About this festa

Mellieħa is one of Malta's most scenic villages, built on a ridge above a long sandy bay that is the largest beach on the island. The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa, carved into the rock face, is one of the oldest places of Christian worship in Malta and is believed to house a painting of the Madonna attributed to St Luke himself. The September 8 festa coincides with Victory Day, Malta's national holiday commemorating the end of the Great Siege of 1565, giving the celebrations both religious and patriotic significance. The Nativity of Our Lady on 8 September is Victory Day in Malta, commemorating the end of the Great Siege of 1565 when the Ottoman forces withdrew after four months of siege. Mellieħa's sanctuary, carved into a cliff face above the village, houses an image of Our Lady attributed to St Luke by tradition, making it one of the oldest Marian shrines in Malta and a place of pilgrimage for centuries.