Gżira
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Gżira ( mt, Il-Gżira) is a town in the Central Region 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 ...
. It is located between
Msida Msida ( mt, L-Imsida, it, Misida) is a harbour town in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 7, 623 (2021). Location The town is located just west of Valletta on the northeast coast of Malta. The neighbouring towns of Msida are ...
and
Sliema Sliema ( mt, Tas-Sliema ) is a town located on the northeast coast of Malta in the Northern Harbour District. It is a major residential and commercial area and a centre for shopping, bars, dining, and café life. It is also the most densely po ...
, also bordering on
Ta' Xbiex Ta' Xbiex () is a locality and Local Council in the Central Region of Malta with a population of 2148 (estimated 2019) It is part of a small headland within the Marsamxett Harbour, right between the villages of Msida and Gżira. Etymology It ...
. It has a population of 8,029 as of March 2014. The word ''Gżira'' means "island" in Maltese, and the town is named after Manoel Island which lies just adjacent to the town. The seafront of Gżira has views of the walled city of
Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
, which are illuminated at night, forming a backdrop to Manoel Island, the yacht marina and a seafront public garden.
Kappara Il-Kappara is a hamlet in Malta, situated between San Ġwann, St. Julian's and Gżira. Kappara is mainly part of San Ġwann. Buildings in Kappara * Antonio Bosio Secondary School * Chiswick House School * Ta' Ċieda Tower * Ta' Xindi Farmhou ...
is located close to Gżira. The Orpheum Theatre is located in Gżira.


Town history

In the mid-19th century a villa was built in Gżira by Chevalier Jacob Tagliaferro. Slowly Gżira started developing into a working-class suburb of Sliema. Until the 1970s, Gżira had many bars, particularly the Snake Pit, Britannia and the Granada along and in proximity of the Strand, which economic activity ended when the British Service left Malta on 31 March 1979. Tables have turned and the regenerated Gżira is now host to a business community of hoteliers, restaurants, financial institutions, legal firms, online betting companies, real estate and offices amidst a multi-ethnic and multicultural community of residents. Since the last decade, Gżira had a real estate boom, and new buildings, mainly apartments, replace the old buildings. As a result, much of the character and charm of the seafront houses has changed, although in the heart of Gżira there are still examples of traditional Maltese façades, with timber balconies (Gallarija) and bow-fronted, wrought iron balconies. The proliferation of modern apartments in Gżira as well as the development of high rise buildings, namely Metropolis and 14 East, led to an inflation of housing prices, as the town became sought after by both Maltese and foreigners. Gżira's population has been fairly stable over the past few years, hovering around 8,029 people as of March 2014. It is known as being quite a multicultural town, with well-established and fairly integrated immigrant groups. The main reason behind the area's popularity is that it is fairly centrally located in Malta, being close to the
University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...
, Sliema, and the capital
Valletta Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an Local councils of Malta, administrative unit and capital city, capital of Malta. Located on the Malta (island), main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Harbour to the east, i ...
. Service industries, commercial outlets and educational services are the town's main activities. The crime rate in Gżira is very low, and the town is generally as safe as the rest of Malta and Gozo.


Religion

The
Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
parish church of Gżira is also known locally as ''tal-Ġebla''. Its literal translation means "of the stone", a reference to an incident which took place in Gżira on 10 July 1902. Three British drunken sailors, William Walls, Charles Thurbull and John Packhun, wanted to enter a bar, which at that time of day was closed. When Karmnu Brincat, the owner of the bar, refused to open, the sailors started throwing stones at the place. One of these stones hit a small shrine depicting a picture of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or Virgin of Carmel, is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order, particularly within the Catholic Church. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Ca ...
hanging outside the bar. The stone broke the glass of the frame, but did not make contact with the portrait itself, which remained intact. Notwithstanding the wind, the stone remained fixed within the broken glass. The stone was removed by Anton Manché and taken to the Stella Maris Parish Church in Sliema, whose parish priest at the time was Francis Vincent Manché, the brother of Anton Manché. For three days, prayers and services for reparation were held. Anton Anton Manché managed to set up a small chapel in Gżira where the small shrine was taken. On 7 July 1913 Bishop Pietro Pace declared the chapel as a vice-parish. On 15 May 1921, Bishop Don Mauro Caruana declared the chapel as a parish. Anton Anton Manché was the first parish priest of Gżira. The existing parish church was built between 1921 and 1935. The second parish priest in the history of the Gżira parish was Carlo Manché, a man revered by many locals as a saint. He became parish priest of Gżira on 12 March 1935 until his death on 18 November 1950. The frame, the broken glass and the stone that was thrown at the portrait of
The Madonna In art, a Madonna () is a representation of Mary, either alone or with her child Jesus. These images are central icons for both the Catholic and Orthodox churches. The word is (archaic). The Madonna and Child type is very prevalent in ...
have been very well preserved, and today they can still be seen at the parish church of Gżira. The parish church of Gżira is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and its annual festa (village feast) is celebrated on the second Sunday of July.


Twin cities

Gżira has been twinned with
Glyfada Glyfada ( el, Γλυφάδα, ) is a suburb in South Athens located in the Athens Riviera along the Athens coast. It is situated in the southern parts of the Athens' Urban Area. The area stretches from the foot of the Hymettus mountain to the S ...
(Greece) and
Wałbrzych Wałbrzych (; german: Waldenburg; szl, Wałbrzich; sli, label= Lower Silesian, Walmbrig or ''Walmbrich''; cs, Valbřich or ) is a city located in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, in southwestern Poland. From 1975–1998 it was the capital of W ...
(Poland).


Zones in Gżira

* Village Core – area surrounding the Gżira Parish Church * The Strand and Promenade * Council of Europe Gardens, Gżira – a public garden * Empire Stadium * Gżira Marina *
Manoel Island Manoel Island ( mt, Il-Gżira Manoel), formerly known as Bishop's Island ( mt, Il-Gżira tal-Isqof, it, Isola del Vescovo) or the ''Isolotto'', is a small island which forms part of the municipality of Gżira in Marsamxett Harbour, Malta. It is n ...


Manoel Island

Manoel Island in Gżira's Marsamxett Harbour, was originally known as ''l'Isola del Vescovo'' or ''il-Gżira tal-Isqof'' in Maltese (literally translated as "the Bishop's Island"). It was the property of the Mdina Cathedral. In 1643 Jean Paul Lascaris, Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, constructed a quarantine hospital (''
Lazzaretto A lazaretto or lazaret (from it, lazzaretto a diminutive form of the Italian word for beggar cf. lazzaro) is a quarantine station for maritime travellers. Lazarets can be ships permanently at anchor, isolated islands, or mainland buildings. ...
'') on the island, in an attempt to control the periodic influx of
plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...
and
cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...
. In 1675, another Grand Master, this time, Nicola' Cottoner, decided to construct another isolation hospital with an additional forty beds, a chapel and a cemetery. The island was renamed after
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 ...
, a Portuguese Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta under whose leadership
Fort Manoel Fort Manoel ( mt, Forti Manoel or ''Fortizza Manoel'') is a star fort on Manoel Island in Gżira, Malta. It was built in the 18th century by the Order of Saint John, during the reign of Grand Master António Manoel de Vilhena, after whom it ...
was built in 1726. Fort Manoel is considered a marvel of 18th-century military engineering. The original plans for the fort are attributed to Louis d'Augbigne Tigné, and are said to have been modified by his friend and colleague Charles François de Mondion, who is buried in a crypt beneath Fort Manoel. At one time, the Knights of Malta considered developing a walled city on Manoel Island, but instead they settled on a fort designed to house up to 500 soldiers. The fort has a magnificent quadrangle, parade ground and arcade, and once housed a baroque chapel dedicated to St.
Anthony of Padua Anthony of Padua ( it, Antonio di Padova) or Anthony of Lisbon ( pt, António/Antônio de Lisboa; born Fernando Martins de Bulhões; 15 August 1195 – 13 June 1231) was a Portuguese people, Portuguese Catholic Church, Catholic priesthood (Cath ...
, under the direct command of the Order. During World War II, Manoel Island and its fort were used as a naval base by the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...
, at which time it was referred to variously as "HMS Talbot" or "HMS Phœnicia". The Chapel of St. Anthony was virtually destroyed following a direct hit by
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
bombers in March 1942. For several years now, Manoel Island houses a quaint, informal sanctuary for
duck Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
s and other
waterfowl Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...
, created and maintained by a local volunteer, and funded entirely by private donations near the bridge connecting the island with the main island. As of November 2006, the historic fort was undergoing significant restoration and renovation works, and a new housing development was under construction on Manoel Island. The Manoel Island redevelopment project, however, has been heavily criticized due to its proximity to the island's important historical buildings. A guarded barrier some 300 yards after the bridge makes it clear that the public is not welcome on the largest part of the island.


Notable residents

*
Roberta Metsola Roberta Metsola (; née Tedesco Triccas; born 18 January 1979) is a Maltese politician serving as President of the European Parliament since January 2022. Metsola was first elected to as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in 2013, and be ...
- President- European Parliament *
Mario Azzopardi Mario Philip Azzopardi (born 19 November 1950) is a Canadian-Maltese television and film director and writer. Early life and emigration Azzopardi was born in Siggiewi, Malta, and was educated at St Aloysius' College ( Birkirkara, Malta), and the ...
- poet * Ivan De Battista – actor * Simone De Battista – actress * Carlo Manché – parish priest * Vanni Riolo – Radio, T.V. & Film Actor. He played the part of Piali in
Treasure in Malta ''Treasure in Malta'' is a 1963 adventure film and television series produced by Anvil Films, a British film company. It was funded by the Children's Film Foundation. The child stars were Mario Debono, Aidan Mompalao Depiro and Mary Lu Ripard in t ...
On-Line IMDb https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0871449/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm Retrieved 21FEb2019 * Albert Rizzo M.Q.R. – former mayor, auctioneer and holder of three Guinness World Records; deceased


References


External links


Gżira Local Council

Stella Maris College Scout Group

Chamber College
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gzira Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta Marinas in Malta