Casa Ippolito Traditional Cache

Casa Ipollito or "Id-Dar ta' Pultu" is a located close to the base of the "Saptan" valley in an area known as "Ta' Kaccatura" in Birzebbuga.

A legend surrounds this house which speaks of a Sicilian knight called "Ipollito" who had fallen in love with a Maltese girl. When her father found out he was adamant that his daughter should not marry this knight - but there was no way of honourably refusing his daughter's hand in marriage. So in an attempt to preserve his family's honour he shot Ipollito and buried him inside a deep hole which he covered with a rock somewhere in the area known as "il-qlajja" within the Saptan valley.

The house used to cary an inscription above the front door, which indicated that the house was built by the Baron Ippolito Novantieri in 1664. The inscription also read:

"Questa e la casa

Di Ippolito Novantieri

Che Fece Oggi Quel

Che Dovea Far Ieri"

Which in English translates to: "This is the house of Ippolito Novanteri, who did today that which he should have done yesterday"

The Baron lived in this house together with his wife; Casandra Novantieri and their five children; Rosa, Paola, Giovanni Battista, Innocenzo and Vincenza Veronica. The Baron died in 1727 and his wife died twelve years later in 1739.

The house was inherited by their son; Giovanni Battista but he died in 1758 before having any children, so the property was passed on to his nephew, Antonio Le Fevre - the son of Giovanni Battista' sister, Vincenza Veronica. On Antonio Le Fevre's death, the supreme court divided the entire property (including the house and the surroundign fields and gardens) amongs all the inheritants and the house itself was given to Annetta Giappone who was married to Guzeppi Carmelo Borg. In 1893 the property was valued at £750 and in 1899 it was purchased by Luigi Mifsud who in turn passed it on to Emanuel Mifsud who died in 1919. Emanuel was the last owner fo this house, and it has lied vacant for almost a 100 years since then.