Feast of the Annunciation at Ħal Millieri

The feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary will be celebrated at the mediaeval chapel of Ħal Millieri, limits of Żurrieq on March 30.

On the day, the chapel will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mass will be said at 10 a.m. followed by the blessing of the burials inside the chapel and in the adjoining yards.

Din l-Art Ħelwa, the heritage NGO that holds the chapel in trust, will be offering two guided tours, one by Stanley Farrugia Randon at 11 a.m. and another by Salvatore Mousù at 3 p.m.

The chapel dates back to around 1450. Excavations have shown that it was built over the site of an earlier, possibly 13th century, chapel and a much older late-Roman rural complex.

The chapel is best known for its mediaeval architectural elements and more so for the unique set of frescoes that adorn its side walls between the springing of the arches.

The chapel is reached either via Żurrieq by taking the first right-hand turn after leaving the Blue Grotto Avenue fountain roundabout or down Diamond Jubilee Square on the Mqabba bypass.