Did you know that the Maltese Islands are home to several chapels dedicated to St Roque, who is considered the protector of plague sufferers? The current Covid-19 pandemic isn’t the first to hit the islands, and these chapels serve as a reminder of the deadly bubonic plague.

Back in 1592, Malta was hit hard by the bubonic plague, which killed 3,000 people. That same year, local Tumas Vassallo and his wife Katarin commissioned the building of a chapel in Zebbug, dedicated to St Roque. Legend has it that, having been infected by the plague himself, St Roque was cured of the deadly disease by a dog, who licked his sores. That’s why the saint is always depicted with a faithful dog at his feet – now that’s what we call man’s best friend!

The medieval chapel in Zebbug may be simple in its design, but it has stood the test of time. While other chapels dedicated to the saint were built in Valletta, Balzan and Birkirkara, they have since been rebuilt, and this is the only one that has remained intact.

Zebbug’s chapel of St Roque was reopened by Din l-Art Helwa in 2007, following restoration work on its interior, and now houses an exhibition celebrating Maltese patriots and artists born in Zebbug.

While the chapel is currently closed due to the measures being taken to limit the spread of the Coronavirus, it serves as a reminder that 2020 isn’t the first time that Malta has been hit by a ‘plague’, and here we still are!

Stay safe out there, folks!