Village of the month
Small, with a Big Heart WORDS: Charlotte Stafrace
‘Small, with a big heart’ is Mgarr's motto. This small, quiet village in the north of the island is a farming village, offering some great walking routes around the area. It boasts archaeological sites and promises some of the best examples of what is arguably our national dish, ‘ stewed rabbit’. And Mgarr’s strawberries are simply the tastiest, so sought after that they even have their own festival these days! 01
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ome say that Mġarr is one of the oldest villages and steeped in Malta’s rich history. The fact that there are megalithic temples as well as punic tombs, ancient quarries and remains of Roman baths in the area is a proud testimony to this. For me, Mġarr is certainly one of the most picturesque villages, surrounded by fields and its three harbours which are Fomm Ir-Riħ, and the stunning locations of Ġnejna and Għajn Tuffieħa which offer some of the best bathing spots in the summer.
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The heart of this small village centres around its magnificent church, which is dedicated to St Mary. This beautiful building has one of the largest oval domes on the Island and stands on elevated ground, which makes it look very grand. It is interesting to note that funds for the building of this church were donated through the sale of some 300,000 eggs, together with a number of farm animals. Its feast is one of the many feasts around the Maltese islands that's dedicated to St Mary and it is celebrated here on 15th August.
The Mġarr is made up of a series of narrow roads with old-style houses, as well as the modern additions of late. The lands surrounding the village are lush valleys and Mġarr’s produce is proudly sold at the vegetable and fruit markets on a weekly basis. The strawberries are big and juicy and, at the Festa Frawli, which is usually held on the first Sunday of April, you can feast your senses and taste many recipes featuring strawberries. You will be dazed by the sea of ‘red’ on