Unlike the cliffs of the south, the north shore area is smooth and gentle, with many a sheltered inlet. San Giljan's coast is so indented that one of its districts is called il-Qaliet (The Bays). The town's motto reads Litoris Aquas Sinuato Margine Cingo (My Coastal Waters Are Surrounded By Land). In the 16th century, the Order of St. John heavily fortified the Grand Harbour, thwarted the might of Suleyman the Magnificent, and turned a desert mountain into a resplendent city. But the vulnerable bays and slopes of the north shore were practically left at the mercy of foreign looters. The only defence was provided by a unit of id-dejma (Maltese militia), which patrolled the area around the clock. During the day, the soldiers took to the hills for a broader horizon. At night they monitored the shoreline, their ears trained to detect the slightest ripple. It was a life of fear. (...) (...) These towers kept unwelcome invaders away, but they didn't stop friendly ones. Members of the Genoan family Spinola, which was well-known throughout Europe, acquired vast estates at San Giljan, a major hunting area. Marquis Francesco Napoleone Spinola di Roccaforte provided funds for il-Kuncizzjoni Church and for the imposing Spinola Palace. Both finished in 1688, they stand in the company of fishermen's loggias apparently built about the same time. (...) In the 19th century, the area was the victim of a friendly takeover by British troops. San Giljan became 'St. Julian's' and the northern fringes, now mostly within the limits of Pembroke, were sectioned off into barracks. Remains of this era include portions of an 1890 entrenchment. In the 20th century, the town experienced another foreign invasion, and this is one that continues. The tourist boom that started in the sixties transformed this one-time fishing village, one-time military zone into a hotel and nightclub mecca. One of the magnets is il-Qaliet, alias Paceville, whose 250-or-so residents are outnumbered by foreign visitors and fun-seeking youths every night of the year. (...) (...) Entertainment draws a full card at Dragonara Palace (1875), a gambling casino since 1964. This palace is one of the best examples of colonial architecture in Malta. An exact rectangle, it surrounds a sumptuous garden and opens to a remarkable belvedere over the sea. Dragunara Point, on which it is built, had been left barren for centuries, perhaps because of the 'dragon'. Dragunara is derived from Ghar tad-Dragun (Dragon's Cave). There was of course no dragon, just the mumblings and the rumblings of the waves against the caves. (...) (...) When one wanders into a restaurant or a tourist complex in San Giljan today, chances are he or she steps into an old British fort, a fisherman's loggia, a nobleman's palace. This marriage of the old and the new is interesting in a town where until 1990 one could still see an active lime kiln. (...)
They've been compared to Hadrian's Wall and to the Great Wall of China, though they are much smaller and of more recent construction. They consist of a series of forts, towers, and guard posts linked together by a wall that bisects the island of Malta near its geographic centre. They were conceived by the Knights of Malta, who laid out some minor fortifications, but built in 1878, during the reign of Queen Victoria. Originally they were called Northwest Front. They were given their current name in 1897 to commemorate the sovereign's diamond jubilee. They are the Victoria Lines. In his celebrated Descrittione di Malta, published two centuries before the Victorian age, Gian Francesco Abela split the island in two parts, the populous south and the uninhabited north. His line ran roughly along the Great Ridge, over which the lines now stand. This ridge, which wraps around Malta's bulging belly like a restraining belt, stretches from Fomm ir-Rih in the jagged western cliffs to Fort Pembroke on the smooth north shore. The steep ridge uprooted by the Great Fault had provided limited protection even before the lines were built. To this day, 97% of the island's population lives on the protected side of the ridge, which is the first and largest of five that dominate Malta's panoramic north. A walk along the 'Great Wall of Malta' rewards the hiker with a catalogue of scenic vistas. Swieqi is one of eight localities perched along the Lines and its portion is quite representative. It includes a fort, a winding section of the wall, and some grand views. Fort Madliena was built in 1880 under the governorship of Arthur Borton at a cost of 10,000 English pounds. It retains its ditch and revolving bridge.(...) (...) Like their neighbours at Pembroke, the residents of Swieqi have chosen to semi-detach themselves from the crowds and traffic created by hotels and nightclubs just across their borders. They want nothing more than the ability to live the quieter life they chose. That shoudn't be too much to ask for.
(...) As a prelude, one may note that defence works in Pembroke were initiated by the Knights of Malta. Theirs is Madliena Tower, one of thirteen coastal towers paid for by Grand Master de Redin (1657-60). The Knights also came up with an idea to delay and possibly foil enemy landings. At practically every potential landing site, holes were dug and filled with explosive material that was attached to a fuse. One of the fougasses, as these devices were called, was set up near Madliena Tower. Enough of it survives to encourage restoration. Also in the area are four cannons from the time of the Knights. These eleven-inch guns once belonged to a fortress. Now they beg for an adequate home. (...) (...) The area around the fort turned into a mini Great Britain, with sections named St. Patricks, St. Andrews, and St. Georges (for the patron saints of Ireland, Scotland, and England). The town itself, the only one in the Maltese Islands which is toponymically British, honours the twelfth Earl of Pembroke who had been the British Secretary for War when the construction of barracks began in 1859. Soon military barracks sprouted like English ragweed and British military presence pervaded the Maltese scene for the next hundred years. (...) (...) Very much in evidence is the military road system, including some of the names (Alamein, Normandy, Anzio, etc.) and even the stereotyped signposts. Also there are two clock towers that are quite representative. 90-year-old Pembroke Clock Tower at St. Andrews has rectangular wooden cones that show remarkable craftsmanship. Recently restored, it is the highest building in Pembroke, slightly taller than Sandhurst Clock Tower at St. Patrick's. Other institutions are Australia Hall and the American school, which is located at a development complex known as Medisle Village. (...) (...) The British built their barracks a short distance away from the shoreline, leaving the coastal strip undamaged and the sea clean. When residents moved into the buildings vacated by service personnel, the ecology of the shoreline continued to be relatively undisturbed. All this is a stroke of good luck, because this narrow strip contains a varied plant life that includes most of the thousand species of flowers found in the Maltese Islands. Here one finds rarities such as the large-tongued orchid, mirror orchid, and a species of the spider orchid that until recently was considered extinct in Malta. (...)
(...) It was a terrible winter storm that the Maltese are so thankful for. It grounded a ship carrying three saints - Paul, Luke and Trophimus. Paul proceeded to convert the Maltese, starting with their governor Publius, another proclaimed saint. This story, documented by St. Luke in chapters 27 and 28 of The Acts of the Apostles, is the most important event in Maltese history. The year was AD 60. The day, around February 10. The exact place,not known, but St. Paul's Bay is a site few dispute. (...) (...) The Bible goes on to narrate how St. Paul was attacked by a snake, how he was expected to die from the venom, and how he instead shook the reptile into the fire that the natives had set for his benefit. The Maltese at first thought that the apostle had to be a wicked man whom the gods were trying to punish. But, upon seeing that no harm became him, they changed their minds and began to think he was a god. It was a Biblical snake that Paul destroyed, one that symbolized the devil. Nonetheless, he is reputed to have banished the venom out of Maltese snakes for good, a feat that was to be emulated by St. Patrick in Ireland 400 years later. (...) (...) The village's claim to fame with tourists is the peninsula formed by Bugibba (Boo-jib-bah) and Qawra (Ow-rah). On summer evenings people stroll a coastline of modern guest houses, bocci bowl pitches, lively pubs, waterfront cafés, and bathing areas. (...) Bugibba isn't quite a figment of the tourist's relentless search for paradise. Long before the tourist, there was history, and long before history, there was prehistory. Amid the nightlife and the beaches there are ruins of a stone age temple which has been mistaken for a dolmen, hence the Dolmen Hotel. Indeed revelry and antiquity seem to mix well in Malta, a land once ruled by Bacchus, the Greek god of wine. So Ovid's verses tell us. It was Bacchus who gave Princess Anna asylum in this 'fruitful isle'. Anna was the sister of Dido, founder of Carthage, the city-state which become mistress of Malta. But Carthage was eventually burned to the ground, while Malta prospers to this day with playgrounds like Bugibba. Now the insatiable bacchants have extended their restaurants and their merry-making to Qawra, where even a Tower from the time of the Knights has been converted into an eating place. Again, the tourist will find this paradise has been discovered many times before. In 1963, Maltese divers found several Roman jars not far from Qawra Point at the tip of the peninsula. (...) (...) Apart from the vast Valletta collection, Maltese mansions are found primarily at Mdina, Ta' Xbiex, and Wardija. The ones at Mdina are old and dignified. They are engulfed by a restraining city wall. Those of Ta' Xbiex are new and gay. They have picture windows overlooking a harbour of pleasure yachts. The Wardija ones are the country type, set serenely over panoramic hills. (...) (...) At the inner reaches of San Pawl is the low-lying Pwales Fault, which spreads to the other side of the island. Should the worst fears of global warming materialize, the fault would be submerged and the old church of St. Anne would become a boat ride away from the village. Pwales may be derived from the Latin Palus (swamp), though another connection with Paul cannot be ruled out. (...)
(...) Mgarr's coastline extends from poetic Fomm ir-Rih (Wind's Mouth), where cliffs are crowned by fields of narcissus for an unbeatable winter scene, to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, one of Malta's main beaches, for the best in summer leisure. In between there is the haunting Pellegrin Hill, where a mixture of greensand, blue clay and limestone produces tracts of extraordinary landscape. (...) (...) Mgarr became a parish in 1898, when the population of the dispersed village stood around 700. Prior to that, it had switched parochial loyalty a few times. Initially split between the parishes of Mdina and Naxxar, it became part of the Mosta parish in 1610. When it acceded to parish status, it started coming together. Important unifying individuals were Monsignor Glormu Chetcuti, the first parish priest, and illiterate Gerita Abela, long-time midwife of the village. Gerita helped give birth to most imgarrin born in the first part of the century while Chetcuti gave birth to one of the biggest and most impressive churches in the country, one which remains large even for a population that now exceeds 2,600. Contributions from the farming community included 5,700 fowl, 920 swine, 620 rabbits, 600 lambs and goats, 13 calves, and 360,000 eggs. The church itself is shaped like an egg, a tribute to the devout hens that financed it. (...) L-imgarrin are justifiably proud of their tower of faith, inside which works of art range from mosaic to marble, from paintings to sculptures. Here one can see the evolving mastery of Lazzaro Pisani. The painting that sits in the vestry was executed toward the end of the 19th century, when the artist was quite young. A more mature Pisani is responsible for the current titular painting. Among the sculptures and statues, one of the most important works is the statue of the Assumption of Our Lady. The village festa is celebrated on the Sunday after August 15. Carrying the statue during the procession is considered such an honour that groups of potential bearers bid for the opportunity. This tradition dates from 1922, the year the statue was bought from Marseille. Bearers paid £120 ($300) then. Nowadays the winning bid is likely to top $10,000. (...) (...) Zebbiegh is split by a highway which was originally built by the Romans. The road leads to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay, one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. Beach goers rarely notice the ancient cart ruts on both sides of the road. Examples of cart ruts, grooves in the ground that predate even the Romans, can be found all over Mgarr. (...) (...) Mgarr enters the Christian age with a fine set of catacombs or hypogeum at tar-Raghad. In one of the burial chambers, which were used both before and after Christ, one can see a Christian cross, in another, a galley. An agape table, where food was served at funeral services, stands in the middle. (...)
(...) With its magnificent scenery, popular beaches, and top-notch hotels, Mellieha has become the summer playground for locals and foreigners alike. People from all over Malta frequently make a visit to one of Mellieha's beaches an all-day picnic. Maltese repatriates and settlers from abroad relax on the breezy hillsides. Tourists from northern Europe don more sun-tan lotions than beach wear. The more active wind-surf, water-ski and scuba-dive. It's sheer fun in the sun. (...) (...) Many water birds fly over Mellieha and some winter at Ghadira Nature Reserve, which lies in the fault that forms a narrow (one square mile) isthmus. One of the Maltese winners of the Europa Nostra Award (given for outstanding cultural and natural projects), this wildlife refuge attracts dozens of species from robins and kingfishers to coots and herons. Ghadira means 'lagoon', but in summer it dries up. Practically all types of Maltese wildlife can be found at Mellieha. Of 21 species of butterflies that are found in Malta, 19 live and breed here. Most types of Maltese lizards and snakes, all harmless, also make Mellieha their home. The Maltese national bird, il-Merill (blue rock thrush), and the national plant Widnet il-Bahar, are both Mellieha natives. Widnet il-Bahar means 'Ear of the Sea'. (...) The crown jewel of Mellieha's fortified structures is Selmun Palace, an unescapable baroque landmark built by Duminku Cachia. In 1619. It was bequeathed to Monte di Redenzione, an institution set up to ransom Christian hostages. Though now converted into a hotel, it preserves its Redenzione emblem and a lovely chapel fittingly dedicated to il-Madonna tal-Hlas (Our Lady of Ransom). (...) (...) Mellieha's motto is ex sale et melle nomen meum (My name derives from salt and honey). Melh is Maltese for 'salt', and melea is Greek for 'honey', which is also thought to be responsible for the name of Malta. The word mellieha actually means 'one who makes or sells salt'. In the 15th century some people by the name of Millahi were living in the area. Both salt and honey are very traditional Maltese industries. Salt continues to be produced in the traditional way, i.e. through an evaporation process. The best examples are found north of Mistra. Honey was considered one of the island's main crops as far back as the time of Roger II (12th century). A concoction consisting of salt, honey, aniseed and herbs used to be smeared on the lips of a bride-to-be for the initial meeting with her suitor. Honey is the mainstay in many popular victuals, such as the popular qubbajt (nougat) and qaghaq tal-ghasel (honey rings). Thyme and honey have also been extensively cultivated in the region. Apiaries used to be commonplace as exemplified by the name Mgiebah (beehives). (...) (...) Shrines dot the Maltese Islands. They are found in the least likely places. The least likely place of all has to be the eastern tip of the Ahrax peninsula, where a lonesome Kuncizzjoni Chapel and a statue stand next to the ruins of an older one. At least three legends are told of the older chapel. One tells the story of a fisherman whose boat capsized. While in mortal danger, he promised to build a shrine in return for his life. And the Virgin Mary obliged. A similar version explains how a British captain was, instead, the one who made the vow as he battled a shipwreck worthy of Mellieha's traditions. The third describes the distress of a farmer who saw his donkey slip down the cliff side. He too, of course, promised a church and the Virgin Mary had no problem keeping his most valuable possession alive. The chapel was erected so faithfully close to the site of the mishap that it practically tumbled down the edge like the donkey had done. The replacement was built in 1961 just a few yards away so the annual pilgrimage of believers could continue. One of these three legends is bound to be near the truth. Which one? The names given to the cliffs tend to support the donkey version. To the north, the cliffs are called Rdum il-Madonna (Our Lady's Cliffs); to the south they are Rdum il-Hmar (Donkey's Cliffs) (...)
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Copyright © 1998 Michael Riccioli All Rights Reserved
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