St Paul’s Bay

by admin on March 26, 2012

St Paul’s Bay is so named because, according to tradition, the shipwreck of St Paul around 60 AD occurred on the small islet at the entrance to the bay. In the mid-nineteenth century a massive stone statue of the saint was erected to remind everyone one of that particular event. St Paul’s Bay has been highly developed on one side and it is today a very popular tourist area with many hotels, restaurants, and all types of leisure establishments. It is also popular with the Maltese, many of whom now live there all year round while an even larger number of Maltese families have got their summer residences in the area.

The large bay needed to be defended throughout history, and the earliest mention of defence goes back to the medieval times when watch guard duties were organised. Yet, it was during the 17th century that the first permanent tower was erected in St Paul’s Bay. This was the Wignacourt Tower, built at the expense of the French Grand Master Alof de Wignacourt. This tower is open for visits throughout the week. Later on other fortifications were erected to complement the defence of this bay.

Due to its distance from Valletta, the area remained sparsely populated and only farmers and fishermen frequented the area. It was only in the second half of the 19th century that the population started to increase, and soon afterwards when public transport became more organised. This led to a number of houses being built, mostly as summer residences. The churches in the village ar few in number, although there is one, dedicated to the Shipwreck of St Paul, which traces its history back to the Medieval times. With the continuous increase in population, the village was set up as a seperate parich and a larger parish church was build.

From the 1960s onwards the village of St Paul’s Bay became one of the first zones in Malta that started to be developed as a tourist centre. Hotels, guest houses, restaurants and other tourist establishments were built. Today it is still a highly developed tourist centre. There are various places where one can enjoy swimming along the shore, while in winter times one can easily go on countryside walks in the neighbouring area.

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Holy Week

by admin on March 22, 2012

The dominant religion of the Maltese islands is Catholicism therefore it is obvious that there would be a number of religious feasts held during the year. Some of these religious celebrations are held during Holy Week, which is a popular activity that commemorates the passion and resurrection of Christ. During the days leading up to Holy Week, various organizations, clubs, and individuals start preparing for the processions and other activities. Small exhibitions are held in hallways, garages, and even in the small churches in the villages. Other exhibitions depict the Last Supper, while all kinds of innovative and creative exhibitions are now being regularly organized.

Some parish churches organize the solemn procession with a number of statues depicting different episodes from the Passion of Christ. These processions are popular baroque manifestations which are very typical of the islands. The numbers of participants, helpers behind the scenes, and visitors that flock to watch the whole proceedings are an indication that these are still very popular with locals and tourists alike. The apex of these celebrations is reached on Sunday morning when the Church celebrates the resurrection of Christ. At the end of the mass, in certain villages, processions are held with the statue of the Risen Christ. In some places, these statues are not only just carried around the streets, but usually the beaters run with the statue for some distance to indicate the victory of Christ over Death. During these processions children hold high their figolla, a sweet pastry delicacy typical of the time, to be blessed by the statue of the risen Christ.

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Mosta

March 19, 2012

Mosta is thought to derive its name from its central location on the island. Mosta is one of the villages which became popular after the knights of St John built permanent coastal defences, as it had always been prone to attacks by pirates up to that time. A couple of legends remind us of those [...]

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Mgarr

March 16, 2012

Mgarr is a village located in the northern part of Malta that is well known for its farming community. Huddled around the main church, with its particular oval shape, the village is much more famous for its prehistoric remains. There include the site at Skorba, reputedly the earliest village known to have existed in Malta [...]

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Sliema & St Julians

March 14, 2012

Sliema and St Julians are the trend-setting area of the islands. Almost uninhabited till the mid-nineteenth century, the area then started to attract people deciding to move away from the busy life of Valletta and the inner harbour area. The British authorities found this area rich in unoccupied land, and started building barracks and other [...]

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