Back in the day, when households didn’t have water and electricity supplies, people used to carry their washing to communal springs, referred to in Maltese as l-għajn tal-ħasselin. In the sixteenth century, in the small village of Fontana, arched shelters were built over the springs for the convenience of people when washing their clothes. The irrigation system used is a very old one, consisting of stone gutters which constantly bring water up from springs in the valley. Yet it remains functional to this day as a reminder of the quaint village life of our elders.
