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Qrendi – your typical sleepy village

2/3/2014

6 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Like everywhere else, life has become fast-paced in Malta. People seem to be in a rush everywhere. The buzz of activity in the commercial centres of Valletta and Sliema is living proof of this. No doubt it’s all fun if you’re on holiday and people watching is your kind of thing. And if it does get tiring you can always try an altogether different scene...

Some of the villages further out of the harbour areas seem to escape this madness completely, and once most of their inhabitants have driven off to their work places, an oasis of calm descends on these villages with very few (understandably mostly elderly) people about. The commercial activity in these places is also on a much slower level with a couple of grocery shops, the odd bar and the obligatory confectionery – the Maltese are big on their sweetmeats.

The village of Qrendi on the way to Hagar Qim is one such place and makes for a pleasant diversion before or after visiting the hallowed megalithic site. Tracing its origins to at least as far back as 1417, Qrendi became a parish in 1618.  An elegant parish church was built around 1720, and this takes pride of place right in the centre of the village. The church is flanked on both sides by a series of picturesque narrow streets. Some two hundred meters to the church’s right one can find a unique octagonal tower known as the Captain’s Tower on Triq it-Torri (translates as Tower Street appropriately enough) with features like drop boxes which are unknown on other defensive buildings here. In the area is also a largish chapel, St.Saviour’s which during the Second World War served as a dormitory for people made homeless by the enemy raids in the Grand Harbour area.

At the village’s southern end is the quaint chapel of St. Matthew with a regenerated piazza ideal for some quality lazing. Of more interest is a huge “hole in the ground” behind the chapel, known locally as Il-Maqluba. In reality this is a karstic depression created by a collapse of huge underground caves creating a sizable sinkhole. Reputably the collapse occurred during a storm in 1343 and was superstitiously seen as a sort of heavenly warning – thus the building of the chapel as a conciliatory gesture. Steps lead down some way down this sinkhole where one can appreciate its sheer size.

Quite near to St.Matthew’s  and on the village periphery is the ancient sanctuary of Our Lady of Mercies (photo right) – a church with origins dating back to the 13th century – ironically before Qrendi came into being and the area was then a long lost hamlet going by the name of Hal Lew. It’s a robust church with a lovely porticoed façade bordering some lovely country lanes. 

A bit further out of the village is Palazzo Guarena – a knight’s summer residence of some elegance but of more interest to film buffs. Hollywood’s most glamorous couple Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie stayed here for some time in 2011 while Pitt was filming World War Z in various locations in Malta.  A year later actor Tom Hanks, no doubt on reputable recommendation, chose to use the same palazzo as his base for fourteen weeks while filming Captain Philips.

There are no restaurants as such in Qrendi, but if you wish to linger one of the two band clubs (open all hours) in the village core is sure to provide cold beer and a snack.  


Picture
Typical hole-in-the-wall corner shop and improvised shopper's trolley...

The above article was originally published in the March 2014 newsletter of Chevron UK - Malta travel specialists since 1982. You may subscribe to Chevron's newsletter here.

6 Comments
Anne Zammit
3/3/2014 12:24:03 pm

Wonder if Hal Lew had anything to do with almonds trees...

Reply
Olympia
3/3/2014 04:16:48 pm

Regarding the above comment, what I know is the area below the up hill of 'tal-Hotba' is called 'Tal-Lews' of the almonds. May be there was something in common.

Reply
a m micallef
5/3/2014 04:27:26 am

Would be very glad if any oneknows about a house of character in Qrendi for sale please ?

Reply
David Schembri
5/8/2014 05:41:51 am

There is a well reputed restaurant at the Qrendi Bocci Club that serves traditional Maltese dishes. The chapel at Qrendi known as is-Salvatur (our Saviour) serves as a place of worship One believes that Hal-Lew a former small hamlet has its name possibly derived from hallewh (they left) as the hamlet was later amalgamated into the larger village of il-Qrendi. However as rightfully said there is a locality also know as, "Tal Lewz" (of Almonds) - YES there are a number of Houses of Character in Qrendi, a place where property has kept its price.

Reply
George Cassar
8/9/2014 04:45:18 am

Regarding Hal Lew, the provenance is from Medieval times when the site was inhabited by people in a hamlet there. The name Lew is derived from Leu or Leo and therefore this would mean that the place most probably took its name from somebody who was named Leo and who was connected to the area - maybe through property or residence. Hal Lew is one of the lost villages which today only exists in name though the former hamlet is today incorporate within the boundaries of modern Qrendi whoi is made up of the past villages of Hal Lew, Hal Manin and Casal Crendi.

Reply
david schembri
8/9/2014 06:18:53 am

Hal-Lew is on the verge of the Maqluba doline and its name could easily have come from Hallewh (They Left) , due to its location close to this land mark and where the former hamlet inhabitants might have fear ed the area thereafter leaving for a safer environment.

Reply



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