist iscurrently working on histhird personal show,which will be held at StJames Cavalier Centrefor Creativity later onthis year.

Shimmering Conglomeration, 2003, oil on canvas, 50 x 100 cm

Scorched Stones, 2003, oil on convas, 60 x 80 cm

JOSEPH CALLEJA

Exhibition by Gozitan Artist Mark Sagona

Documents

Contents Journal of the University of Malta, Gozo Centre Editors, Prof M.N. Cauchi, Mr. Joseph Calleja. All correspondence is to be addressed to: University of Malta - Gozo Centre,