Gżira

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Gżira
Motto: Flourishing with Justice
Official name:	Il-Gżira
Inhabitants' name:	Gżirjani
Latitude:	35°54 '18" N
Longitude:	14°29 '40" E
Population total:	~8,000
Borders:	Msida, San Ġwann, Sliema, St. Julian's, Ta' Xbiex
Patron saint:	Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Day of festa:	Second Sunday of July
Website:	gzira.gov.mt

Gżira (or il-Gżira) is a town in the north-eastern coast of Malta (pop. approx. 8,000), between Msida & Sliema, and bordering on Ta' Xbiex, with its famed yacht marina and Embassy Row. 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 is famed for its breathtaking views of the walled city of Valletta, which are illuminated at night, forming a picturesque backdrop to Manoel Island, the yacht marina and a seafront public garden.

Contents 1 Manoel Island 2 A brief History of Gżira 3 Places of Interest in Gżira 4 Local Folklore 5 Gżira Main Roads 6 References 7 External links

[edit] Manoel Island

Manoel Island was originally known as l'Isola del Vescovo or il-Gżira tal-Isqof in Maltese (literally translated as "the Bishop's Island"). In 1643 Jean Paul Lascaris, Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, constructed a quarantine hospital (lazzaretto) on the island, in an attempt to control the periodic influx of plague and cholera on board visiting ships.

The island was renamed after António Manoel de Vilhena, a Portuguese Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta under whose leadership Fort Manoel 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 F. 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, 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, 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 bombers in March 1942.^[1]

For several years, Manoel Island has housed a quaint, informal sanctuary for ducks and other waterfowl, created and maintained by a local volunteer, and funded entirely by private donations.

At the time of this writing (November 2006), the historic fort is undergoing significant restoration and renovation works, and a new housing development is 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.

[edit] A brief History of Gżira

In the mid-19th century the first houses started to be built in Gżira by Chevalier Jacob Tagliaferro. Gżira became known as a working-class town, afflicted by the prevalence of prostitution along its main streets. During the last decade, a large proportion of the old houses has been demolished and new, luxurious blocks of flats have been built. Much of the character and charm of the seafront houses has been lost as a result, although on the narrow village streets in the heart of Gżira one can still find examples of traditional Maltese facades, with their enclosed wooden balconies (gallerija) and bow-fronted, wrought-iron balconies. The proliferation of flats in Gżira led to an inflation of the housing prices, as the town became sought after by both Maltese and foreign settlers. The main reason behind the area's popularity is that it is fairly centrally located in Malta, being close to both the University of Malta and the capital, Valletta. Service industries, mainly car mechanics, commercial outlets and educational services are the town's main activities, yet Gżira shall most probably remain the gateway to Sliema, its neighbouring town. Gżira is also home to Stella Maris College, a private school for boys run by the De la Salle Christian brothers.

The stigma of prostitution has started to fade, but there still is a small "red light district", near the Gżira waterfront. Despite that, the crime rate is very low and the town is generally as safe as the rest of Malta & Gozo. Gżira's population has been fairly stable over the past few years, hovering around 7,086 (Nov 2005) people.

Gżira became a parish within the Roman Catholic Archidiocese of Malta in 1921, with Dun Anton Manché appointed as its first parish priest (kapillan). The parish church of Gżira is dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and its annual festa is celebrated in July.

Gżira has been twinned with Glyfada (Greece) and with Walzbrych (Poland).^[2]

[edit] Places of Interest in Gżira

• The Strand, and the waterfront shopping district
• Yacht Marina, and adjacent gardens
• Monument to the Council of Europe
• Fort Manoel
• Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
• Stella Maris College: a boys' Church school run by the Lasallian Brothers.
• St. Monica School: This is also another modern Catholic Church school. This school for girls, is run by the Augustinian Sisters, Servants of Jesus & Mary. Like Stella Maris College, it caters both for primary as well as secondary education.
• Empire Stadium (no longer in use).

[edit] Local Folklore

The parish church of Gżira is also known locally as "tal-Ġebla", literally translated as "of stone", but actually a reference to an incident which took place in Gzira on the 10 July 1902. Three British drunken sailors, namely William Walls, Charles Thurbull and John Packhun wanted to enter into bar, which at that time of day, was closed.The sailors wanted to enter at all costs. When Karmnu Brincat, the owner of the bar, refused to open they started throwing stones at the place.On of these stones hit a small shrine depicting a picture of Our Lady of Mount Carmel which was hanging outside the bar.The stone broke the glass of the frame, but did not make contact with the portrait itself, which was unharmed. Notwithstanding the wind, the stone remained fixed within the broken glass. The stone was removed and taken to the Stella Maris Parish Church in Sliema. Prayers and services for reparation were held. The frame, the broken glass and the stone that was thrown at the portrait of The Madonna, can still be seen today, at the beautiful parish church of Gżira.

The second parish priest in the history of the Gżira parish was the late Dun Karlu Manché, a man revered by many locals as a saint.

[edit] Gżira Main Roads

• Triq D'Argens (Rue D'Argens)
• Triq l-Imsida (Msida Road)
• Triq Tas-Sliema (Sliema Road)
• Xatt il-Gżira (Gzira Strand)

[edit] References

1. ^ Joe Ian Attard, l-Istorja tal-Gżira, online at www.My-Malta.com[1]
2. ^ Ministry for Justice and Home Affairs

[edit] External links

• Gżira Local Council
• Christian Formosa, "A Military History of Malta"

Coordinates: 35°54′18″N, 14°29′40″E

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