Sunday 19th November 2006

 The glorious weather no doubt contributed to the largest turnout, so far, for a RAM walk. About 160 persons gathered at il-Maqluba, Qrendi, where they were met by RAM president Lino Bugeja. Lino said a few words of introduction and something about the history of il-Maqluba and San Mattew Chapel.

Something about Maqluba:

On the 23rd November 1343, Malta experienced one of its most severe winter storms ever, possibly accompanied by an earthquake. It was at this time that il-Maqluba was formed. This is a natural depression formed by the collapse of the underlying limestone strata, known as a doline in geological language. It is now a sinkhole, collecting rainwater from a three-mile radius and helping to maintain our underground water supplies.

Being the middle ages, this natural event was obviously turned into a legend. This legend tells us of a group of bad people living together in a hamlet. God warned the village, through a good woman living close by, against their bad ways. As the bad people did not heed these warnings, God decreed that the land swallow the hamlet, sparing none except the good woman. Angels were then dispatched to dispose of the hamlet by dumping it at sea. Legend thus tells of the formation of the island of Filfla, just off the southwest coast of Malta.

San Mattew chapel, in tal-Maqluba, is actually two chapels. The older chapel, on the edge of the sinkhole, is one of the oldest in Malta and is believed to have been built in the fifteenth century. The first written mention of this crypt was by Inquisitor Dusina in the report of his pastoral visit to the Maltese Diocese between 1574 and 1575. The other chapel was built between 1674 and 1682. On the 12th April 1942, this chapel sustained considerable structural damage to its facade following a direct hit by cluster bombs dropped by enemy aircraft. Some soldiers who were sheltering in the chapel were also gravely injured. The damaged church was eventually repaired, with some alterations, by master stonemason Grezzju Falzon, under the guidance of architect Salvu Privitera. Additional Maqluba aerial shots taken by supplied by Adrian Rizzo: Maqluba, Chapel and Wied Babu

From Maqluba we walked, through country lanes, to the chapel of Our Lady of Mercy, Madonna tal-Hniena. This chapel was built in the thirteenth century when the hamlet of Hal Lew still formed part of Zurrieq. When Zurrieq became a parish, the tal-Hniena chapel served as a vice-parish church caring for the spiritual needs of the people from this outlying area. In 1575, tal-Hniena was in a bad state, and was deconsecrated by Mgr. Dusina. The chapel was then rebuilt in the year 1650, when Dun Gammari Camilleri was parish priest of Qrendi. The new parish of Qrendi had been formed in 1618, when Bishop Cagliares removed the hamlets of Hal Lew and Hal Manin from the parish of Zurrieq.

The small sacristy was added in 1668. Above the sacristy's window is a highly impressive stone prospect of Almighty God that trails a decorative carved braid where Fra Wolfgang von Guttenberg's coat of arms features prominently.

On the 18th March 1695, at the request of Parish Priest Dun Dumink Formosa, Pope Innocent XII granted indulgences in favour of Tal-Hniena. This parish priest's zeal was the cause of his death in 1699, when the new Qrendi parish church was being built. In setting an example to his parishioners, he climbed a tall ladder carrying a heavy stone, fell and was instantly killed.

?Thanks giving? (ex-voto) paintings for the cure of illnesses, for being spared from the 1676 plague and from numerous ship wrecks, used to adorn the walls. Other ex-votos were commissioned by the chapel?s patron, Fra Guttenberg. These ex-voto paintings, the titular painting and most of the other paintings have been removed for restoration.

Outside Tal-Hniena there is a portico with a stone arched veranda that served as a place of shelter against the elements to those travelling from afar coming to worship at this place of prayer.

Tal-Hniena, which was opened specifically for our group, is quite a large chapel and could accommodate most of our group. Inside the chapel, the ramblers were addressed by RAM President Lino Bugeja and Secretary Alex Vella. A minute?s silence was observed in memory of seasoned rambler Amabile Agius, or Mabbli, as he was affectionately known. Mabbli, a RAM walk leader, died recently after being taken ill during a private walk. The 5th November walk that he was planning to lead was cancelled in respect of his memory.

Very close to Tal-Hniena is the Guttenberg Palace. Fra Johann Wolfgang von Guttenberg, a knight of the Order of St John between 1669 and 1773, used to live here and was the main patron of Tal-Hniena. This palace, now a private residence, has a number of defensive features including downward-facing openings at first floor level. Fra Guttenberg is buried in one of the magnificently-decorated graves in St. John's Co-Cathedral.

From Tal-Hniena we walked approximately southeast towards the coast, crossed the main coast road and entered the upper part of Wied Babu. This picturesque and scenic valley is still relatively unspoilt. We followed the natural water course of this valley. The way down was therefore quite slow, as we had to walk in single file for a great part of the way, sometimes crawling through natural archways formed by the extensive vegetation. We walked down the valley for quite a distance, to the level of Blata Qancuna.

From here, the group backtracked up the valley, as there is no way out except by climbing up the steep walls of the sides of the valley. At the top, we walked back to Maqluba, just in time for Sunday lunch.