09/11/2023
Did you know? This small house was the hunting lodge of the last Grand Master of the Knights in . The hunting lodge was built by Ferdinand von Hompesch who ruled Malta during the French invasion of 1798. The building today lies in a sorry, sad-looking state of preservation, with part of thr façade and balcony plastered in cement. Scroll down to find out more 👇
👇Inżel l-isfel biex taqra dan l-artiklu bil-Malti / Scroll down to read this article in Maltese 👇
HOMPESCH’S HUNTING LODGE IN A HUNTING PLACE
Known locally as id-Dar tal-Kaċċa, the Hompesch Hunting Lodge is a small house located on a main road in Naxxar that leads to San Pawl tat-Tarġa. It was built at the expense and on the request of Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim.
Naxxar was a common hunting ground in the 18th century at the time when this lodge was built. Other periodic hunting lodges in Naxxar existed on the grounds of Palazzo Parisio and Palazzo Nasciaro, however these were redeveloped into aristocratic palaces.
IN SHAMBLES AND IN NEED OF RESTORATION
Hompesch Hunting Lodge remains mostly unaltered to when it was built hundreds of years ago, except to the deterioration of its architecture. The lodge today unfortunately lies in a dilapidated state and is in need of restoration. Added to this, unsightly cables, wires and poles. Even the information panel planted in cement in front of it looks completely out of place and further ruins the visual of this historic heritage building. A small pine tree garden is found in front of the hunting lodge. This too is in a neglected state and used as a dog toilet.
ARCHITECTURE
The building is a traditional Maltese ‘small house’ having a rather modest vernacular architecture, which is typically how rural countryside buildings were built. Simple yet functional.
It features a main door leading to the entry of the house and another arched, wider doorway which was used as a horse stable, both on the ground floor.
On the first floor’s façade the building features a modest window with modest stone decorative design and a balcony. The balcony appears to have lost its original design and today is plastered in cement, as is the whole façade on the first floor.
ĦAL MISILMIET
This area was once a hamlet called Ħal Misilmiet (probably meaning the “hamlet of the Muslims”). An old tradition says that in early Medieval times, this area was inhabited by Muslims while the Christians lived on the other side, presumably in Ħal Nasciar. The latter name is interpreted by some to mean “followers of Christ”.
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BIL-MALTI
Kont taf? Din id-dar żgħira kienet id-dar tal-kaċċa tal-aħħar Grammastru f’Malta. Magħrufa sempliċement bħala id-Dar tal-Kaċċa, din imbniet minn Ferdinand von Hompesch li kien il Grammastru waqt l-invażjoni Franċiża tal-1798.
ID-DAR TAL-KAĊĊA TA’ HOMPESCH
Id-Dar tal-Kaċċa ta’ Hompesch tinsab fit-triq li minn Naxxar tieħdok lejn San Pawl tat-Tarġa. Hompesch kien bnijha w ħallasha hu. In-Naxxar kienet żona fejn kienet issir ħafna kaċċa għal ħabta tas-seklu tmintax fiż-żmien meta nbniet din il-binja.
Kienu jeżistu wkoll djar tal-kaċċa oħrajn fin-Naxxar, bħal f’Palazzo Parisio w l-Palazz Nasciaro, imma dawn il-quddiem kienu ġew żvilluppati f’palazzi kbar aristokratiċi.
STAT ĦAŻIN
Id-Dar tal-Kaċċa tal-Grammastru Hompesch illum għada pratikament l-istess bħal ma kienet meta nbniet, apparti d-deterjorament li l-arkitettura taħħa soffriet biż-żmien. Id-dar illum tinsab mitluqa fi stat ħażin qalb ħafna wajers, arblijiet u anke t-tabella tal-informazzjoni li twaħħlet quddiema tidher barra minn postha. Quddiem din id-dar hemm ġnien żgħir bis-siġar, iżda dan ukoll jinsab mitluq u jużawħ biss il-klieb għal bżonnijiet tagħhom.
ARKITETTURA
Id-Dar tal-Kaċċa mibnija bħal kul binja li kont tipikament issib fil-kampanja Maltija, b’arkitettura vernikulari sempliċi w modesta, iżda funzjonali. Maġenb il-bieb ta’ barra hemm bieb wiesa li taħsbu ta’ garaxx iżda dan kien jgħati għall-istalla fejn kien jitpoġġa xi żiemel. Fl-ewwel sular hemm gallarija żgħira w tieqa. Parti kbira mill-faċċata, kif ukoll il-gallarija, ġew imkaħħla bis-siment li xejn ma jixirqu lil wirt storiku bħal dan.
ĦAL MISILMIET
Fiż-żmien imgħoddi, dawn l-inħawi kienu jisseħu ta’ Ħal Misilmiet, forsi għax kien jingħad li hawn kienu jgħixu xi nies Musulmani, waqt li l-insara kienu jgħixu fuq in-naħa l-oħra, f’Ħal Nasciar.
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