The area dates back to the Roman period.
Hal Millieri is set in the picturesque countryside between the now-towns of Zurrieq and Mqabba. Earliest documentation of the area dates back to around 1418, but actually stems from an earlier settlement, which was probably quite a large Roman country estate.
A 15th century settlement
Hal Millieri was a small but thriving hamlet that was home to a number of farming families who tended to the area and occupied houses found around the four chapels that once stood here. As time went by, the area was abandoned during the 18th century but for unknown reasons. The last birth was recorded in 1711 and soon after that, the residential farmhouses became ruins.
The Chapel of the Annunciation
The Chapel of the Annunciation is the most prominent out of the four, and one of the only two that remain as reminders of the lost hamlet. The chapel was seemingly constructed back in 1480 on the site of an earlier one, and is an example of a typical local church during the Medieval period. Like the hamlet in its entirety, this chapel also suffered abandonment after the area was depopulated.
The breath-taking frescoes
The local restoration NGO, Din L-Art Helwa took the chapel under its wing and began restoring it back to its former glory in the 1960’s. This restoration revealed magnificent frescoes, dating back to the 1450’s, beneath the layers of plastering as a result of the whitewashing of the chapel’s inner walls over the years. Time wasn’t kind to these artworks and the lower sections of the paintings have been lost.
The 2019 restoration
In February 2019, the Maltese Islands were hit with an incredible storm that left quite some damage in various locations. Among this storm’s victims was the medieval chapel at Hal Millieri. The Chapel of the Annunciation was undergoing repairs to its rubble walls and pathways that were severely damaged during the storm, dubbed as Hurricane Dnegel. Thankfully, works were completed just in time for the village festivities to be held on 24th March.
Visiting Hal Millieri’s prominent chapel
Due to the chapel’s fragile state, it’s only open to the public once a month on the first Sunday between 9am and 12pm (noon). Hal Millieri can be reached through a side road off the Blue Grotto Avenue in Zurrieq. While entrance is free, a donation to continue the upkeep and preservation of the area and chapel, is greatly appreciated. For anyone visiting, an expert guide Din L-Art Helwa guide will take you back in time, filling you in on the incredible details of Hal Millieri and its age-old surroundings.
Have you visited Hal Millieri’s incredible surroundings?