Pwales
Pwales is a settlement in St. Paul's Bay, Malta. The area was believed to have been named for its marshland, being a valley, and comes from the Latin word palus that means wetland.[1] It is home to Is-Simar Nature Reserve, a number of farmhouses, and a church.[2]
History
[edit]The area around Pwales was believed to have been part of a Neolithic temple complex around 5,000 BC.[3] Pwales was founded prior to 870 AD with the name alleged to have been derived from a corrupted form of the Latin terms palus for "swamp" and scala for "harbour" via an early Christian influence on Malta, though this view has been challenged as lacking scholarly acceptance.[4] Due to its location within a nature reserve, there are often campaigns against any form of development in Pwales that could impact upon the bird sanctuary.[5] These campaigns often get backing from non-governmental organisations.[6]
During the Second World War, Italy made plans to invade Malta by landing troops in Pwales, though the British authorities had previously envisaged such an invasion plan and had the Royal Engineers construct a network of pillboxes along Pwales Bay, with field guns and anti-tank guns being added to the emplacements.[7]
Church
[edit]The church's origins are unknown but it is known that it was reconsecrated in 1672. During the French occupation of Malta by Napoleonic forces, the church was desecrated by French soldiers using the door for target practice and bayonetting a statue of the Virgin Mary, destroying it. The church was restored in 2004.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ "Studji Filologici" (PDF). Il-Malti (in Maltese): 50–51. 1957. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 March 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- ^ Dillon, Paddy (2016). Walking on Malta. Cicerone Press Limited. p. 109. ISBN 9781783622917.
- ^ French, Charles (2022). Human Transformations of the Earth. Oxbow Books. p. 109. ISBN 9781789259223.
- ^ Luttrell, Anthony (1975). Medieval Malta. British School at Rome. p. 24. ISBN 9780904152029.
- ^ Malta, Times of (10 November 2016). "Simar reserve could be threatened by new buildings". Times of Malta. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- ^ Xuereb, Matthew (28 January 2018). "Planned 5-storey development threatens Simar nature reserve". Times of Malta. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- ^ Malta, Times of (8 January 2022). "Defending St Paul's Bay from a World War II invasion". Times of Malta. Retrieved 20 April 2025.
- ^ Malta, Times of (18 July 2004). "Pwales chapel restored". Times of Malta. Retrieved 20 April 2025.