Dwejra Lines Walk

MaltaMaltaC O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

Dwejra Lines Walk

Introduction

The walk starts at Mgarr (Malta) and ends at Mosta. The walk passesthrough the hamlet of Bingemma until it reaches the Our Lady ofItria Chapel. From the chapel site, you can enjoy excellent views ofthe Bingemma plains as well as a cluster of punic tombs dug out ofthe hillside. The highlight of the walk is the Dwejra Lines, a sectionof the Victoria Lines. This is a complex network of 19th century linearfortifications and a unique monument of military architecture.

The walk goes down through arable land to the Speranza Valleyand Tal-Isperanza Chapel. According to legend, the chapel owes itsbeginnings to the miraculous escape of a young peasant girl fromthe hands of invading corsairs. The walk passes through the quaintstreets of the Mosta village core and ends near the famous RotundaChurch.

The text, read in conjunction with the route map (found in the cen-tre pages) enables you to follow the route more easily.

How to get there

The starting point is at the village of Mgarr (Malta), near the ParishChurch. The walk ends at Pjazza Rotunda, Mosta.

Public TransportFrom Valletta, the Mgarr main square is the last stop on bus route 47.

For the return journey from Mosta take; Route bus 43, 44, 45, or 50 to Valletta Route bus 65 to Sliema, St Julians, Naxxar, and Mdina. Route bus 86 to Bugibba, Qawra, Rabat and Mdina.

Length of walk (excluding visits to temples and Art Collection)is 10 km.Duration is approximately 4.5 to 5 hours.

M A L T A C O U N T R Y S I D E W A L K S

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The walk starts from the mainsquare of Mgarr. By far, the mostprominent feature in the square isthe Mgarr Parish Church. Thechurch, dedicated to theAssumption of Our Lady, was builtbetween 1912 and 1946 on the siteof an older chapel. Apart from itsarchitectural beauty, it boastsFavray paintings as well as otherartistic sacred artifacts. You canalso visit the Tempra Art Collectionwithin the Mgarr Local Counciloffices in Triq Sir Harry Luke.

From the main pjazza, walk alongTriq Fisher towards the villageprimary school. You will soonnotice a sign indicating the way tothe Ta Hagrat Temples (3600-3000BC) situated in Triq San Pietru. Youmay wish to make a detour to visit

the temples. (Note that the site isnot normally open to the public. Avisit may be arranged by priorappointment; tel 2145 4125 or 21454562).

The walk proceeds along Triq Fisher,past the primary school, until across roads is reached just outsidethe village. Turn right and take theroad leading to Bingemma.

The fertile fields, greenhouses anddrip irrigation systems indicateintensive agricultural activity.Large fields are subdivided intosmaller fields since, when a farmerdies, the land is divided amongsthis children. Smaller fields makethe use of agricultural machinerymore problematic thus makingagriculture less viable.

Ta Ha'rat Temples - M'arr

M'arr church belfry

2As you walk towards the VictoriaLines, note the variety ofwindbreakers used, including rowsof prickly pears, screens of canesand wooden pallets. Thesewindbreakers protect the fruittrees and horticultural crops.

A small roadside shrine bearing theeffigy of Our Lady dating to 1869,heralds the small hamlet ofBingemma. On the right, you cansee what looks like a circular stoneplatform about a metre above roadlevel. This is a village waterreservoir complete with a largestone trough at road level. This was

used for livestock, as well as forman. People helped themselves towater from the hand pump on topof the reservoir. The base of thehand pump is still visible.

Continue walking uphill where youwill soon reach the Bingemmawater pumping station on theright. 1 Note the terraced fields.Terracing is typical of various valleysides across Malta and Gozo. It isan efficient way of preventing soilerosion.

The road, partly cut into the cliffface, continues uphill. On the left,a water course covered in bramblesand ivy flanks the road. Ahead ofyou, note stretches of wall builtalong the ridge. These are theVictoria Lines. They were built bythe British along a fault which cutsacross Malta from coast to coast.Further on, to the left, there is achapel at the edge of a rockyoutcrop overlooking the valley.


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The chapel was built in 1680 by theXara family and dedicated to OurLady of the Way or Our Lady of Itria,as is commonly known. A path tothe right of the church leads towhat looks like a cave but isactually a Punic tomb. You can seethe inside of the tomb through aniron gate which protects theentrance.

From the chapel site, you can enjoyexcellent views of the Bingemmaplains below. On the opposite sideof the valley, you will see variousopenings in the cliff face forming

a veritable honeycomb of cavesthat may date back to the BronzeAge. Studies on style andmeasurement reveal that theywere used during the Punic era, aswell as by early Christians. DuringWorld War II these rock tombsoffered refuge to the Mgarrfarmers.

From here the Victoria Lines areclearly visible. The wall crosses thevalley and continues on the hillopposite. This stretch of wall is theDwejra Line. The wall has beenrecently restored.

Our Lady of Itria Chapel -Bingemma Gap

4position was called the North WestFront. The various works wereeventually linked together by meansof infantry walls and the whole tracere-named the Victoria Lines in 1897,to commemorate Queen Victoriasdiamond jubilee. This defensivefrontier constituted a uniqueensemble of varied militaryelements all brought together toenforce a defensive strategy thatexploited the advantages ofgeography and technology as noother work of fortification ever didin the Maltese islands.

The active role of the Victoria lines,however, was short lived, as the wholeeffort was overtaken by rapid changes intechnology and strategy. As a result, theirmilitary significance was lost and mostof these works were abandoned in 1907.

In recent years, the Restoration Unitof the Works Division took theinitiative to restore this extensivenetwork of fortifications.

Victoria LinesThe complex network of linearfortifications, known collectively asthe Victoria Lines, cuts across thewidth of the island north of the oldcapital of Mdina. It is a uniquemonument of military architecture.When built by the British military inthe late 19th century, it was designedto present a physical barrier toinvading forces landing in the northof Malta and intent on attacking theharbour installations so vital for themaintenance of the British fleet, thesource of British power in theMediterranean. Although nevertested in battle, this system ofdefences spanned across some 12kilometres of land and combineddifferent types of fortifications -forts, batteries, entrenchments, stopwalls, infantry lines, searchlightemplacements and howitzerpositions. When initiated in the1870s the defences were limited toa series of three detached fortsplaced along the length of thenatural escarpment - at Bingemma,Mosta and Madliena and the


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Nearby, a pointed stone marker,some 1.5 metres high, had inscribedon it the distance, in miles fromValletta. These milestones wereinstalled in the second half of the19th century by the British ColonialGovernment to prevent cab driversfrom over charging Britishservicemen. This was in a sense theforerunner to the taxi metre.During World War II all similarmilestones had their markingschipped away. This prevented theiruse by the enemy should therehave been an enemy invasion.

Behind the Mgarr locality panelnearby, there is a rough pathleading down to the stop wallacross the valley. 2 Walk along thispath.

The path skirts a group of trees,mostly Aleppo Pines and the

Wattle tree (Acacia cyanophylla).Beyond the bridge, there is asecond vantage point overlookingthe valley below. The view fromhere extends from the chapel,down to the rolling expanse ofagricultural land, right up to MgarrVillage. Note the small farmhousebelow the chapel across the valleyand a large pigeon house orcolumbarium built in the cliff face.

The use of pigeons for sendingmessages dates back to Romantimes. They were also used forculinary purposes. Nowadays,pigeon-racing is a popular pastime.

The rough path keeps going uphillwith the defensive wall on the left.A strip of land between the pathand the wall carries aleppo pinesand extends along most of theDwejra lines.

6The v-shaped culvert collectingwater run-off from the road leadsto the valley below. You will sooncome upon two carob trees closeto a peach orchard on the right.Directly opposite this orchard onthe left of the path, a gaping holein the ground indicates theentrance to a tomb, which escapeddestruction when the Lines werebuilt. A few paces further, a rampleads to a vantage point on thewall overlooking Mgarr, Mellieha,and Gozo beyond them. Thechequered countryside clearlyindicates that most of Maltasagricultural land is dry-farmed i.e.it depends solely on rainfall. Such

land amounts to approximately 76per cent of farmed land. Water isdefinitely a limiting factor!

Continue along the path. 3 Onthe right, there is a stretch ofgarigue land and beyond, on thehorizon, you can see Verdala Palace,Rabat, Mdina and Mtarfa. Along

Cart ruts atBingemma Gap


the path, a number ofmilitary structures formpart of the defensivesystem of the Lines. Acottage, Marymount,formerly an officersquarters, comes into view.Directly in front of it to theleft of the path, there is awell head. If you walk upto the wall, you will see thedry ditch, partly reclaimedinto an orchard, and therolling countryside beyond.A few metres further, toyour left, you will reach anasphalted road which leadsto Bingemma or Rabat. 4

A section of Victoria Lines overlooking Bingemma Gap

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8The path continues through anumber of ex-military buildingswhich are now being used asfarms. The path now is asphaltedand starts going slightly downhillpast a Boy Scouts building. Wherethe road crosses sharply to theright, you can climb to the cornerview point from where you can seethe towering stadium lights of theTa Qali National Park, the town ofMosta crowned by the church andfurther away on the ridge, Naxxar.

A few metres downhill to the left,you will arrive at an opening in thewall. This is a fortified bridge. Walkacross the bridge and turn sharplyto the left. 5 You will pass by awell head, covering the Dwejrareservoir. The down hill road is nowin open country. To the right thetrees on the small hillock hide afireworks factory.

Further downhill you reach themain busy road, which leads fromMosta to Mgarr. As this is a busyjunction and as this walk continuesdirectly ahead through the countryroad, you must take great care incrossing the road. It is suggestedthat the point of the junctionwhere the guard rail commences,is the most appropriate place to

Entrance to an underground gallery- Dwejra Lines


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cross the main road as oncomingtraffic from both sides, can be seenclearly.

Having crossed over, walk alongthe quiet country road hewnthrough the rocks. 6 Soon, youcan see the MostaDome in the distance

and, beyond that, the twin belfriesof the Naxxar Parish Church.

The fields on both sides of the roadare dry farmed. A few smallvineyards dot the landscape. Soonyou reach, a large rocky outcrop on

the right. Notehow man hasutilised this rockyhillcock by diggingout in its side anumber of shelters.

The rubble wallsenclosing the

small fields vary in height. Themost common crop grown hereseem to be cereals, although smallpatches of vegetables are noted inspring and in winter. Along the

Almost 1km long this ditch surronds the northfacing front of the Dwejra defences

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road, there are rows of prickly peartrees acting as windbreaks. Thisspecies originated in America butis now found throughout theMediterranean.

Further on, you can see TargaBattery consisting of the two rowsof long sheds. Turn right at the nextjunction and proceed downhill. 7

Looking to the right,you can see theMtarfa ridge as wellas the majesty of theMdina skyline.Further on, you passby a couple of smallfarmhouses until youreach a busy roadjunction.

Speranza chapelfrom the valley

When you see that the way is clear,cross the road and make for TriqPatri Guze Delia directly ahead. 8The fields on your right slope gentlyto Wied ta l-Isperanza (SperanzaValley). Continue along this roaduntil you reach a right turning intoTriq il-Kappella ta l-Isperanza at theend of which there is a bridgeleading to Speranza Chapel.

From the bridge you can appreciatethe lush vegetation of the valley.Note the wide variety of treesincluding fig, pomegranate, carob,aleppo pine, stone pine, mulberryand almond, as well as the exoticspecies of eucalyptus and oleander.Beyond the bridge, there is a flightof steps descending to a cavebeneath Speranza Chapel


The Legend of Wied ta l-IsperanzaThe name of this chapel and the valleyowes its origins to a popular legend. Inthe middle of the 18th century, corsairswere still operating in theMediterranean. The sea around Maltawas no exception and apart fromlanding on our shores to draw water,they never missed a chance of raidingthe countryside. At that time, accordingto tradition, a number of farmers wereworking in the fields in the Burmarradarea where irrigation water was readilyavailable. AsBurmarrad is close tothe coast, the keepingof a watchful eye byfarmers for intruderswas a necessity. Oneday the alarm wasraised when a groupof corsairs were seenmoving upstream in the valley. Thefarmers ran for their lives towards thesafety of the nearby Mosta village.However one of them, a young ladycould not keep up with the rest of thefarmers. Panting, running upstream,almost paralysed with fear, already tiredfrom working in the fields, she was soonseparated from her colleagues. Sheheard the mele of the approachingcorsairs rushing after her through thecanes. The village was near but thecorsairs were closer. She was at her wits

end. She looked around, saw the gapingmouth of a cave covered by a largecobweb and crawled into the cave.Pressing herself into the shadows of thedamp rock face of the cave she ferventlyprayed to Our Lady to save her. Themaiden hair ferns clinging to the rockface of the cave accentuated theshadows and the darkness of the cave.The spider continued weaving its web.The corsairs looked frantically for the girlbut could find no sign of her. Had thegirl acquired new strength? Could she

be hiding? But where?The cobweb wasblocking the entranceto the cave and so noone could possibly behiding in there. Theywere very close toMosta and by now thealarm in the village

would have been raised. Their seacraftwas very far away. Fearing an attack bythe villagers, they decided to beat ahasty retreat and ran back to the coast.After assuring herself that the dangerwas over, the girl dashed out of the caveand ran home. She attributed hermiraculous escape to our Lady to whomshe decided, with her familys money, tobuild a chapel dedicated to il-Madonnata l-Isperanza (meaning Our Lady ofGood Hope).

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Detail of the facade of the Speranza Chapel

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This chapel, built in 1760has a Renaissance styleand carries three statuesin its faade. The middleone is of Our Lady of GoodHope with the Child Jesusholding an anchor - asymbol of hope.

The side niches carry thestatues of St. Joseph andof St. Anthony of Padova.The coat of arms of theBishop in whose time thechurch was built, is clearlyseen above one of the niches. Thelantern above the chapel was alater addition.

The chapel is kept in a very goodcondition and is in regular use.Going down the short flight ofsteps to the cave below, you can

see through the iron grating, astatue of a girl in a kneelingposture deep in prayer. Pot plants,including ferns, adorn the cave. Theother statues are of the evangelistsLuke and John. Above the cave, ina small niche in the faade, thereis a statue of St. Michael.


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If you stroll to the left behind thechapel, you end up near one of thepumping stations of the WaterServices Corporation. Upstream,you can see a small dam across thevalley. This contains rain water inthe valley allowing it to percolateinto the water table.

Bezzina, straight ahead, and thenturn left into Triq Salvu Dimech. Atthe end of this road, at the corner,there is a statue of St. Thomas. Itenhances the simple but exquisitearchitectural design of this countryhouse. The timber balcony is abovenormal in size whilst its roundedsides are also uncommon.

Timber balconies are a particularfeature of Maltas streetscape.Balconies increase the indoor living

Statue of St Micheal over the caveunderlaying Speranza Chapel

The walk continues along TriqSperanza. You will soon enter thevillage core. Note the variety ofsmall ceramic images or plaquesof saints decorating thedoorways. Triq l-Isperanza ends ina junction. Take Triq Kurat

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space and allow also participationin the street life. They also limit theheat intake of the house from thehot summer sun.

Turn to your right into Triq TabibTumas Chetchuti and then on toTriq il-Kbira. After a few metresalong this busy road, you reachPjazza Rotunda and Mosta Church.


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Mosta ChurchThe imposing faade of the MostaChurch, also referred to as theRotunda, is adorned with stonecarvings of classical Greekinspiration. On the site occupiedby the Rotunda, there stoodanother much smaller church builtin 1614. As time progressed, thisvillage of farmers felt the need tobuild a bigger church. It was

decided to build the Rotunda asdesigned by the Maltese architectGiorgio Grongnet de Vasse. Thenew, bigger church was to beconstructed around the olderchurch and when completed theold one would be dismantled. Theold church itself was used tosupport the scaffolding. After 27years of toil, volunteer work and

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donations by the villagers, theRotunda was completed in 1860.

The external height of the building(to the top of the lantern) is 200 ft(61 metres). The temple isdedicated to the Assumption ofOur Lady.

With an internal diameter of 130 ft(39.6 metres), the dome is thesecond largest in the world after theVatican St. Peters at 138 ft (42.1metres). The dome ceiling is notablefor the coffering, consisting ofdiagonally-set lozenges whichspiral upwards, decreasing in size asthey reach the apex.

In the church, there are a numberof paintings depicting scenes from

Christs birth. These are by world-renowned artist Giuseppe Cal andare reproduced on Christmas cardsacross Europe. Other paintingsworthy of note by the same painterare Santa Monica and The Deathof St. Augustine.

Unfortunately, the dark years ofWorld War II did not spare thischurch. On the 9th of April 1942,at approximately 16.40 hrs, abomb dropped by enemyaircraft pierced the dome andfell in the temple to the horrorof a number of worshippers.Fortunately, the bomb did notexplode and no one was hurt.This event is still illustrated in asmall exhibition in the sacristyof the Church.


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A reminder of WWII is the largeunderground wartime sheltersituated under the church parvisand under the square. The entranceis through a trapdoor just belowone of the staircases leading to thechurch parvis. It is occasionallyopened to the public.

The Local Council and the policestation are housed within themodern building behind thechurch. The numerous shops andcatering establishments in thearea are a proof of a vibrantcommercial activity.

The walk endshere. You can takea bus to Valletta(from bus stopbeneath the row officus trees) or to St.Pauls Bay andMellieha (from busstop on theopposite side ofthe road).

Oleander

Tips for the road

This route is suitable for hikes and for pedal bikes. Only whencrossing the stop wall on the Dwejra Lines, one is advised todismount and to proceed on foot.The local weather forecast should be checked before settingoff as there is hardly any shelter from adverseweather conditions along the route. A raincoat cancome in handy in inclement weather.Allow enough time to complete the walk in broaddaylight. Make allowances for time required for rest-ing, taking of photographs and observing nature.It is advisable to wear appropriate footwear and a hat.A packed lunch and a bottle of water are also recom-mended.Always follow the designated route. Short cuts are tobe avoided as many fields are privately owned.Some rubble walls are marked with blotches of whitepaint and may also carry the letters RTO. These mark-ings indicate private property.If one intends entering parish churches, proper attireis to be worn.Respect the fragility of the countryside. Do not climbover rubble walls or throw stones in valleys or overcliffs. Do not take souvenirs from historical sites orfrom the countryside. Do not disturb animals, plantsor their natural habitats. Leave your footprints behindyou and nothing else.Be culturally sensitive and respect local customs. Takephotographs but respect the privacy and dignity ofothers. Ask permission before photographing people.Bird trapping and hunting are practised in the countryside. Thereare, however, strict regulations determining areas where suchactivities are permitted and times of year where no such activi-ties are allowed.

In both Mgarr and at Mosta, there are the facilities you would expect tofind in a town - catering facilities, phone booths, public conveniences, banks,the local council office and a police station.In Mosta, there are also internet caf facilities and the District Health Clinic.

Facilities

Useful telephone numbers.

Emergency & Rescue 112Ambulance 196Fire 199Mgarr Police Station 2147 3422Mosta Police Station 2143 3882,

2143 3800Mgarr Local Council 2152 0011Mosta Local Council 2141 6841Mosta Health Centre 2143 3256,

2143 2062,2141 1065

Malta Tourism Authority 2291 5800Telephone enquiries 1182

All rights reserved. No part of thispublication may be reproduced,stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted in any form or by anymeans, electronic, mechanical,photocopying, recording orotherwise, without the prior writtenconsent of the copyright holder.Enquires are to be forwarded to theMalta Tourism Authority.

Feedback and comments are welcome.Write to [email protected]

Date of Publication: October 2002

Text: Joseph BorgPhotos: Alex BugejaMap: Andre Micallef GrimaudText on Victoria Lines (Page 4):

Stephen C. Spiteri

Produced by:Product Planning andDevelopment Directorate,Malta Tourism Authoritywww.visitmalta.com

Dwejra Lines Walk

Enjoy countryside views as you walk along the Dwejra Lines, a section of the VictoriaLines. These are a complex network of 19th century linear fortifications. Learn about thehistory of Our Lady of Itria Chapel and the legendary beginnings of Tal-Isperanza Chapel.The walk passes through the quaint streets of the Mosta village core. Admire themagnificence of the Mosta Dome and the upward spiraling pattern of the dome interior.

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Tas-Sil' Walk

Passing through Buskett - Gar il-Kbir - Girgenti ValleySi''iewi - Il-Maqluba Qrendi

Girgenti Walk

PRICELm1

The project is being launched in 2002, the World Tourism OrganisationsInternational Year of Eco-Tourism.

Malta CountrysideWalks is a partnershipproject of:

Dwejra Lines Walk

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