A photo detailing the beautiful area surrounding Ta’ Mensija Chapel, shared on the Facebook group San Gwann Residents, has sent us down memory lane!

In fact, it's thrown us deep into the rabbit hole that is Maltese folklore. In a historically and culturally rich island like Malta, legends are far from going extinct, and Ta’ Mensija Chapel in San Gwann has its own very interesting tale to tell…

According to the Mensija Church Facebook page, the Legend of Mensija dates as far back as the early 1400s, when a farmer called Andrea built a farmhouse surrounding a nearby cave. Some of the steps leading up to his house had to be embedded in rock, and this is where the story gets interesting!

On entering his house one fine evening, Andrea was struck by a light piercing from the underground fissures. Curious, he gathers his family, and they start digging, revealing a lit oil lamp adorning a sacred image of the Virgin Mary. Spooky!

Andrea took the picture to the parish priest, but the next day, it mysteriously found its way back in the cave. Andrea made a second trip, but the same thing happened again. He even took it to the bishop, but that visit was just as unsuccessful.

“It has to be a divine sign!,” said the bishop. Consequently, the cave was cleaned up and an altar was put into place. They did not dare move the image again…

Finding out, people flocked to the cave to pay homage to the divine image!

Interesting, right? But let’s get real, this is all just speculation, and we can’t let it defer us from the architectural beauty of the chapel itself! The Mensija Chapel continues to host mass for the locals and the area itself sparks nostalgic memories for many.

In fact, a commenter notes how back in the day his grandfather was in charge of ringing the church bells, while his mum’s cousin had the responsibility of looking after the church. He explains that the house next to the church was actually owned by his grandfather’s sister and thus he can still recall many happy memories of him playing outside and jumping in haystacks. He notes how the area wasn’t short of goats either…

So, do you believe in Maltese legends like the one at Mensija?

Mensija Church / Facebook, Mensija Church / Facebook