Unusually, for Malta, this extraordinary home is set at the end of a long driveway, and as you pass under an arched gateway, the drive opens out into a big square courtyard, glistening white between ancient stone walls. Green foliage flourishes on all sides and a tall palm tree stands proud. Protected from the wind from whichever direction it blows, this oasis of calm provides a shady retreat along the front of the house, even in the height of the summer, and a wonderful view of the façade.
The house has a particularly friendly frontage on an island known for its fortress-like farmhouses. Stylish iron twists decorate several windows and centre-stage there’s a traditional carved stone balcony from which you can imagine Juliet might peek down to her Romeo in soft evening light. Standing upon it, the view over the old houses and roofs stretches from the cross atop Ta Għammar Hill and Żebbuġ to the iconic aqueduct as it stretches east from Gozo’s western countryside to Victoria. To one side a bougainvillea winds its purple blooms up to decorate a self-contained studio-flat above the separate garage.
As you step into the house you immediately enter the main living space, a tall, light and airy room of impressive proportions: bigger and brighter than those normally found on the island, it hints at the prestigious history of this part of Santa Lucija – an adjacent property dating back to the late sixteenth century is thought to have been owned by one of the Knights of Malta.
This home’s incredible living room was once a mill room 10m across, with large grinding stones. The mill stones were driven by donkeys kept below, and should you wish, the space in which they laboured underneath can be accessed from small doors at the front of the house. Look above at the ceiling to find a stone loop through which rope would have been threaded for lifting loads, one of the old features in the walls that hint at the building’s heritage. And surely the knights would have popped next door for their flour? Can you imagine them under these golden arches?
Last used for milling during the Second World War, the spacious room today is an immaculate combination of the traditional and contemporary creature comforts in a tranquil palette of ivory, stone-gold and dark wood. Between a series of up-lit floor-to-ceiling golden arches that span the space, comfy sofas in a sand-hued velvet draw the warmth of the stone’s palette into the heart of the room. Baronial iron light fittings add a touch of atmospheric grandeur whilst the pale marble floor, with its organic accents of red and brown, pull in the rich dark wood of the dining table and chairs and other pieces of furniture. And although the room is a peaceful haven in the quiet of the day, it is also rich with the promise: it could equally play host to a magnificent classy party. Picture floor-lrngth glitzy gowns and a tower of champagne flutes!
At one end, a staircase rises to the floor above, stone steps lined with delicate iron, and leads to four whitewashed bedrooms– each of which is almost monastic in the peace they bestow. Alongside, what was an external terrace with a decorated stone balustrade long ago has long been roofed for easy-living all year round.
The garden – complete with infinity pool – on the other side of the house is equally surprising. Having entered the house down a narrow-walled roadway, you’d imagine it was embraced on all sides by other village houses. Instead, behind the garden courtyard and the glistening blue tiles of the pool, the landscape is open fields leading across to the old Santa Lucjia windmill. On tidy terraces, strawberries, melons, pumpkins and other crops speckle the land in a seasonal cycle with green leaves and colour. Look left and you can see the Rotunda of Xewkija, the world’s third highest unsupported dome, in the distance, whilst to your right – although you feel in the middle of the countryside here, the bell of Santa Lucija Church in the heart of this hamlet, is only a few hundred meters away.
We’ve shared this extraordinary home because everyone loves to dream!
However, should you wish to find out more, you can see full property details here.
If you have an extraordinary home you’d like to share, because the house has a history, becasue you have taken an unusual or bold approach to you apartment’s interior decor, you are proud of your modern renovation, or for another reason, get in touch via x2@timesofmalta.com.
