Stones of faith : the tombstones and funerary rites and customs at the Gozo matrice

Abstract

Throughout many centuries the Castello was the only fortified enclosure or 'closed' settlement. The church dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady was the principal and largest church among the different churches that were built over the years inside this castrum. During much of the 17th century this major church consisted only of a main nave without any transepts or aisles. In 1693 an earthquake hit Gozo with a devastating effect on many buildings including the Collegiate Church, so much so, that it was decided to build a new church. The design for the new church was entrusted to the Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafa'. The renowned architect employed all his skill to create a church in the prevailing baroque style worthy of its prime status. The Gozo Cathedral dominates the Castello in Gozo, both in area size and in height. The initiative to build the new church was supported by the noble or affluent families of Gozo, who needed a decent place for their burial. Besides many of the fine architectural elements that adorn this church, one is surely attracted to fascinating pavement with its attractive multi-coloured marble tombstones emblazoned with armorial shields as well as other emblems connected to momento mori. While this type of decorative floor is not unique in the Maltese Islands, it adds to the magnificence of the edifice. The visitor can literally tread over the history of the persons buried under these tombstones - many of whom have left an indelible mark on the history of the island - while at the same time closely inspect and admire the intricate skills employed in producing the ledger stones. Not much has been written about this intriguing topic, except for a few articles that appeared mainly in the Cathedral parish's festa publications; the major of which were penned in a laudatory style. The tombstones are also mentioned in tourist guide books and websites that promote Gozo. However, not much artistic knowledge may be garnered from these sources. This distinctive feature of this unique church deserves to be studied on its own - something that up till now has been lacking. The main purpose of this work is to catalogue the corpus of marble ledger stones that are placed inside the matrice. All tombstones, as well as other marble engravings, have been digitally photographed and form part of this study. Though perhaps taken in an amateurish way, these images do betray the exacting workmanship that went into the artistic manufacture of the gravestones. One may appreciate the close attention to minute detail that the marble artisans exercised in the manufacture of these works of art. All the inscriptions appearing on the tombstones are written in Latin. They have been carefully transcribed and are an important part of this dissertation. It is a pity - and only in very few instances - that parts of the scripts have been obliterated over time, more specifically by the eroding effect of the innumerable number of persons that stepped over them [...]