Feast of St Peter & St Paul Nadur, Gozo

By Phillip Martin Micallef

The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nadur, Gozo is a traditional Maltese feast with a difference. Pre-dating the arrival of The Knights of St. John in 1530, the locals refer to this feast as L'Imnarja. The Maltese name derives from the Italian word; luminaria (illumination). The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul also signals the beginning of the summer country harvest. Essentially a folk festival as well as a religious holiday.

The feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is celebrated on the 29th of June. However celebrations commence nine days (novena) before, as preparations get underway for the big day. Thousands of Maltese cross over the channel to take part in this exceptional event and foreigners are drawn from the four corners of the world to attend the festivities.

Nadur parish church was completed in the early 20th century and built upon foundations originally laid in 1760 and designed by renowned Maltese architect; Francesco Saverio Sciortino.

The aisles, facade and dome of this magnificent church were the last to be completed and based on designs by Professor F.S.Sciortino's Italian Renaissance style. The ceiling of Nadur Basilica is adorned with beautiful frescos and paintings by Lazzaro Pisani. Italian Pio Cellini took care of the architectural designs within the church. Parish priest Martin Camilleri (1910 - 1921) was the principal driving force behind the completion of this grandiose project of completing the building and decorations of the church.

On feast day, band marches take place along the narrow streets of Nadur. Often guest bands from Malta cross the channel to take part in the activities and dedicate their talents to the patron saints on this special day, which is also a national holiday. The traditional morning march on feast day is a highlight of the celebrations garnering much enthusiasm.

The peak of the feast celebrations, which is about 11pm, is when devoted parishioners carry the saint's' statues back into the church to be laid to rest within until next year.

The feast was inspired by the bonfires that used to light up the festivities in the capitals of Mdina and Rabat. The magnificent statue of St. Peter and St. Paul was commissioned by the parish and made in Marseilles in 1882 and still stands today. A little know fact is that every street in Nadur has its own committee responsible for the feast-decorations in that street.

There can be little doubt that the feast of St. Peter and St. Paul is an unmissable event that truly encapsulates the spirit of Gozitan as well as Maltese traditions and culture. If you only attend one feast this year, make sure it is the glorious and unique feast of St. Peter and St. Paul in Nadur, Gozo. You will surely not be disappointed and you will experience the true spirit of the Gozitans (and Maltese).

Copyright Phillip Martin Micallef 21st June 2017

Published: LinkedIn Corp / LinkedIn Pulse

Phillip Martin Micallef

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tel: + 356 9988 7901