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WINDMILL - MITHNA
Since my early years I was fascinated with some round, stone tower like structures that can still be found around the Maltese countryside and wondered what their use was. Asking the adults I soon learned that these were what remained from old Windmills which lasted into the early 20th century. Seeing old pictures of these complete with sails confirmed what I was told.
Minn meta kont ghadni daqsxejn ta tifel kont niskanta meta nara qishom torrijiet tondi tal-gebel ‘l hawn u ‘l hinn fil-kampanja ta Malta u kont nithasseb ghl x’hiex kienu mibnija. Meta staqsejt lill-kbar mall-ewwel sirt naf li dawn kienu dak li fadal minn imtiehen fil-bidu tas-seklu 20. Wara li wreni ritratti qodma ta dawn meta kienu ghadhom bil-paliet, ikkonfermajt dak li qaluli.
Later on in my busy life my interest in these was placed on the back burner. It was only when I retired and had spent half my life away from Malta that interest was kindled by a very sharp old picture from the late 19th century. This was of an old windmill on the bastions of Valletta, actually one of two prominently perched overlooking Marsamxett harbour and Floriana. Since I was painting Maltese landmarks, this subject suited me well.
Aktar tard fil-hajja mghaggla tieghi ma tajtx kas wisq aktar ta dawn. Kien biss meta rtirajt u kont diga ghext nofs hajti barra minn Malta illi reggha tqanqal dan l-interess fija meta sibt ritratt car li ngibed fis-seklu 19. Dan kien ta mithna fuq is-swar tal-belt Valletta, attwalment wahda minn par imtarfin fl-gholi iharsu fuq il-port ta Marsamxett u l-Floriana. Billi kont qed inpitter postijiet prominenti f’Malta, dan is-suggett kien adattat hafna.
But what about the origin of Maltese windmills? My research led me to find out that Malta had only one windmill in the middle ages, and this had primitive mechanism made out of wood. It was the Knights of St John who brought with them better technology from Rhodes and built some more windmills in the late 1500’s. Successive Grandmasters had more windmills built and the brothers Cotoner introduced more innovative technology from the Balearic islands being from those parts.
Imma x’nafu fuq kif bdew dawn l-imtiehen f’Malta? Jiena sibt illi fiz-zminijiet tan-nofs kien hawn wahda biss minnhom, u din kellha mekkanizmu primittiv tal-injam. Kienu l-kavalieri li gabu maghhom teknologija ahjar minn Rhodi u bnew imtiehen ohra tard fis-snin 1500. Il-Granmastri li gew wara gaghlu jinbnew aktar imtiehen u l-ahwa Cottoner introducew teknologija gdida mill-gzejjer Balerarici billi kienu minn dawk l-inhawi.
My chosen photo shows one of the two windmills standing majestically with spread sails. The area around it shows mounds of cannon balls and a cannon in the corner of the bastion. An empty cart sits waiting near a flight of stairs to the entrance of the structure. Far below in the background one can make out the masts of sailing ships and Msida creek before the local parish church was built. This gives us a better idea about the approximate year of the photo. At the far background one can just get an idea of the Rabat hills with Verdala palace on top.
Ir-ritratt li ghazilt juri wahda miz-zewg imtiehen wieqfa sabiha bil-paliet mifruxa. Fl-art madwarha hemm iniezel ta balal tal-kanuni u kanun fir-rokna tas-sur. Karrettun vojt qieghed mitfugh jistenna hdejn tarag li jiehdok ghall-bieb tal-binja. Isfel taht is-swar wiehed jista jilmah l-arbli ta vapuri tal-qlugh u d-dahla tal-iMsida qabel ma nbniet il-knisja parrokkjali tal-post. Dan itina idea ahjar ts-sena meta ngibed ir-ritratt bejn wiehed u iehor. Fil-boghod hafna wiehed jista jihu idea kif kienu l-gholjiet tar-Rabat bil-palazz Verdala hemm fuq.
XAROLLA RESTORED WINDMILL
As the wind driven mill was superseded by steam machines, this windmill and many others fell into disuse and eventually their wooden outside parts with their sails broke down and were taken down. Even the stone structures of some of them including these two on the bastions were dismantled. All we have left nowadays from this picture is a street with the name Windmill street adjacent to Hastings gardens where the windmills were situated. There are at least a couple of windmills like Ta Kola and Tax-Xarolla that have been fully restored for posterity and for touristic purposes.
Billi maz-zmien dahlu magni jahdmu bl-istim, din il-mithna u hafna minn shabha ma baqghux jintuzaw u maz-zmien li kien tal-injam fuq barra bil-paliet beda jitmermer u gie zarmat. Ukoll il-gebel tat-torrijiet ta hafna minnhom inkluzi dawn it-tnejn inhatt. Kulma fadal illum-il gurnata minn dak li jidher f’dan ir-ritratt hija triq magenb il-gonna ta Hastings fejn kienu dawn, bl-isem Triq l-imtiehen. Talanqas ghandna xi zewg imtiehen bhal ta Kola u tax-Xarolla li gew restawrati ghal dawk li jigu warajna u ghat-turisti li jigu.
When lately I contributed to a Facebook group concerning Maltese windmills, my painting was so much appreciated that it was used as a cover photo and I was made an admin. Here is the link for those who are interested:
Meta dan l-ahhar bdejt nikkontribwixxi fil-grupp tal-Facebook fuq l-imtiehen ta Malta, il-pittura tieghi tpoggiet fuq nett u ghamluni amministratur tal-grupp. Jekk ghandkom il-Facebook tistghu tinghaqdu maghna hawn:
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