Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the

South Eastern Region The South Eastern Region ( mt, Reġjun Xlokk) is one of five regions of Malta. The region includes the southeastern part of the main island of Malta, including the capital Valletta. The region borders the Central and Southern Regions. It was ...

area of

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

, just outside the capital city

Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, its population within administrative limits in 2014 wa ...

. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana is the birthplace of many famous Maltese, amongst which the composer of the

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and Europea ...

, ' L-Innu Malti',

Robert Samut Robert Samut (17 October 1869 – 26 May 1934) was a Maltese doctor and musician. He is best known for writing the music for "L-Innu Malti", the Maltese national anthem. Early life Robert Samut was born at the Lion House in Floriana, Malta, ...

; former Bishop of Malta Dun Mauro Caruana, the poets

Oliver Friggieri Oliver Friggieri (27 March 194721 November 2020) was a Maltese poet, novelist, literary critic, and philosopher. He led the establishment of literary history and criticism in Maltese while teaching at the University of Malta, studying the work ...

and Maria Grech Ganado, the writer and politician Herbert Ganado and Swedish Idol winner Kevin Borg.

Etymology

Floriana is named after

Pietro Paolo Floriani Pietro Paolo Floriani (1585–1638) was an Italian engineer and architect who designed military and theatrical buildings. Life and work Floriani was born on 26 April 1585 in the town of Macerata to Pompeo Floriani and Claudia Rotelli. In 1606 he ...

, an Italian military engineer who designed the

Floriana Lines The Floriana Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Furjana) are a line of fortifications in Floriana, Malta, which surround the fortifications of Valletta and form the capital city's outer defences. Construction of the lines began in 1636 and they were nam ...

, the line of fortifications surrounding the town. In Maltese, the town is called ''Il-Floriana'' by the local council. However, it is popularly known as ''Il-Furjana'', and the latter is regarded as the official name by the National Council for the Maltese Language. Government sources use both variants. The town's original official name was ''Borgo Vilhena'' (or ''Subborgo Vilhena'') after Grand Master

António Manoel de Vilhena António Manoel de Vilhena (28 May 1663 – 10 December 1736) was a Portuguese nobleman who was the 66th Prince and Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 19 June 1722 to his death in 1736. Unlike a number of the other Grand ...

, but the name fell out of use in favour of ''Floriana'' or ''Furjana''. The name ''Borgo Vilhena'' is now used as a title, just like

has the title ''Città Umilissima''.

History

The origins of Floriana go back to 1636, when construction of the

commenced. The line of fortifications was built outside the

fortifications of Valletta The fortifications of Valletta ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Belt Valletta) are a series of defensive walls and other fortifications which surround Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The first fortification to be built was Fort Saint Elmo in 1552, but th ...

as an outer defensive line for the capital city. The lines were named after

, the Italian military engineer who had designed them. The fortifications were partially defensible by 1640, but construction and modifications continued throughout the 17th and 18th century, being fully completed in the 1720s. The area between the Floriana Lines and the Valletta Land Front began to be built up in 1724, when Grand Master

founded the suburb ''Borgo Vilhena''. In 1806, 25 soldiers who had participated in the

Froberg mutiny The Froberg mutiny was a mutiny within the British armed forces staged between 4 and 12 April 1807 at Fort Ricasoli, on the island of Malta, then a British Protectorate, by the Froberg Regiment. The regiment had been formed using dubious methods ...

were executed at the Floriana parade ground. Colors= id:lightgrey value:gray(0.9) id:darkgrey value:gray(0.8) id:sfondo value:rgb(1,1,1) id:barra value:rgb(0.6,0.7,0.8) ImageSize = width:455 height:303 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:50 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:6500 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:1000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:200 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:sfondo BarData= bar:1901 text:1901 bar:1911 text:1911 bar:1921 text:1921 bar:1931 text:1931 bar:1948 text:1948 bar:1957 text:1957 bar:1967 text:1967 bar:1985 text:1985 bar:1995 text:1995 bar:2005 text:2005 bar:2011 text:2011 PlotData= color:barra width:20 align:left bar:1901 from: 0 till:5687 bar:1911 from: 0 till:5811 bar:1921 from: 0 till:5907 bar:1931 from: 0 till:6241 bar:1948 from: 0 till:5074 bar:1957 from: 0 till:5811 bar:1967 from: 0 till:4944 bar:1985 from: 0 till:3327 bar:1995 from: 0 till:2701 bar:2005 from: 0 till:2240 bar:2011 from: 0 till:2014 PlotData= bar:1901 at:5687 fontsize:XS text: 5687 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:5811 fontsize:XS text: 5811 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:5907 fontsize:XS text: 5907 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:6241 fontsize:XS text: 6241 shift:(-8,5) bar:1948 at:5074 fontsize:XS text: 5074 shift:(-8,5) bar:1957 at:5811 fontsize:XS text: 5811 shift:(-8,5) bar:1967 at:4944 fontsize:XS text: 4944 shift:(-8,5) bar:1985 at:3327 fontsize:XS text: 3327 shift:(-8,5) bar:1995 at:2701 fontsize:XS text: 2701 shift:(-8,5) bar:2005 at:2240 fontsize:XS text: 2240 shift:(-8,5) bar:2011 at:2014 fontsize:XS text: 2014 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Census data

Sports

The ''Assoċjazzjoni Sport Floriana'', or ''Floriana Sports Association'', sponsors a number of sports in the town, as well as hosting the Floriana Supporters Club. Sporting clubs include: * Floriana Football Club which was the most successful football club in Malta of the 20th century * Floriana Amateur Football Club * Floriana Basketball Club * Klabb Boċċi Floriana ''(trans.: Floriana

Bocce (, or , ), sometimes anglicized as bocce ball, bocci or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules family. Developed into its present form in Italy, it is closely related to British bowls and French , with a common ancestry from ancie ...

Club'') * Young Stars Hockey Club *Floriana AFC The Vikings Sailing Club is also located in Floriana, though it is not associated with the Sports Association.

Patron saint

Saint Publius Saint Publius ( mt, San Publju; grc-gre, Πούπλιος) is a first century Maltese bishop. He is venerated as the first Bishop of Malta and one of the first Bishops of Athens. Publius is Malta's first acknowledged saint, the prince of t ...

is one of the

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

s of Malta and also the patron saint of Floriana. The Archipresbyteral Church of Floriana is dedicated to Saint Publius, traditionally acclaimed as the first Bishop of Malta. According to

Maltese folklore Maltese folklore is the folk tradition which has developed in Malta over the centuries, and expresses the cultural identity of the Maltese people. Maltese folklore, traditions and legends still live in the minds of the older-generations, and these ...

, Publius supposedly lived in Malta and at one point received the Apostle Paul after the shipwreck in 60 A.D. (). Publius is considered as the first Maltese saint and thus the devotion he enjoys among locals.

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

spoke at St. Publius Square during his two visits to Malta, and on his second visit he held the beatification of three Maltese: * Saint Ġorġ Preca (founder of the Society of Christian Doctrine) * Nazju Falzon * Maria Adeodata Pisani

Main sights

Malta - Floriana - Triq Vincenzo Bugeja - Argotti Botanic Gardens 15 ies

* St. Publius Parish Church *St. Publius Square, including the Granaries *The Mall Gardens *The

, including

Porte des Bombes ''Portes des Bombes'' ( mt, Bieb il-Bombi, it, Porta delle Bombe, meaning "Bombs' Gate"), originally called ''Porta dei Cannoni'' (meaning "Cannons Gate"), is an ornamental arched gate in Floriana, Malta. It was originally built in 1721 as an a ...

* Wignacourt Water Tower *

Sarria Church The Church of the Immaculate Conception known also as Sarria Church is a Roman Catholic Rotunda church in Floriana, Malta. History The original chapel was built in 1585 with funds provided by the Knight Fra Martin Sarria Navarra. Following the ...

Robert Samut Hall The Robert Samut Hall is a late 19th-century defunct Methodist church, formerly named Wesleyan (Methodist) Church, now a state owned building in Floriana, Malta. Origins The current Neo-Gothic church was built between 1881 and 1883 on designs by ...

*The

Valletta Waterfront The Valletta Waterfront, is a promenade in Floriana, Malta, mainly featuring three prominent buildings: a church in the middle, the Pinto Stores or the ''Pinto Wharf'' on the left, and the Forni Stores or the ''Forni Shopping Complex'' on the ri ...

, including the

Church of the Flight into Egypt The Church of the Flight into Egypt ( Maltese: ''Il-kappella tal-Ħarba lejn l-Eġittu'') is a Roman Catholic church located at the Valletta Waterfront in Floriana, Malta. The church was built in the 18th-century on the baroque design of Andrea ...

War Memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

Malta Memorial The Malta Memorial is a war memorial monument to the 2,298 Commonwealth aircrew who lost their lives in the various Second World War air battles and engagements around the Mediterranean, whilst serving with the Commonwealth Air Forces flying fro ...

*King George V Recreational Grounds *Argotti Botanical Gardens *Sir Luigi Preziosi Gardens *Vilhena Gardens *Polverista *St. Philip's Garden * Herbert Ganado Gardens *Jubilee Grove (which demarcates the town from Ħamrun and Pietà) *Msida Bastion Historic Garden, near Hay Wharf, another landmark which has been restored and reportedly contains the grave of Mikiel Anton Vassalli, an 18th-century writer and reformer who is much associated with Malta's national identity. *Hydrofoil terminal, which is very busy during summertime with daily departures to Sicily.

Village Core

Denkmal an die Unabhängigkeit Maltas in Valletta

*Pjazza Emm. S. Tonna (E.S. Tonna Square) *Pjazza San Kalċidonju (St. Calcidonio Square) *Triq il-Konservatorju (Conservatory Street) *Triq il-Mall (Maglio Street) *Triq il-Miratur (Gunlayer Street) *Triq is-Suq (Market Street) *Triq l-Argotti (Argotti Street) *Triq l-Iljun (Lion Street) *Triq l-Isqof M. Caruana (Bishop M. Caruana Street) *Triq San Publju (St. Publius Street) *Triq San Tumas (St. Thomas Street) *Triq Sarria (Sarria Street) *Trejqet il-Fosos

Government

Floriana is a leading administrative centre, hosting the Ministry and Dept of Education, the Ministry for Resources and Rural Affairs, Police Headquarters and the Public Works Dept, The Licensing and Testing Office, and Land Transport Directorate of Transport Malta, as well as other financial and commercial companies spread around the former Colonial Administrative Area of Belt-is-Sebħ. The National Audit Office along with the Department of Contracts and the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, are located in two ravelins, Notre Dame and St. Francis, respectively. The Floriana Local Council was established in 1993 along with Malta's other local councils to administer the town. It is located at Emmanuel S. Tonna Square. The following people have served as mayor since the post was created in 1994: *Publio Agius (1994–98) *Nigel Holland (1998–2004) *John Mary Brincat (2004) *Publio Agius (2004–07) *Nigel Holland (2007–12) *Davina Sammut (2012–12) *Nigel Holland (2012–15) *Davina Sammut Hili (2015–present) Current Councillors that are serving from 2015–19: * James Aaron Ellul (PN) *Vince Borg (PL) *Albert de Marco (PL) *Anthony Grech Sant (PN)

Lodging and entertainment

Floriana is home to the Hotel Phoenicia, one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels on Malta, as well as the 5 star luxury Hotel; and the Grand Hotel Excelsior. Today it holds a huge number of

boutique hotels Boutique hotels are small inventory, design driven, unique hotels with their own character, personality and storytelling at the heart of their concept. Positioning is secondary for these hotels as they focus on authenticity and personalization ...

. The annual Isle of MTV music festival has been held in Floriana since 2007.

Maltese Carnival

Floriana is the scene of the Maltese Carnival, held in St. Anne's Street in February leading up to Lent.

Climate

Floriana features a

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

with warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. Floriana experiences a lack of precipitation during the summer months and heavier precipitation during the winter months. Winter temperatures are moderated by the city’s proximity to the sea. As a result, Floriana enjoys mild winters, however windy in some areas. The official climate recording station in Malta is at Luqa Airport, which is a few miles inland from Floriana. Average high temperatures range from around in January to about in August, while average low temperatures range from around in January to in August. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "

Csa CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...

" (Mediterranean Climate).

Music

*Vilhena Band Club (Soċjetà Filarmonika Vilhena) was founded in 1874. The first musical director of the band was Mro. Giuseppe Borg, and the first president of the Society was Baldassare Portanier. * Kevin Borg a Maltese singer and Swedish

Idol 2008 The fifth season of ''Swedish Idol'' premiered on 3 September 2008 and continued until its grand finale on 12 December, when 22-year-old Kevin Borg was crowned winner. It was the first season to feature new judges Laila Bagge, Anders Bagge and And ...

winner was born in the town. He moved to

Arvidsjaur Arvidsjaur (; sju, Árviesjávrrie; ) is a locality and the seat of Arvidsjaur Municipality in Norrbotten County, province of Lapland, Sweden with 4,635 inhabitants in 2010. Arvidsjaur is a center for the European car industry. During the winte ...

, Sweden in late 2007 to live with his girlfriend and was soon cast as a contestant on the Swedish

Idol series ''Idol'' (also known as ''SuperStar'' in some countries) is a reality television singing competition format created by British television producer Simon Fuller and developed by Fremantle. The format began in 2001 with the British television se ...

Floriana community services

*St. Publius Parish Church, Triq Sarria (Sarria Street) *Floriana Local Council, Pjazza Emanuel S. Tonna (Emanuel S. Tonna Square) *Floriana Police Station, Triq Sant' Anna (St. Anne Street) *Floriana Malta Labour Party Club, Triq Sant' Anna (St. Anne Street) *Floriana Partit Nazzjonalista Club, Pjazza Sant' Anna (St. Anne Square) *Sir Paul Boffa Hospital, Sqaq Ħarper (Harper Lane) *Floriana Health Centre, Triq Franġisk Saver Fenech (Frances Xavier Fenech Street) *Central Public Library, Triq Joseph J. Mangion (J.J. Mangion Street)

Zones in Floriana

*Balzunetta Named after Barcelonnette in France, hence translated to " Balzunetta" *Belt il-Ħażna, limits of Blata l-Bajda *Belt-is-Sebħ *Msida Bastions *Crown Works, limits of Blata l-Bajda *Fuq il-Biskuttin *Foss Horns *Foss Notre Dame *Ġnien tal-Milorda *Il-Funtana ta' Tritoni ( Triton Fountain (Malta)) * Hay Wharf (Xatt it-Tiben) *The Granaries (Pjazza San Publju/Il-Fosos ) *Il-Mall *Independence Arena (Xagħra tal-Furjana) *Jubilee Grove *Sa Maison *Sarria *Tal-Bombi *

/Pinto Wharf (Xatt ta' Pinto) *Xatt il-Kanuni

The Granaries (Pjazza San Publju - il-Fosos)

Granaries are pits dug into the ground and covered by circular stone slabs. They were primarily used for the storage of Grain. Granaries can be found throughout Valletta and Floriana. The first granaries were built by the Knights to provide for storage within the fortifications in case of a siege. As the system of storage was reliable and efficient, the British authorities copied in all details the Knights’ granaries. The Granaries proved their worth as they continued to provide grain for the starving population during World War 2. The highest grouping of granaries (a total of 76) is found here. ‘Il-Fosos’ or The Granaries and now officially named Pjazza San Publju, is also one of the largest urban open spaces in Malta and is therefore use for mass gatherings. One important gathering was held in May 1990 during the Pope John Paul II visit to Malta. During the second Papal visit on 9 May 2001, the Pope beatified three Maltese in this square, one of whom was eventually canonised (St Gorg Preca). As Malta is a predominantly Catholic country, this is considered to be an important event in Malta’s history. A third papal visit took place on 18 April 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI. The Isle of MTV summer festival is among other major events held here.

Notable people

Edwin Busuttil Edwin Busuttil (1923-2009) was a Maltese politician, son of Paul and Therese (Spiteri) Busuttil. He served as Head of Department of Public Law and Criminal Law, as well as Dean of the Faculty of Law and Pro-Rector at the University of Malta. ...

, politician and public figure *

, author, lecturer * Henry Frendo, historian, lecturer *

Peppi Azzopardi Joseph "Peppi" Azzopardi (born August 25, 1959), from Floriana is a Maltese TV personality, best known for hosting Malta's longest-lasting TV programme and most popular talk show ''Xarabank'' from 1997 to 2020. He also hosts ''L-Istrina'', a y ...

, producer, TV Presenter *

Michael Frendo Michael Frendo (born 29 July 1955) is a former Maltese politician who currently is a lawyer and consultant. Previously he served in the government of Malta in various functions including as Minister of Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2008 and Spe ...

, politician * Maria Grech Ganado, writer, lecturer *

, music writer, doctor * Filippo Sciberras, politician * Kevin Borg, singer * Mauro Caruana, bishop * James Aaron Ellul, politician, journalist & presenter * Mario Xuereb, journalist & presenter * Sammy Galea, composer, musician * Dominic Galea, composer, musician * John Holland, footballer

Twin towns – sister cities

Floriana is twinned with: *

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ...

, Italy * Rieux-Volvestre, France

References

Quest for regeneration of Floriana
7 April 2015.

External links

Floriana Local Council

Floriana Parish
{{Authority control Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta Mediterranean port cities and towns in Malta Populated places established in 1724 1724 establishments in Malta