Chapel of St. Lucy
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“The Chapel of St. Lucy” digital experience where history and technology intertwine to bring you an immersive experience.
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Santa Luċija Tal-Barrani, one of the most popular chapels of Malta in early centuries, was a centre of many pilgrimages and the focal point of one of Malta’s most popular devotions throughout the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The chapel was a milestone to people coming from l- lmdina, pass through Żurrieq and Bir Miftuħ. The road, now named Tal-Lampat, used to turn left and proceed towards Ħal Tarxien or Birgu. During that period Valletta was not built yet.
People could also continue their journey along a pathway by the chapel, today known as Kalamia road and continue southwards towards Bisqallin (Żejtun) and Marsascala.
ln his pastoral visit of 1745 Bishop Alpheran de Bussan wrote a very concise and clear summary regarding the history of the chapel. The rural chapel of S. Lucia had been built in the 16th century upon lands donated to the Cathedral Church of Mdina in 1535 by the Noble Paolo Pellegrino who imposed upon the Cathedral procurator the burden of celebrating 3 masses on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of any week, for his beneficial piety.
The order for the building of the Chapel
had been issued on the 9th of June 1535 by decree of the Vicar General of the diocese and the Giurati of the Universita. lt was a canonical church providing a prebend for one of the Cathedral canons who, in turn, was obliged to bear the expenses of the feast and to distribute a sum of money to the poor on the day of the feast. The custom existed right up to the Second World War.
A certain Salvo Briffa undertook the building of this chapel, and the Cathedral Church, which continued to administer the Chapel, cared for its needs and paid all expenses. During the 16th and 17th century a multitude of devotees flocked to the spot.
Our Lady of Narni
At Narni in Italy, there is a shrine to Our Blessed Mother. It is said the image spoke to Blessed Lucy, to whom Mary gave the Infant to hold, while Lucy venerated the Mother and Child.
Born in 1476, Blessed Lucy lived in the town of Narni in Italy. As a small child she preferred religious articles to toys, sharing the former as well as the latter with her playmates. When only five years old, Lucy experienced her first vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. When she was seven years old, she visited an uncle in whose home a picture of angels was painted on the ceiling. Lucy secretly went there to pray. She was favored by a heavenly vision of Our Lady, who gave Lucy her Divine Son to hold. Our Lord gave Lucy a ring, and Saint Dominic, who was also present in the vision, gave Lucy a scapular to wear at that time. At the age of 12, Lucy made a vow of perpetual chastity, and decided she wanted to become a Dominican nun.
A shrine to Our Lady of Narni was erected in memory of Blessed Lucy. Our Heavenly Mother granted many miracles after the death of Lucy showing how pleasing she was to her and her Divine Son. Blessed Lucy of Narnia died November 15, in the year 1544. Four years after her death, Lucy’s body was exhumed and found to be incorrupt. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XIII.
