Thursday, 10th July 2008

One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of Valletta (22)

Statue of St Joseph

A life-size franka stone statue of St Joseph holding the baby Jesus in both arms is located on the corner of Triq il-Punent and Triq it-Teatru. Baby Jesus is shown playing with St Joseph's forelock. The statue stands on a small pedestal supported upon a tapered column. The column has moulded panels and an ornate cornice with a foliage design. Along the column's front is a plaque with an inscription related to indulgences. Below the inscription is a donation collection box. The statue is lit by a single lamp in front of the pedestal and a festoon with light bulbs fixed along each side.

At about a metre from the statue and to its right on the wall in Triq it-Teatru, is another, older plaque related to indulgences by Archbishop Fra Paolo Alferan de Bussan.

Mepa scheduled the statue of St Joseph as a Grade 1 national monument as per Government Notice number 276/08 in the Government Gazette dated March 28.