St Mary Street
Triq Santa Marija
Saint Mary Street
1. Daħla
1. Introduction
Triq Santa Maria hija waħda mit-toroq prinċipali li tgħaqqad iċ-ċentru ta' tas-Sliema mal-periferija. Tibda mill-inħawi magħrufa bħala t-"Tliet Sigriet" u tibqa' nieżla lejn id-direzzjoni ta' Marsamxett sa Triq Sant' Agata. Din it-triq taqsam Triq il-Karmnu, Triq Trofimu u Triq Manuel Dimech. Triq San Nikola u Sqaq Muscat jibdew minn din it-triq. Sa ftit tax-xhur ilu, din it-triq kienet tagħti sens ta' ftuħ hekk kif wiehed ikun nieżel minn din it-triq. Imma minħabba l-iżvilupp li sar max-xatt, il-bini għoli għatta għal dejjem il-veduta u b'hekk din it-triq, f'isem il-progress, m'għadiex li kienet.
Saint Mary Street is one of the main roads of Sliema, connecting the centre to the periphery. It stretches from the area known as "Tliet Siġriet" right beside the Imperial Hotel in Rudolph street and stretches downhill towards Marsamxett harbour, at its junction with Saint Agatha street. Saint Mary street crosses Carmel Street, Saint Trophimus Street, and Manuel Dimech Street. Saint Nicholas Street and Muscat Alley start at their junction with this road. Up to some months ago, when looking down from the top of Saint Mary Street towards Marsamxett harbour, the low buildings between Saint Agatha and The Strand, used to give this street a feeling of openness. All this has been permanently lost with the extensive development of high buildings at The Strand.
2.L-Istorija marbuta mat-Triq
2. The History behind this Street
Il-biċċa l-kbira ta' l-iżvilupp f'din it triq sar lejn nofs is-seklu dsatax. Ħafna mil-bini tela' fuq art propjeta tal-Katidral bejn l-1866 u l-1872. Insibu li fil-21 ta' April 1866 ittieħdet b'ċens dik il-parti qrib ħafna ta' Triq Manuel Dimech, minn tliet Beltin: Ġużeppi Grima, Ġiaċinto Borg u Saver Micallef.
Fl-14 ta' Mejju tal-1866, Ġużeppi Galea mill-Belt ukoll, ħa erba' porzjonijiet fil-parti ta' fuq fejn illum insibu parti mill-Lukanda Imperial. Fl-istess jum l-Għawdxi Salvu Micallef ħa dik il-parti ta' l-art fejn illum hemm in-niċċa ta' Santa Maria. Ġiovanni Pirotta ħa parti oħra fuq ix-xaqliba l-oħra tat-triq, ukoll f'dik l-istess ġurnata. Il-familjari ta' Ġiovanni Pirotta għadhom joqogħdu fuq din l-art.
Fi ftit ta żmien, triq Santa Marija inbniet kollha. Minħabba f'hekk fiha naraw għadd ta' djar ta' daqs u gosti differenti.
Most of the original development in this street took place round about the middle of the nineteenth century. This took place on land owned by the Cathedral between the years 1866 and 1872. As a matter of fact on the 21st of April 1866, three men from Valletta, Guzeppi Grima, Giacinto Borg and Saver Micallef acquired a piece of land close to Manuel Dimech street., They paid a ground rentfor this piece of land
On the 14th of May 1866 other pieces of land were acquired by other persons, namely: Guzeppi Galea from Valletta who took four plots. Part of this area is occupied today by the Imperial Hotel. Salvu Micallef from Gozo who took a piece of land where today one finds a small statue of Saint Mary, at the corner where Saint Trophimus Street crosses Saint Mary Street. Giovanni Pirotta who took a plot across the road from the latter. Ancestors of Giovanni Pirotta still reside in the area.
Thus, Saint Mary Street was quickly developed into a residential area and because of this, one finds different sized houses with different styles and decorations.
3. Id-Djar fi Triq Santa Marija
3. The houses in St Mary Street
Fil-bidu tat-triq, fil-quċċata ta' l-għolja u faċċata ta' Triq Rudolfu, wieħed isib tlett idjar kbar u sbieħ mibnija fuq l-istess stil. Dawn jinsabu kantuniera ma' Triq San Nikola. Iżjed l-isfel u faċċata hemm ukoll bini qadim li jikkonsisti f' numru ta' djar żgħar ħafna. Interessanti l-faċċata ta' dan il-bini mżejjen bi tliet koloni.
Right at the top of the hill, just opposite Rudolph street and reaching down to Saint Nicholas street, are three beautiful large houses all built on a similar syle. In contrast to these, further down the road and on the opposite side one finds a very old and small building consisting of numerous residences. The façade of this building is decorated with 3 columns
Insibu numru ta' djar b'parapett. F'l-ewwel parti ta' din it-triq fejn tingħaqad ma' Triq Sir Adrian Dingli, u magħrufa bħala It-Tliet Siġriet, hemm erbgħat idjar kbar u sbieħ, b'parapett imdaqqas li jżejnu din il-parti bis-siġar li fihom.
There are a number of houses in this street with a parapet. The first of such houses can be seen at the very beginning of Saint Mary Street, where it intersects with Sir Adrian Dingli Street at the area known as "It-Tliet Siġriet". These are large town houses whose front gardens embelish this area with the vigitation and trees.
Kantuniera ma' Triq il-Karmnu hemm erbat idjar minn dawn. Sa l-ewwel nofs tas-seklu għoxrin, taħt l-ewwel parapett kien hemm pompa ta' l-ilma għall-użu tal-pubbliku.
The next set of houses with a front garden can be found at the junction with Carmel Street. During the first half of the twentieth century, just outside the corner house was a manual water pump supplying the residents of the neighbourhood with fresh water.
Żewġt idjar li jinsabu fin-naħa t-isfel ta' Triq Santa Maria għandhom parapett żgħir imżejjen bi skultura sabiħa. F'waħda minn dawn id-djar sar żvilupp estensiv fuq ġewwa, imma il-faċċata tidher li baqgħet miżmuma. Fl-imgħoddi kien hemm xi żewġt idjar oħra li kellhom parapett simili, imma dawn twaqqgħu biex flokhom tela' bini ieħor. Is-saljaturi taħt il-gallerija ta dawn id-djar għandhom skultura interessanti u partikolari. Dik tan-nofs hi magħmula minn maskerin b'ilsienu barra bħala ħarsien mill-għajn ħażina. Jispikkaw ukoll pilastri Jonici u skultura oħra.
Two adjacent houses in the lower part of Saint Mary Street, have a small parapet decorated with beautiful stone carving. One of these houses has had extensive structural alterations done to it lately. However it seems that the façade has been preserved. In the past, two other similar houses were demolished to make way for new building. It is worth mentioning the sculpture on the corbel supporting the balconies, in particular the middle corbel stone. This depicts a face with its tongue out, meant to scare off the evil eye. There are also Ionic columns and other stone decorations
Dan ir-ritratt ta' hawn taħt juri dettall tal-faċċata ta' dar qrib it-Triq Manuel Dimech. Taħt is-saljatura tan-nofs tal-gallerija wieħed jara in-numru 9, li juri li fl-imgħoddi l-enumerazzjoni ta' din it-triq kien jibda' minn din in-naħa tat-triq, bil-kontra ta' kif inhuma illum.
A house worth mentioning is the one close to Manuel Dimech Street. As the photo hereunder shows, the central corbel stone supporting the gallerija has a number 9 carved underneath, denoting that in the past, the door numbers used to start from this side of the street, rather than the opposite side as is today.
Gallarija kbira ta' stil mhux komuni tinsab f'dar f'din it-triq bejn Triq Manuel Dimech u Triq Sant'Agata. Din il-gallarija għandha purtella bil-persjani quddiem kull purtell tal-ħġieġ.
Nearing the end of the street, between Saint Agatha and Manuel Dimech street is a large and unique gallerija. This has Persian blinds over every window.
In-numru ta' stili interessanti u skultura differenti li wieħed isib f'din it-triq huma ħafna. Hawn taht jinsabu ritratti ta xi wħud minnhom.
The following are photos of some of the interesting styles of houses and sculpture on buildings found in this street.
4. Id-Dar tal-Mużew
4. MUSEUM
San Ġorġ Preca, il-fundatur tas-Socjeta' tal-Mużew, kien fetaħ l-ewwel Mużew f'Tas-Sliema fi Triq Caminżuli f'l-1915. Wara ftit ġarrew għal Sqaq Sajjan, imma mbagħad fl-1936 imxew għal dar fi Triq Santa Maria, fejn illum hemm il-garaxx ta' din il-fergħa. Maż-żmien ħadu d-dar ta' ħdejhom u kabbru l-qasam għal kif inhu illum. Huma hafna dawk is-subien Slimiżi li ħadu t-tagħlim nisrani tagħhom minn din id-dar.
Saint Gorg Preca, a local diocese priest who founded the Society for Christian Doctrine known as MUSEUM (locally known as Muzew), opened the first centre in Sliema in Caminzuli Street in 1915. The centre eventually moved to Sajjan Lane but in 1936 the society in Sliema moved to a small house in Saint Mary Street, which was eventually joint to a neighbouring house which they bought at a later stage to meet their needs. The small house was converted into a garage for use by the same society as can be seen today. This house has witnesed catechism being thought to numerous boys living in Sliema.
5. Niċeċ
5. Statues
Fi Triq Santa Marija, wieħed issib erba' niċeċ li jżejjnuha.
Saint Mary Street is decorated with four statues found on the facade of houses.
L-ewwel waħda tinsab fil-Kantuniera bejn Triq Santa Maria u Triq il-Karmnu. Din hija statwa tal-Madonna tal-Karmnu li fl-imgħoddi kienet magħrufa bħala “Ta Ġiljan” għal Ġiljan Mifsud li kien jieħu ħsiebha. Dan kellu ħanut tax-xorb f’din it-triq. Lapida li tinsab taħt in-niċċa ġġib is-sena tal-1929 b'digriet maħruġg minn Monsinjur Maoro Varuana, Arċisqof ta' Malta ta' dawk iż-żminijiet.
The first is a statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is situated in the corner between Saint Mary street and Carmel Street. This statue was known as " Ta' Giljan" after a certain Giljan Mifsud who used to look after the it. He used to run a bar in this street. The inscription on the marble slab just under the statue indicates a decree for indulgence issued by Archbishop Maoro Caruana (1867-1943) back in 1929
In-Niċċa ta’ Maria Assunta li tinsab fil-kantuniera ma’ Triq San Trofimu, tmur lura għas-seklu 19. L-Indulġenzi li hemm marbuta magħha jmorru lura għal-żmien l-Isqof Gaetano Pace Forno (1809-1874) li serva f’din il-kariga bejn 1857 u 1874.
The statue showing Mary's Assumption into heaven and which is found in Saint Mary Street corner with Saint Trophimus Street dates back to the nineteenth century. The indulgence to whoever recites the mentioned prayers in front of this statue are by order of the Bishop of the time, Gaetano Pace Forno (1809-1874) who served as the bishop of Malta between 1857 and 1874.
Il-Lapida taħt in-niċċa li turi id-digriet tal-indulġenzi b'l-awtorita ta' l-Isqof Pace Forno.
The plaque indicating the indulgence by order of Bishop Pace Forno.
Mal-faċċata ta' dar li ser tissemma aktar ‘il-quddiem hemm niċċa ta’ San Luigi Gonzaga. Din tinsab eżattament quddiem id-dar tal-Mużew.
Another statue is that of Saint Luigi Gonzaga found just across the road from the MUSEUM branch. The house bearing this statue on its façade will be refered to later during this feature.
Hekk kif wieħed ikun nieżel Triq Santa Marija, fit-tarf tagħha fejn tingħaqad ma’ triq Sant’ Agata, hemm dar b’faċċata ħadra. Din id-dar għalkemm tagħmel ma’ din ta’ l-aħħar, tiġi faċċata ta’ Triq Santa Marija. Ma’ din il-faċċata hemm niċċa ta’ Marija Assunta, li l-indulġenzi marbuta ma’ din in-niċċa jmorru għas seklu 19 fi żmien Gaetano Pace Forno.
A house with a green façade, is also worth commenting about. Although it is actually in Saint Agatha Street, it attracts the eye of anyone proceeding down Saint Mary Street. This house has a statue showing Our Lady's Assumption into Heaven and once again dateing back to the second half of the nineteenth century during Bishop Gaetano Pace Forno's time.
6. Personaggi li għexu f'Triq Santa Marija
6. Well known people who lived in Saint Mary Street.
Fid-dar numru 37, li hija waħda mid djar b'parapett fil-kantuniera ma Triq il-Karmnu kien joqgħod il-parrukkier Manuel Attard li kien wieħed mill-vittmi tas-sette Giunio.
One of the victims of the 7th June 1919, Manuel Attard, lived in one of the residences, number 37. This is one of the houses corner with Carmel street with a parapet.
Id-Dar li fiha kien joqgħod Dun Karm Micallef
Former residence of Dun Karm Micallef
Fid-dar numru 99 kien joqgħod Dun Karm Micallef li għal snin twal kien prokuratur tal-Knisja ta' Stella Maris. Din id-dar kienet inbniet minn missieru stess fl-aħħar tas-seklu 19. Il-faċċata ta' din id-dar hija msebbħa b' żewġ pilastri Jonici. Mal-istess binja kien hemm dar terran, illum garaxx fejn kien twieled u kien joqgħod il-Poeta Patri Marianu Vella(1927-1988) ta' l-ordni Franġiskana minuri.
Door number 99 was the residence of Dun Karm Micallef who served as the procurator of Stella Maris Church for a long time. The house was built by his father round about the end of the 19th century. The façade of the house has two Ionic columns. This building also had another dwelling at ground floor level, today a garage where a Maltese poet and Franciscan friar, Father Marianu Vella ( 1927-1988) was born and used to recided.
Kolonni Jonici mal-faċċata tad-dar mibnija minn missier Dun Karm Micallef
Ionic columns on the facade of the house built by Dun Karm Micallef's father
P. Marjanu Vella (source www.akkademjatalmalti.com )
F'din id-dar bejn 1870 u 1883 kien joqgħod il- qassis Belti Dun Pawl Vella (1830-1883). Dun Pawl kien li bena l-Knisja Parrokkjali tal-Madonna tas-Sacro Cuor. Lapida mal-faċċata ta' din id-dar tikkomemora dan.
Between the years 1870 and 1883, this house served as the residence of Dun Pawl Vella (1830-1883) a diocese priest from Valletta . He was the priest who started the devotion to the Blessed Virgin of the Sacred Heart of Jesus ( Sacro Cuor) and eventually paved the way for the new church to be built. This is commemorated by a plaque on the façade of this house.
Dun Pawl Vella
Imbagħad, bejn Triq il-Karmnu u Triq San Trofimu, hemm id-dar fejn kien joqgħod il-pittur magħruf Malti Guzeppi Cali (1846 - 1930), li għamel diversi xogħlijiet artistiċi mxerrda f'pajjjiżna.
Guzeppi Cali ( 1846-1930) a local artist used to live in a house In Saint Mary Street located between Carmel and Saint Trophimus Streets.
Giuseppe Cali' (source http://www.grajjietmalta.com/ )
Persunaġġ ieħor li kien joqgħod u miet f'din it-triq kien Dun Pietru Pawl Grima (1894-1932), ħabib kbir tal-lingwa Maltija. Kien awtur ta' poeżiji f'ġieħ tas-Sliema. Flimkien ma' Pietru Pawl Saydon u Alfons Maria Galea kienu qalbu l-bibbja kollha mit-testi Griegi għall-Malti u ippublikati fuq talba ta' San Ġorg Preca, fundatur tal-Mużew
The Maltese linguist Dun Pietru Pawl Grima (1894-1932) also lived and died in a house in this street. A number of his poems are dedicated to Sliema. Nevertheless his most important work is the translation of the scriptures into Maltese from Greek text. This was the first complete Bible ever printed in Maltese. This work was done with another two linguistics Alfons Maria Galea and Fr Pietru Pawl Saydon after a request made by Saint Gorg Preca, founder of the Society of Christian Doctrin better Known as MUSEUM.
Żewġ personaġġi oħra li kienu joqogħdu f'din it-triq huma l-iskultur u statwarju Antonino Cuschieri, li x-xogħlijiet tiegħu jinsabu fi knejjes kemm f'Tas-Sliema u kif ukoll mxerdin ma' Malta. Dan kien joqgħod f'l-ewwel dar fin-naħa ta' fuq ta' din it-triq fil-parti magħrufa bħala 'It-Tlett Siġriet'.
Two other personalities who used to live in Saint Mary Street are the sculpturer Antonino Cuschieri, whose works can be found in many churches around Malta, even in Sliema. His residence was the first house at the top end of the road, at the junction with High Street, Rudolphe Street and Dingli Street.
Il-Personalita' l-oħra hija Laurence Gusman, magħruf minn bosta bħala Enzo Gusman (1947- ), kantant u preżentatur Malti.
The other personality is Laurence Gusman, better known as Enzo Gusman (1947- ), a local singer and presenter.
(Credit : Mr Enzo Gusman)
7. Circolo Nostra Signora
Faċċata tad-dar tal-Mużew hemm id-dar fejn fl-1923 twieldet is-Soċjeta Filarmonika "Sliema" li dak iż-żmien kienet tissejjaħ "Circolo Nostra Signora". Lapida kommemorattiva mal-faċċata ta' din id-dar tfakkar dan. Insibu ukoll niċċa ta' San Luiġi Gonzaga mal-faċċata tagħha.
Just across the road from the MUSEUM centre, is the house where the Sliema Philharmonic Society was founded. This was originally known as 'Circolo Nostra Signora'. This is denoted by a commemorative memorial stone. The façade of this house also has a statue of Saint Luigi Gonzaga
L-isfel mid-dar tal-Mużew hemm tlett idjar b'rabta ma' din id-dar. L-ewwel dar b'gallarija ħadra kien joqgħod is-Sur Anton Grech, wieħed mill-erba' fundaturi tas-Soċjeta' Filarmonika Sliema.
Three houses with local historical ties to this event can be found just a couple of doors down the road form the MUSEUM centre. The first building with the green galleria was the house of Anton Grech, one of the founders of the Sliema Philharmonic Society.
Anton Grech (Ħajr lil / Credits to Banda Sliema)
Dawn ir-ritratti juru l-saljaturi tal-gallariji tad-dar fejn kien joqgħod is Sur Anton Grech
These corbel stones can be found in the façade of Mr Anton Grech's former residence.
Mad-dar ta' maġenbha kien jogħqod in-Nutar Giovanni Gabaretta li kien għen ħafna lil poplu Malti wara l-irvellijiet tas-Sete Giugno. Dan kien l-ewwel President tas-Soċjeta' Filarmonic Sliema.Il-fotografu Gustino Vella, li kien joqgħod fit-tielet dar, u kien fundatur ieħor tal-Banda Sliema.
The neighbouring house belonged to Giovanni Gabaretta, a notary by profession who helped the Maltese after the 1919 conflict. He also served as the first President of the Sliema Philharmonic Society . The third house belonged to a photographer by the name of Gustino Vella another co-founder of the Sliema Philharmonic Society.
In-Nutar Giovanni Gabarretta(Source - www.sliemabandsacrocuor.org )
Il-Fotografu Ġustinu Vella ( Hajr / Credits to Banda Sliema)
8. L-Isqaq antik mingħajr isem
8. The old alley without a name
Fir-rokna fejn Triq Santa Marija tingħaqad ma' Sant' Agata, hemm dak li sa ftit ta' żmien ilu kien sqaq li wieħed kien jinżel għalih minn tmien tarġiet. Il-bibien f'dan l-isqaq kienu jagħtu għal wara ta' djar li l-faċċata tagħhom kienet fi Triq ix-Xatt.
At the very end of Saint Mary Street where it joins St Agatha Street, was once a alley accessed by means of a couple of steps leading to the back doors of what once were beautiful houses whose front door was at The Strand.
Illum flok dawn id-djar hemm blokki għoljin ta' appartament li għattew il-veduta tal-port ta' Marsamxett u Ta' Xbiex li kienet tidher hekk kif wieħed ikun nieżel Triq Santa Marija. Għalkemm għadu hemm, dan l-isqaq issa jagħti għal wara dawn l-appartamenti. L-aċċess tiegħu huwa mxekkel u perikoluż. It-tmien tarġiet ġew imkissra u mneħħija biex ma jkunx hemm aċċess għalih u għalhekk ta' skomdu għar-residenti.
Unfortunately, due to recent heavy development in the area, this blind alley is now overlooked by shafts and balconies of multi storey apartments. These multi storey apartments replaced these fine houses and their breath taking gardens. Although the alley is still there, its access is very dangerous, and detrimental to who ever tries to access it.
9.Għeluq
9. In Conclusion
Għalkemm din it-triq għad għandha ħafna x'toffri, l-iżvilupp sfrenat u riċenti f'tas-Sliema, ħallew effetti ħżiena u dejjiema fuqha. Is-sens ta' ftuħ fil-qalba ta' Tas-Sliema li kien jinħass inti u nieżel Triq Santa Marija, bix-xena ta' Marsamxett, Tax-Xbiex u lil hinn, issa insteraq darba għal dejjem bil-bini għoli li tela' max-Xatt ta' Tas-Sliema.
Unfortunately, notwithstanding the beautiful and historical buildings which still remain in Saint Mary Street, this road has been hard hid by recent development which took within it and also around The Strand, stealing its picturesque view of Marsaxett Harbour , tax-Xbiex and beyond. It is now claustrophobically enclosed within the cordon of high-rise buildings around the periphery of Sliema for the unforeseeable future.
Ritratt irtukkjat biex juri kif Triq Santa Marija kienet tidher qabel l-iżvilupp max-Xatt.
Background superimposition to denote how Saint Mary Street used to look before The Strand was developed.