53 The artistic context for Salvatore Dimech’s Annunciation of the Virgin at Ħal Balzan parish church: a critical and analytical study Mark Sagona When the processional titular statue of the Annunciation of the Virgin, carved in wood by the Maltese sculptor Salvatore Dimech (1804–1886), was delivered to the parish church of Ħal Balzan, the nineteenth century had already run more than half its course. The new titular statue had arrived at its destination on Sunday 28 th March 1869, through a procession accompanied by a musical band that had wound its way from the Augustinian church at Rabat down to Ħal Balzan. 1 The unknown chronicler, who wrote a rather lengthy article in the Corriere Mercantile Maltese, narrates how on that important date for the inhabitants of Ħal Balzan, accadeva la traslazione della maestosa effgie a due statue del gran mistero dell’Annunziazione, and how this traslazione had occurred through una processione di popolo a religioso e placido, ma 1 The recent discovery of an entry in the newspaper Corriere Mercantile Maltese, 31 March 1869, pp.2–3, resolves once and for all the exact date of the statue’s production and delivery. There was previously no precise documentation for the actual date of delivery of the titular statue which was previously thought to be 1868. See Eugene P. Montanaro, ‘L-Iskultur Salvatore Dimech (1804–1886)’, in (Dun) Ġużepp Fenech (ed.), Ħal Lija: Ħarsa lejn l-Imgħoddi, Malta 1994, 51–61, and (Mons. Dun) Ġwann Dimech, Ħal Balzan: Ġrajjietu sa l-1999, Malta: Kunsill Lokali Balzan 2004, 148–149. For the historical context of the Ħal Balzan titular statue see: Carmel Bezzina, Ħal Balzan u l-Lunzjata u kitbiet oħra, Malta 2011, 305–322. It has to be noted here, however, that Montanaro had perceptively questioned the dating of the statue because in 1868, the artist had produced his other major commission of the titular processional statue for Mosta parish church: Montanaro, op.cit., 60, footnote 36. I am indebted to Mr Carmel Bezzina for forwarding me a digital copy of the 1869 newspaper.