Naxxar

Naxxar

coat of arms	map
Basic data
State :	Malta
Gzejjer :	Malta Majjistral (Northwest Malta)
Distretti :	Northern
Area :	11,571.38 km²
Residents :	14,891 (December 31, 2018)
Population density :	1287 inhabitants / km²
ISO 3166-2 :	MT-38
Postal code :	MXR
Website :	www.naxxar.com
politics
Mayor :	Maria Fatima Deguara ( PN )

Coordinates: 35 ° 55 '  N , 14 ° 27'  E

Naxxar [ ˈnɐʃːɐr ] is a city in the north-eastern center of the Mediterranean island of Malta . It is about ten kilometers from the Maltese capital Valletta and is on the road from Sliema to Mosta . The surrounding area is in a fertile plain for Maltese standards, which is bounded to the northwest by the Victoria Lines ridge. The neighboring town of Mosta follows directly to the west.

Palazzo Parisio

Palace garden

The very early settlement of the Naxxar region is made clear by the alleged wagon tracks from the Bronze Age , which are buried up to 60 centimeters in the limestone and can be found north of the place. Two versions are in use for the interpretation of the place name. There is a similar word in Arabic that can be translated as “to divide in order to separate”. This is possibly the geographical reference to the mountain range in the north of Naxxar, which in fact divides the island. But one can also follow the statement that Naxxar is derived from the word "nasra", which means something like "Christianity" and gives an indication of the assumption that the apostle Paul preached in Naxxar after his shipwreck off Malta.

As early as 1436, a church in Naxxar belonged to the parish of Bishop De Mello, and it was already consecrated to the Mother of God at that time. In 1575 the parish of Naxxar was subordinate to 36 churches, including 14 in Naxxar itself. Today's church "Our Lady of Victories" was built between 1616 and 1630 when a larger church was needed for the then 1,200 inhabitants. The blueprint comes from Tommaso Dingli, one of the best Maltese architects of the time. In 1691, the choir and the outdoor facilities were redesigned again based on a design by Lorenzo Gafà , the architect of the cathedral in Mdina .

Another notable building, the Palazzo Parisio, dates back to the 18th century. Initially used by the Jesuits as a summer residence, the Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna acquired the property and had the building converted into a magnificent residence in the Italian Renaissance style between 1898 and 1906. The interior was also decorated with works by Italian artists. Scicluna also had a baroque garden, unique in Malta, with symmetrical borders, fountains and an orangery. The marquis died in 1907 shortly after the completion of his residence, which was then no longer used privately. The heirs made the property available to the public. The Palazzo is still owned by the Scicluna family, who operate a brewery in Malta.

In addition to tourism, the Malta International Trade, which takes place annually in July, has become an important economic factor for Naxxar. Naxxar is also home to Malta's most famous liquor brewery - Zeppi's. Zeppi's also produces prickly pear liqueur ( Bajtra ).

sons and daughters of the town

• Kalcidon Agius (1917–2006), writer and politician
• Edward Scicluna (* 1946), politician and member of the European Parliament
• Mary Spiteri (born 1947), singer
• William Mangion (born 1958), singer
• Claudette Buttigieg (* 1968), singer, television presenter and politician
• Paul Fenech (* 1986), football player

Web links

Commons : Naxxar  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Wikivoyage: Naxxar  - travel guide

• Web presence

Individual evidence

1. ↑ StatDB of the National Statistics Office Malta , accessed on August 1, 2020