Carnival tragedy of 1823

Last updated
Carnival tragedy of 1823
Ta Giezu Church 14.jpg
The corridor with stairs where the incident took place, photographed in 2017
Date11 February 1823
Time18:30
Location Valletta, Crown Colony of Malta
Coordinates 35°53′47″N14°30′48″E / 35.89639°N 14.51333°E / 35.89639; 14.51333
Type Human crush
Deathsc. 110
ChargesNone

The Carnival tragedy of 1823 was a human crush which occurred on 11 February 1823 at the Convent of the Minori Osservanti in Valletta, Malta. About 110 boys who had gone to the convent to receive bread on the last day of carnival celebrations were killed after falling down a flight of steps while trying to get out of the convent.

Contents

Background

During the early 19th century, the Crown Colony of Malta was experiencing a famine, and it had become a tradition to gather 8-to-15-year-old boys from the working classes of Valletta and the Three Cities to participate in a procession during the last few days of carnival. [1] [2] [3] After the procession, they would attend Mass, and they would be given some bread afterwards. [4] [5] This activity was arranged by ecclesiastical directors who taught catechism, and its main aim was to keep children out of the riots and confusion of carnival. [1] [6] [7]

This activity was organized on 10 February 1823, when children attended mass at Floriana and then went to the Convent of the Minori Osservanti (now better known as ta' Ġieżu) in Valletta where they were given bread. [4] [5] Everything went as planned, and the same procedure was planned for the following day. [1] [5]

Disaster

The same procedure took place on 11 February 1823. Children were gathered and attended mass at Floriana, but the ceremony lasted an hour longer than usual. [4] [5] The children's procession to the convent in Valletta occurred at the same time as the carnival celebrations had ended, so they met with many people who were returning home. [4] [6] At this point, some adults and children from the crowd mixed in with the boys in order to receive free bread which was being distributed. [4] [6]

The boys entered one of the convent's corridors from the vestry door in the church, and were to be let out through another door on St. Ursula Street. The bread was to be distributed at the latter door. [4] [5] Although the vestry door was usually locked to prevent boys from reentering to receive more bread, this time the door was left open since the boys were late. Due to this, more men and boys entered without anyone realizing. [1] [4] [6]

Those who had entered began to push the boys queuing in the corridor, who were shoved to the end of the corridor near a half-open door. At this point, a lamp went out leaving the corridor in darkness, and the people inside began to push forward even more. The boys at the front fell down a flight of steps, blocking the door in the process. [1] [4]

Those who were distributing the bread as well as some neighbours rushed to assist the children after they heard screams. They managed to open the doors, and many boys got out and were revived. However, a number of boys had already died due to suffocation or being trampled upon. [1] [4] [7]

The exact number of casualties is not known. Records of the Sacra Infermeria show that 94 bodies of boys aged between 15 and 16 were brought to the hospital on 11 February, and they were buried the following day. [8] However, contemporary sources such as The Gentleman's Magazine and Historical Chronicle, and Nile's Weekly Chronicle record that "no less than 110 boys perished on this occasion". [2] [4]

Aftermath

An investigation led by the Lieutenant Governor, Richard Plasket, took place after the disaster, and a report about the findings was published a few days after the incident. [4] [5] The investigation concluded that it was an unfortunate accident caused by a succession of errors, and no one was accused for the deaths of the children. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valletta</span> Capital of Malta

Valletta is an administrative unit and the capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 was 6,444. According to the data from 2020 by Eurostat, the Functional Urban Area and metropolitan region covered the whole island and has a population of 480,134. Valletta is the southernmost capital of Europe, and at just 0.61 square kilometres (0.24 sq mi), it is the European Union's smallest capital city.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Floriana</span> Local council in South Eastern Region, Malta

Floriana, also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the national anthem, 'L-Innu Malti', Robert Samut; former Bishop of Malta Dun Mauro Caruana, the poets Oliver Friggieri and Maria Grech Ganado, the writer and politician Herbert Ganado and Swedish Idol winner Kevin Borg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tritons' Fountain</span> Public fountain outside the City Gate of Valletta, Malta

The Tritons’ Fountain is a fountain located just outside the City Gate of Valletta, Malta. It consists of three bronze Tritons holding up a large basin, balanced on a concentric base built out of concrete and clad in 730 tons of travertine slabs. The fountain is one of Malta's most important Modernist landmarks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valletta Waterfront</span> Wharf, stores in Floriana, Malta

The Valletta Waterfront, is a promenade in Floriana, Malta, mainly featuring three prominent buildings: a church in the middle, the Pinto Stores or the Pinto Wharf on the left, and the Forni Stores or the Forni Shopping Complex on the right. The buildings were originally stores and warehouses, built in the 18th century, and the design is attributed to Andrea Belli.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maltese Carnival</span> Event held before Ash Wednesday in Malta

Carnival has had an important place on the Maltese cultural calendar for just under five centuries, having been celebrated since at least the mid-15th century. Carnival has been a prominent celebration in the Islands since the rule of Grand Master Piero de Ponte in 1535.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Castellania (Valletta)</span> Maltese government building

The Castellania, also known as the Castellania Palace, is a former courthouse and prison in Valletta, Malta that currently houses the country's health ministry. It was built by the Order of St. John between 1757 and 1760, on the site of an earlier courthouse which had been built in 1572.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus</span> Church in Valletta, Malta

The Franciscan Church of St Mary of Jesus is a church in Valletta, Malta, which is dedicated to St Mary of Jesus and is cared for by the religious order of Friars Minor. It came to be popularly known by the Maltese as Ta' Ġieżu. Ta' Ġieżu is a local corruption of Ta' Ġesù.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Republic Square, Valletta</span> Square in Valletta, Malta

Republic Square is a piazza in Valletta, Malta. The square was originally called Piazza Tesoreria or Piazza dei Cavallieri, since the treasury of the Order of Saint John was located in the square. After a statue of Queen Victoria was installed in the square in the 19th century, it became known as Queen's Square or Piazza Regina. Although its official name is Republic Square, it is still commonly referred to as Piazza Regina.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Library of Malta</span> Reference library in Valletta, Malta

The National Library of Malta, often known as the Bibliotheca, is a reference library in Republic Square, Valletta, Malta. It was founded by Grand Master Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1776 out of the collections of the knight Louis Guérin de Tencin. It has been a legal deposit library since 1925, and it has the largest collection of Melitensia along with that of the University of Malta. The library also contains the archives of the Order of St. John, the Università of Mdina and the Università of Valletta.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wignacourt Aqueduct</span> 17th-century aqueduct in Malta

The Wignacourt Aqueduct is a 17th-century aqueduct in Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the newly built capital city Valletta. The aqueduct carried water through underground pipes and over arched viaducts across depressions in the ground.

Girolamo Cassar was a Maltese architect and military engineer. He was the resident engineer of the Order of St. John, and was admitted into the Order in 1567. He was involved in the construction of Valletta, initially as an assistant to Francesco Laparelli, before taking over the project himself. He designed many public, religious and private buildings in the new capital city, including Saint John's Co-Cathedral, the Grandmaster's Palace and the auberges. He was the father of Vittorio Cassar, another architect and engineer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parliament House (Malta)</span> Meeting place of the Parliament of Malta

The Parliament House is the meeting place of the Parliament of Malta located in Valletta, Malta. The building was constructed between 2011 and 2015 to designs by Renzo Piano as part of the City Gate Project, which also included building a new City Gate and converting the ruins of the Royal Opera House into an open-air theatre. Construction of the Parliament House generated considerable controversy, mainly due to the modern design of the building and the cost of construction, which amounted to around €90 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Publius Parish Church</span> Church in Floriana, Malta

The Saint Publius Parish Church, also known as the Floriana Parish Church is a Roman Catholic parish church in Floriana, Malta, dedicated to Saint Publius. It was constructed at several stages between the 18th and 20th centuries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Forni della Signoria</span> Bakehouse in Malta

The Forni della Signoria was a bakehouse in Valletta, Malta. It was constructed in the late 16th century by the Order of St John, and it consisted of a number of bakeries which produced bread for the inhabitants of Valletta and the surrounding area, as well as for the Order's garrison and navy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courts of Justice building (Valletta)</span> Courthouse in Valletta, Malta

The Courts of Justice building is a courthouse located in Republic Street, Valletta, Malta. It was built in the neoclassical style between 1965 and 1971 on the site of Auberge d'Auvergne, which had been destroyed by aerial bombardment during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gustavo R. Vincenti</span> Maltese architect and developer

Gustavo Romeo Vincenti was a Maltese architect and developer. Born into a wealthy and business oriented family in Valletta and Floriana, he was able to purchase land and design and build buildings which he would then sell to clients. He was interested in architecture from a young age, and he graduated as an architect from the University of Malta in 1911, at the age of 23.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gianni Vella</span> Former Maltese artist

Gianni Vella was a Maltese artist. After studying in Rome, he produced many religious works which can be found in many churches in the Maltese Islands, but he also produced some secular works including landscape paintings, cartoons and a stamp design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Punic building, Żurrieq</span> Unidentified Punic building in Żurrieq, Malta

The remains of an unidentified Punic building exist incorporated into several properties in Żurrieq, Malta. They include a well-preserved structure commonly known as the Punic Tower or the Żurrieq Tower which is found inside the private garden of the Domus Curialis, the house of the town's archpriest, and which is the most substantial surviving example of Punic architecture on the island.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hoe, Susanna (2015). "Valletta". Malta: Women, History, Books and Places (PDF). Oxford: Women's History Press (a division of Holo Books). pp. 371–372. ISBN   9780957215351. OCLC   931704918. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Flashback: Valletta stampede in 1823 killed 100 children". Times of Malta . 18 November 2016. OCLC   220797156. Archived from the original on 7 April 2016.
  3. Vella, Fiona (February 3 2016). To die for a piece of bread. Times of Malta, p.4.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Niles, Hezekiah, ed. (March–September 1823). "Melancholy Affair. Suffocation of one hundred and ten boys. Extract of a private letter from Malta, of February 21, 1823.". Niles' Weekly Registrar. Vol. 24. Baltimore: William Ogden Niles. pp. 189–190.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vella, Fiona (3 February 2016). "To die for a piece of bread". Times of Malta . OCLC   220797156. Archived from the original on 19 July 2016.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Bond, John (1996). The Hazards of Life and All That: A look at some accidents and safety curiosities, past and present (3 ed.). CRC Press. pp. 124–125. ISBN   9780750303606. OCLC   35001873. Archived from the original on 2023-02-11. Retrieved 2023-02-11.
  7. 1 2 Lanfranco, Guido (2000). "It-Taghlim tad-Duttrina fil-Gzejjer Maltin; Ftit ta' l-Istorja" (PDF). L-Imnara (in Maltese). 3 (24). Melita Historica: 104. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016.
  8. Cassar, Paul (1981). "A note on Three Libri Mortuorum of the Holy Infirmary, the Civil Hospital of Valletta and the Central Civil Hospital of Floriana (1677–1885)" (PDF). Proceedings of History Week (PHW). Melita Historica: 91. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 April 2016.

Further reading