The choir stalls of the Old Cathedral of Malta : history, iconography and devotion

Abstract

Woodcraft is an old and noble trade. In Medieval Europe, an effort was being made to reduce the distinction between 'major art' and 'minor art', inherited from the Classical period. During the Renaissance, developed 'artisan workshops' created a more scientific and academic climate in artisanal and manual knowledge and practice. The woodwork in the Maltese islands has not been properly researched, especially until the period of the 16th century. The production of wood was done for private dwellings, as well as for public buildings. Of the latter, the most frequented were the places of worship, so as a consequence, the most well-known works in wood are found there. In the Maltese islands, until the Knights of Saint John arrived in 1530, the most important and richest church was the Cathedral of Saint Paul in Mdina. In this writing, we are going to take a look at one of the most important works that were done in this sacred building, the 15th-century Choir stalls. In this complex work, we are going to concentrate on the iconography of the figurative panels. Choir stalls In the development of the sacred Christian building, we see that it was essentially divided in two, the main aisle at the front for the faithful, while the part at the back, where you had the presbytery, was reserved for the clergy. This part of the presbytery in ancient times was located between the ambo and the inside of the apse and the altar, while in front of the altar, from the IV century, there was the scoula cantorum. Successively, this space was changed into the monastic choir, which in the cathedral remained behind the altar, while the clergy began to preside in front of the altar. Gradually, the choir was moved from the back to the front of the altar. Choir stalls are the church furnishings par exellence. But what exactly does the choir consist of? This is a space in which the recitation of the Divine Office takes place, the Canonical hours, by the Capitular, diocesan, or common members, or of a monastic or conventual community. As a norm, there were several rows of stalls, usually two to three on each side, while in the middle space, there was a large lectern to place the choral books on. These chairs used to be made of wood, a more comfortable material, especially in the winterseason. The back row of seats is raised on a platform and linked to each other through partitions, while sometimes they end with a kind of canopy. The front row was raised in the same way but had a lower back and platform. These chairs were functional, especially when one spends long hours using them, where they had a place to put your hands, while you can rest not only when sitting, but also standing. […]