feast decorations

The Għaqda Dilettanti Knisja ta’ Lapsi, San Ġiljan counts among its main aims the care, restoration, and preservation of external festive decorations for the titular feast - a living testimony to the long-standing tradition of the feast of St Julian. The voluntary organisation also commissions new decorative works to adorn the streets surrounding the church during the feast days.

Over the years, the Għaqda Dilettanti Knisja ta’ Lapsi, San Ġiljan has carried out several decorative projects, both through the work of its own members and in collaboration with several established artists. In recent years, three major projects were completed: a set of eight large street banners (bandalori) for Rogation Square, designed, shaded, and including portraits depicting Bishops of Malta by Josef Camilleri; the conservation of two statues of angels dating from 1896–97 by Carlo Darmanin, originally displayed on the church parvis; and a new set of bandalori (festive banners) depicting 'St Julian and his Wife Margherita receiving the Sick and the Wounded', and 'The Miracle of the Leper', designed by artist Silvio Pace, with sewing work by Abigail Micallef, 3D shading by Redrian Micallef and paintings by artist Mariorick Mifsud. These were complemented with other projects including the restoration of two artistic wooden columns by Victor Tanti and Carmel Sammut, now transformed into traditional 'pilandri' with light fixtures by Twanny Zammit atop, as well as the restoration and redecoration of two statues of angels that decorate the church parvis by artist Rennie Abela. The wooden columns decorating the church parvis will soon be redecorated by George Portelli, using the finto marmo technique. 

In all its work, the voluntary organisation strives to maintain a balance between restoring antique decorations and commissioning new works that complement the old. The committee’s vision is for the streets under its care to become a microcosm of Maltese and Gozitan artistic talent — a living gallery showcasing the skills of those who preserve and advance the artistry of the traditional Maltese festa. The aim is for each street to serve as a display of the finest contemporary craftsmanship in Maltese festive art.

ONGOING projects

Arts Council Malta, through it's Artistic Heritage Scheme, supported/is supporting the Għaqda Dilettanti Knisja ta' Lapsi, San Ġiljan, in the creation of a two new sets of decorative hangings (pavaljuni) to decorate the historic centre of St Julian’s during the annual festa. After two decades of use, the original decorations have been worn by the summer sun, and this renewal offered the opportunity not only to replace them but to raise the artistic level of our feast decorations.

St Michael Street

The chosen theme for the first set of hangings (pavaljuni) - that for St Michael Street - highlights St Julian the Hospitaller, one of the patron saints of pilgrims and travellers, whose life of conversion and hospitality resonates deeply with the idea of pilgrimage as a journey of faith and hope. The new banners, designed and shaded by artist Josef Camilleri, depict saints traditionally associated with pilgrimage — St Helen, St Francis of Assisi, St Jacob the Elder, and St Christopher, each set within the powerful symbolism of the Cross of the Holy Land and the scallop shell. Together, these images evoke the universal Christian call to welcome, protect, and accompany those on a journey. Through their striking design and rich iconography, the hangings not only enhance the festa’s beauty but also communicate a message of history, faith, and identity to the local community and to the many visitors who join the celebrations.

Lapsi Street

The Għaqda Dilettanti Knisja ta’ Lapsi, San Ġiljan is commissioning a new set of pavaljuni for Lapsi Street, one of the oldest and most historically significant streets in St Julian’s. This project continues the voluntary organisation's long-standing mission to preserve, restore, and elevate the artistic level of feast decorations — an integral part of Malta’s cultural heritage. This project is being supported by Arts Council Malta through its Artistic Heritage Scheme, which promotes the conservation, renewal, and transmission of Malta’s tangible and intangible artistic heritage.

The new pavaljuni have been designed by Jeremy Cachia, a leading contemporary designer of festa decorations, and this will be his first work for St Julian’s — an honour for our organisation. They shall be completed in time for the titular feast of 2026. The shading and painted elements will be executed by Redrian Micallef, whose artistic maturity and refined technique have made him one of Malta’s most sought-after festa artists. Notably, Micallef worked on the previous set of decorations for this same street over twenty years ago, and his involvement now symbolises both continuity and renewal.

The first phase of the project will include three pavaljuni — two large and one smaller — designed to suit the width and layout of Triq Lapsi, through which the processional traslatio of the relic and the feast procession with the titular statue of St Julian pass from on the eve and feast day respectively. 

Through this project, the organisation aims not only to enhance the artistic quality of the feast decorations, but also to provide a cultural showcase that reflects the collective memory, faith, and identity of the St Julian’s community, while helping residents and visitors alike — including the town’s growing foreign population — appreciate Malta’s living festa tradition.