On July 6, 1614, a fleet of 60 Ottoman galleys approached St Thomas Bay and landed a horde of corsairs who proceeded to attack Żejtun.
The old parish church of St Catherine, now known as St Gregory’s, was laid to waste. The residents of Ħal Ġwann and Bisqallin, now known as ‘Ir-Raħal ta’ Fuq’ and ‘Ir-Raħal ta’ Isfel’, led by Clemente Tabone, gathered under the carob trees of Bulebel.
There, they resisted the invaders until the cavalry of the Order of St John arrived from Valletta. The invaders retreated back to their galleys but then proceeded north and attacked Mellieħa.
To commemorate the 400th anniversary of this historic event, the Żejtun local council in conjunction with the Ministry of Justice and Local Government, Għaqda Folklor, Storja, Arti u Ariġjanat taż-Żejtun, Show of Arms, St Catherine’s parish church and other local organisations will present a dramatised Son et Lumiere with folk song and dance next Sunday at 8.30pm.
Based on historic research, the Son et Lumiere recounts the vicissitudes of the locals from the early 15th century to 1614, 200 eventful years which witnessed a deep social and cultural change.
Records discovered by historians of late medieval Malta, Godfrey Wettinger, Charles Dalli and Canon Joe Abela have contributed to a lively and well-documented script for a highly interesting historic video light show, utilising the old parish church as a background, supported by folk singing, dance and drama in local dialect form.
The old parish church of St Catherine itself is a living document of those eventful years. Besides providing services as a parish church, it doubled as a vital lookout post for any enemy movements in the approaches of the southeast harbours, namely Marsaxlokk, St Thomas Bay and Marsascala.
The historic accounts of Bishop Senator De Mello in 1436, Sicilian notarial deeds recounting local commercial exchanges and the change in local surnames, the far-reaching effects of the Order of St John in Malta after 1530, the visit of Mgr Pietro Dusina in 1575 and the 1614 invasion itself are vividly dramatised, at times in humorous fashion.
Although informative in content, the activity will be presented in an entertaining manner. Entrance is free.