From Senglea to Xagħra : the story of the statue of Il-Bambina

Abstract

One of the most important documents kept in the archives of the Collegiate of Senglea is the manuscript named Memorie Ecclesiastiche dell’Invitta Città Senglea. This manuscript followed the style of scripture which appeared during the eighteenth century during which a number of ecclesiastical imitated Gian Frangisk Abela’s style, who many years before bequeathed to Malta his famous book Descrittione di Malta. Many ecclesiastical writers guided by their love towards their town and village, were now to follow this model and wrote the history of the parish church in the background of the events of their town and village. History was not being written as we understand it nowadays. It was history looking at the past and included the present or that contemporary. It followed the humanistic model presented by Erasmu of Rotterdam and Giovanni Battista Vico.