Mellieha

The Sanctuary of Our Lady of Mellieħa has been a place of pilgrimage for centuries. Believed to have been visited by St Paul himself, the sanctuary houses a revered medieval fresco of the Virgin Mary, said to be painted by St Luke. The devotion to Il-Bambina is deeply ingrained in the identity of Mellieħa, and the town's annual festa celebrates her role as a symbol of hope, protection, and resilience throughout Malta’s turbulent history. Mellieha has a gold-gilded statue of Our Lady of Victories, carved from tree bark by Maltese sculptor Pietru Pawl Azzopardi.