One World - Protecting the most significant buildings, monuments and features of the Maltese islands (11)

This rural building datable to the early-modern period is built on two levels; the lower level is below street level on one side and is level with an open field overlooking the valley on the other. The lower level is older than the upper level. There is also a small cave partly beneath the building. This building is an example of local vernacular architecture and is still within a rural context.

The two rooms at the lower level are constructed in a typical vernacular manner, having irregularly- sized stones packed with soil and without mortar. The roofs of the lower rooms are constructed of timber beams and stone slabs (xorok) supported on stone corbels (kileb). A small number of the ceiling slabs of one of the rooms have collapsed. In front of these rooms is a verandah of two arches opening onto a yard defined by a high rubble wall. These arches were plastered with cement-based mortar, and past "maintenance" interventions caused more harm than good and now require professional restoration using traditional materials and methods. The upper level is accessed from the street into a loggia consisting of three arches. The floor of this loggia is composed of stone slabs (ċangatura). The rooms at the upper level are constructed in differently sized ashlar blocks with a lime-based mortar possibly indicating that they were added later to the building.

The rooms are roofed over by means of timber beams and stone slabs. A doorway provided access to a spiral stairs (garigor) leading to the roof. The building also contains a number of other vernacular features such as a stone waterspout (miżieb), and supporting slabs of a sill (ħarrieġa) beneath the window.

Mepa scheduled Dar ix-Xemx as a Grade 2 building of vernacular architecture as per Government Notice no. 492/068 in the Government Gazette dated June 6, 2006.