Tarxien’s Statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary was commissioned after a time of plague in the early 1800s. It was sculpted by Mastru Xandu Farrugia and debuted in the feast of 1829. Later, in 1885, it is said that Malta’s celebrated artist Giuseppe Calì—whose works are displayed in the National Museum of Fine Arts, the Mosta Rotunda, and several Valletta churches—reworked parts of it, including a new head. However, budget constraints meant his dream of adorning the Madonna with a full halo of doves wasn’t possible.