The "Karozzin"
Up to the mid 1800s, human transport
was functioning with the use of horses, cart or the “kaless” (caliche). People with
privileges boasted the use of the Sedan Chair, allowing them to get rid of the
muddy streets for their clothing’s cleanliness and was carried by two harnessed
strong men. This influenced a lot the design of the “karozzin” as a result of
Malta being ruled by the British for a large number of years. It had a door at
the front and a window on each side. Used during the 17th and 18th
centuries, they included a coat-of-arms which the owner held. These consisted
of Victorian motifs that insured the high level of status was showcased
throughout the journey used. We see the same royal color scheme used on the
curtains and framing of the hut used for closure. Their imagery also
compliments that one of the previous Maltese buses used. Today, the “Karozzin”
is used for transporting tourists while getting a taste of Malta’s culture and
traditions with the tour they offer.
The
roof remained almost the same as that of the “Karozzin”, though noticing how
the red body transformed into the red curtains we use, which enables an
opening. Unlike what the British Sedan Chair was about, it does not give
privacy the importance the English used to give, maybe due to our small scale
and friendliness with each other.
After the Sedan Chair, came the
“Kaless” which consisted of the cabin with a pair of wheels holding all the
weight on a horse’s back carrying it. These made use as private taxis for
nobles and people with high status. It was imported by later Maltese tradesman
starting building them to sell for hiring services.
Afterwards, the “Karozzella” was
introduced…with four wheels and seats which opened a window for cars in the shape.
This is where the “Karozzin” got the name from, as it featured similar design
but smaller and with a roof.
Our cabs are different than most of
the horse-drawn cabs around the world, as we feature a roof which was used on
the Sedan Chair. Maybe this is due to our extremely sunny weather and hot
temperature all around the year, especially in summer when the tourists come ,
which are also the customers in this case. These cabs were the official public
transport with a wide range of people using it just like as we do today with
our buses. People used them for errands, feasts, occasions etc.
Egyptian carriages include a similar
design, only that the roof is an adjustable one. It almost looks like a
children’s push chair. The use of country’s colors and historical connections
are present in both carriages. The wheels are the same but with different
colors. The “tberfil” used in ours seems to be present in Egypt’s as well. This
is maybe due to the times where Egypt was ruled by some of our rulers too.
We
notice how the design of the British Sedan Chair influenced largely our
cabs today. Hand painted designs still are
available, including Victorian design similarities, but they are more stylized
in simple ways due to the narrow wood used.
Noticing as well… Some curtains seem
to be with plaid design. This seems to be due to the personal affection the
drivers have as they use it commonly in the service. It has become sort of a
symbol of Maltese folklore which references the use of Maltese workers who
always use the plaid shirts for their traditional hands-on work.
Today, “Karozzini” seem to include
stickers on them like we use on our cars… this reflects how we Maltese love
personalization in almost everything we have.
References :
Joseph C Camilleri. 2015. Il-Kaless. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.vivamalta.net/VMforum/index.php?topic=6306.0. [Accessed 18 May 2015].
marie6: Il-Karozzin (Maltese Horse & Cab). 2015. Just Malta...sun,sea & plenty of sightseeing!!!: Il-Karozzin (Maltese Horse & Cab). [ONLINE] Available at:http://justmalta.blogspot.com/2010/09/il-karozzin-greenfields.html. [Accessed 18 May 2015].
Chris Bonello. - Website of chrisbonello!. 2015. It-Trasport f’Malta. - Website of chrisbonello!. [ONLINE] Available at:http://chrisbonello.jimdo.com/it-trasport-f-malta/. [Accessed 18 May 2015].
Vassallo History | Maltese History & Heritage. 2015.Maltese Public Transport since 1856 | Maltese History & Heritage. [ONLINE] Available at: https://vassallohistory.wordpress.com/maltese-public-transport-since-1856-a-brief-history-of-the-public-transport-in-malta-the-omnibus-up-to-the-mid-1800s-the-only-means-of-human-transport-w/. [Accessed 18 May 2015].
charbell. 2015. folklore. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.users.on.net/~charbell/Folklore/Folk.htm. [Accessed 18 May 2015].
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