Guided tours to San Pawl Milqi remains

On the occasion of the feast of St Paul next Tuesday, Heritage Malta will be offering tours of the remains of San Pawl Milqi.

Four guided tours will be held on Tuesday at 11.30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2.15 p.m., and 3.30 p.m. to explain the historic and archaeological relevance of this site.

Entrance to the site will only be possible through these guided tours. Children under 12 years of age enter free. Students and senior citizens pay an entrance fee of 50c whereas adults pay Lm1.

A Mass will also be celebrated at the San Pawl Milqi chapel at 9 a.m.

The site of San Pawl Milqi shows evidence of prehistoric settlement from the Neolithic Period (c. 4100-3800BC) to the Bronze Age Period (c. 2500-700BC).

San Pawl Milqi remains, situated next to and underneath the 17th century chapel dedicated to St Paul, are by far the largest and best preserved remains of Roman villas in Malta.

The villa itself consisted of a residential area and another section which was intended for agricultural purposes. Excavations have revealed tools such as an olive-pipper and huge rectangular blocks of stone that indicate that the main activity was the crushing of olives for the extraction of olive oil.

Excavations on the site began in the 1960s by an Italian archaeological mission. A new research project on San Pawl Milqi was initiated by the mission in 2000.

Further information can be obtained by calling Heritage Malta on 2295 4000.