The magic of BirguFest 2019

There is just one day to go before Birgu’s 2019 edition of BirguFest - known by locals as the candle festival - kicks off on Friday, 11 October.

An annual event that has been running in the hamlet since 1994, when the evening would be held in alternation to the Mdina Festival, it has become one of the most highly anticipated festivals of the year.

For the occasion, alleyways, streets and squares across this charming town (one of the oldest of the island) are bedecked with hundreds of candles as lights are switched off for the evening.

This year’s edition will include an artisan’s market, live music, and an infiorata - a floral display that will be organized by the Italian town of Vignanello, which hosts its own version of the floral festival each year.

To view the full schedule, head to the event page here.

BirguFest 2019 will be held across Birgu from 11 to 13 October 2019.

Of Caravaggio's escape from Fort St Angelo

Fort St Angelo

Inscriptions in Fort St Angelo’s prison

Just a short stroll from our doorstep sits one of Malta’s most notable historical landmarks - the Fort of St Angelo. Located on the very tip of Birgu’s peninsula, it was fortified in 1530, when the Order of Saint John came to the island. The site, which has been occupied since pre-history and was a prominent place of worship in antiquity with the building of a temple dedicated to the goddess Astarte, was rebuilt in 1530 and became the residence of the head of the Catholic military order.

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio

Beneath the fort itself lies a prison, the ‘guva’ which was greatly feared and housed many high-ranking offenders within the order. It was chiseled out of stone underneath the fort and could only be accessed through a trapdoor in its ceiling. The oval-shaped prison is situated opposite the Chapel of Nativity and was originally a water cistern.

One of the most notable prisoners who served some time in the guva was the infamous artist Caravaggio, who was confined there in the early 17th century following a brawl in Valletta in which he injured a knight of a senior rank.

However unbelievable it may sound, Caravaggio managed – with the help of others, undoubtedly – to get out of the guva after a month, climb the Fort’s ramparts, and scale down the exterior wall of the fort, possibly with a rope or a rope ladder. He then probably got into a boat waiting for him in the harbour and left the island that was guarded by the most skilled warriors of Europe. All of the artist’s biographers acknowledge that we have no idea how he planned and executed this endeavour, or with whose support. The one documented fact is that, somehow, in October 1608, he reemerged in Sicily, unscathed.

Fort St Angelo in Birgu is open Monday - Sunday, 9am to 5pm, excluding public holidays.

Birgu in August - the month of village feasts

Summer in Malta is the season of the village festa - an annual religious celebration that pays homage to the patron saint (or saints) of the town.

In Birgu, August is marked by the feasts of St Lawrence and St Dominic, and as July draws to a close, preparations are well underway ahead of the first feast of the month.

Traditionally, it is said that most probably Birgu began patronising St Lawrence sometime between 1283 and 1410, during the rule of the Aragons, where the Saint was born. This was presumably brought about both by Aragon and local sailors, whose ships would sail to and from the Iberian Peninsula. Devotion to this Saint became so strong that during the subsequent years, one of the churches in this city was dedicated to this Saint, and later the parish was started around it.

On the arrival of the Order of St John in 1530, who had a large number of prominent Spanish members, the feast in his honour in the church dedicated to him in Vittoriosa were held solemnly. These were celebrated by the Great Prior of the Order with three masses, a vigil and an octave.

The local band club, in collaboration with members of the parish, is tasked with organizing all preparations ahead of the big celebrations. As flags are raised, banners unfurled and garlands hung, this centuries-old tradition is brought to life and a piece of Maltese heritage celebrated.

Feast of St Lawrence - 9, 10 August // Feast of St Dominic - 24, 25 August

A Grand Harbour cruise to celebrate a unique anniversary

The the tip of the peninsula upon which Vittoriosa’s Fort St. Angelo has been built has historically always been a significant site. Once a place of worship housing the temple of the goddess Astarte, when the Order of St. John arrived on the island, it became the seat of the Grand Master and subsequently their primary fortification. Fort St. Angelo withstood the attempted invasion by the Turks in 1565, and when the British colonised the island, it was used as a base by the Royal Navy.

On July 19, to mark the fortieth anniversary since the departure of foreign military forces from Malta on 31 March 1979, Heritage Malta is organising a one-of-a-kind harbour cruise. It will focus on the various former Royal Navy establishments and facilities spread around the Grand Harbour and Marsamxett Harbour, covering docks, hospitals, fortifications, supply facilities and other structures in use until 1979. After the exhibition and a light refreshment, attendees may visit the Behind Closed Doors exhibition.

Meeting point at the quay below Fort St Angelo at 18:30.

Tickets at €20 Adults, €15 Seniors, Students, Children and HM members. Tickets can be purchased from all Heritage Malta museums & sites or https://shop.heritagemalta.org/index.asp?eventid=594

Ticket price includes the harbour cruise, a glass of wine and access to the exhibition. Light snacks will be available for sale.

The exhibition catalogue will be for sale from the shop at a reduced price. The exhibition’s merchandise, and other Heritage Malta merchandise, will also be available for sale.

The Fort will close at 22:30