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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