SWIEQI

Swieqi lies on the outskirts of Paceville, Malta’s main entertainment and nightlife centre.

It is perched above the coast on the eastern stretch of the Victoria Lines, the British fortifications built in 1878 on the Great Fault running across Malta. Apart from the Victoria Lines, this locality boasts of another two heritage sites, Fort Madliena and Madliena Chapel. Fort Madliena, built in 1880, has an unusual feature – a revolving bridge instead of a drawbridge over its ditch. On the coastline below, is Madliena Tower, built by the Knights as part of a line of watchtowers.

Today, Swieqi is a residential area within striking distance of Malta’s nightlife and entertainment centres, Paceville and St. Julian’s. The Swieqi area includes several other communities – Madliena, St. Andrew’s and Ta’ l-Ibraġ. As Swieqi developed, its residential estates took over farmland. The town’s name means water channels; a reminder of the region’s past.