St Michael's Cave and Passage

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Location: Triq Is - Sirena 52, Isla

Situated under Villa Sirena/Davies, the St Michael’s cave is adorned with a Statue of the Holy Mary. It is likely that passages from there led to the tunnel and shelters excavated during World War II. There is a legend tied to this cave which tells the story of a mermaid who took shelter in the cave during a storm. The mermaid was cursed and if she ever kissed a human being she would turn into stone. She would sit alone on the rocks and sing. This would attract the attention of the fishermen who could not understand where the singing came from. One day a young fisherman heard the singing and entered quietly in the cave to see who was singing. There he saw the beautiful mermaid. The fisherman fell in love with her and one day he kissed her which caused the mermaid to immediately turn into stone. For this reason, in the cave there is a mermaid carved in the rock and as a result St Michael’s cave became also known as ‘l-Għar tas-Sirena’.

Taħt Villa Sirena / Davies, wieħed isib l-Għar ta’ Mikelin li fih tinsab statwa tal-Madonna. Probabilment il-passaġġi li jinsabu fl-għar kienu jwasslu għall-mina u xelters li kienu ġew skavati matul it-Tieni Gwerra Dinjija. Hemm leġġenda marbuta ma dan l-għar li tirrakkonta l-istorja ta' sirena li waqt maltempata daħlet tistkenn ġewwa dan l-għar. Is-sirena kellha magħmul fuqha li jekk tbus bniedem issir tal-ġebel. Hija kienet toqgħod fuq il-blat tkanta. Dan ġibed l-attenzjoni tas-sajjieda li ma setgħux jifhmu minn fejn kien ġej il-kant. Ġurnata waħda, sajjied żagħżugħ sema’ l-kant u daħal bil-mod fl-għar biex jara min kien qed ikanta. Hemmhekk ra lis-sirena. Is-sajjied sar iħobbha u ġurnata waħda biesha u minnufih is-sirena saret tal-ġebel. Fl-għar wieħed isib sirena minquxa fil-blat. Għal din ir-raġuni l-Għar ta’ Mikelin sar magħruf ukoll bħala ‘l-Għar tas-Sirena’.