Żabbar ( mt, Ħaż-Żabbar, ), also known as Città Hompesch, is a city in the South Eastern 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 the sixth largest city in the country, with a population of 15,404 as of March 2014. Originally a part of Żejtun, Żabbar was granted the title of ''Città Hompesch'' by the last of the Grand Masters of the

Order of St. John The Order of Knights of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem ( la, Ordo Fratrum Hospitalis Sancti Ioannis Hierosolymitani), commonly known as the Knights Hospitaller (), was a medieval and early modern Catholic military order. It was headqu ...

to reign in Malta, Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim.

Etymology

The name of the city probably derives from the

Maltese Maltese may refer to: * Someone or something of, from, or related to Malta * Maltese alphabet * Maltese cuisine * Maltese culture * Maltese language, the Semitic language spoken by Maltese people * Maltese people, people from Malta or of Malte ...

word ''tiżbor'', the process of pruning trees. Indeed, a number of families who specialised in pruning, ''żbir'', are known to have lived in the vicinity of this village during the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...

. Other possibilities of this derivation exist. Żabbar was also the surname of an important family that was known to have lived in the area. Ħaż-Żabbar could also have been a corruption of Ħas-Sabbar (the consoler village), because people from all over the island used to visit the village to pray to Our Lady of Graces for consolation. The word sabbar could also be the plural of ''sabbara'' (the ''

Aloe vera ''Aloe vera'' () is a succulent plant species of the genus ''Aloe''. It is widely distributed, and is considered an invasive species in many world regions. An evergreen perennial, it originates from the Arabian Peninsula, but grows wild in tro ...

'' plant) in Maltese. This would be derived from the Arabic صَبّار (''ṣabbār'') meaning cacti. In fact, in some Arab countries ''ṣabbār'' means prickly pear. The "ṣ" in this case, is strong and is pronounced as "z". Judging by the names of other Maltese villages, like nearby Żejtun (meaning "

olive The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'', meaning 'European olive' in Latin, is a species of small tree or shrub in the family Oleaceae, found traditionally in the Mediterranean Basin. When in shrub form, it is known as ''Olea europaea'' ...

" in Arabic) it seems quite probable that such names may have agricultural connotations.

Demography

Ħaż-Żabbar is bound to the north by Kalkara and

Xgħajra Xgħajra ( mt, Ix-Xgħajra) is a small village in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It is located on the coast, about halfway between Valletta and Marsaskala. Its local football club is known as the Xgħajra Tornadoes F.C. Contrary to popular be ...

, to the west by

Fgura Fgura ( mt, Il-Fgura, it, Figura) is a town in the South Eastern Region of Malta. It has a population of 13,066 as of 2021. Its northern fringes are bordered by the Cottonera Lines of fortifications while it merges with the towns of Żabbar to ...

and the

Cottonera Lines The Cottonera Lines ( mt, Is-Swar tal-Kottonera), also known as the Valperga Lines ( mt, Is-Swar ta' Valperga), are a line of fortifications in Bormla and Birgu, Malta. They were built in the 17th and 18th centuries on higher ground and further o ...

(enclosing the localities of Vittoriosa and Cospicua), to the east by

Marsaskala Marsaskala ( mt, Wied il-Għajn), also written as Marsascala and abbreviated as M'Skala, is a seaside town in the South Eastern Region of Malta which has grown around the small harbour at the head of Marsaskala Bay, a long, narrow inlet also know ...

and to the south by Żejtun. Ħaż-Żabbar has the largest population of all localities within the area. The western part of this town, composed essentially of Il-Biccieni and Tal-Bajjada (also known as Il-Misrah) areas, is characterized by high dwelling density and comprises a series of winding streets that define the village core. The eastern half is mostly suburban with more recent developments mostly in the form of terraced housing and modern maisonettes and apartments. Ħaż-Żabbar has two other distinct residential neighbourhoods namely Bulebel iz-Zghir, which is characterized by Government housing estates/ multi-storey apartment blocks and rows of terraced house units that were constructed out of various Home Ownership Schemes (HOS), and the area referred to as St. Peter's. 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:15000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:darkgrey increment:5000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:lightgrey increment:1000 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:5750 bar:1911 from: 0 till:7012 bar:1921 from: 0 till:7044 bar:1931 from: 0 till:8003 bar:1948 from: 0 till:11726 bar:1957 from: 0 till:11005 bar:1967 from: 0 till:10167 bar:1985 from: 0 till:12869 bar:1995 from: 0 till:14138 bar:2005 from: 0 till:14671 bar:2011 from: 0 till:14916 PlotData= bar:1901 at:5750 fontsize:XS text: 5750 shift:(-8,5) bar:1911 at:7012 fontsize:XS text: 7012 shift:(-8,5) bar:1921 at:7044 fontsize:XS text: 7044 shift:(-8,5) bar:1931 at:8003 fontsize:XS text: 8003 shift:(-8,5) bar:1948 at:11726 fontsize:XS text: 11726 shift:(-8,5) bar:1957 at:11005 fontsize:XS text: 11005 shift:(-8,5) bar:1967 at:10167 fontsize:XS text: 10167 shift:(-8,5) bar:1985 at:12869 fontsize:XS text: 12869 shift:(-8,5) bar:1995 at:14138 fontsize:XS text: 14138 shift:(-8,5) bar:2005 at:14671 fontsize:XS text: 14671 shift:(-8,5) bar:2011 at:14916 fontsize:XS text: 14916 shift:(-8,5) TextData= fontsize:S pos:(20,20) text:Census data

History

Malta - Fgura-Zabbar - Hompesch Arch 06 ies

The town was used as an encampment by the Ottoman armies at the outset of the

Great Siege of 1565 The Great Siege of Malta ( Maltese: ''L-Assedju l-Kbir'') occurred in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer the island of Malta, then held by the Knights Hospitaller. The siege lasted nearly four months, from 18 May to 13 September ...

. Ħaż-Żabbar was granted city status by the last Grand Master on Malta,

Ferdinand von Hompesch Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, O.S.I. (9 November 1744 – 12 May 1805) was the 71st Grand Master of the Knights Hospitaller, formally the Order of St. John of Jerusalem, by then better known as the Knights of Malta. He was the first Ge ...

, in whose name the population built a

triumphal arch A triumphal arch is a free-standing monumental structure in the shape of an archway with one or more arched passageways, often designed to span a road. In its simplest form a triumphal arch consists of two massive piers connected by an arch, crow ...

on the main approach road from Paola through Fgura. During the Maltese uprising against the French between 1798 and 1800 the city was used as a base by the Maltese insurgents. A memorable battle on 5 October 1798 took place in front of the Ħaż-Żabbar Sanctuary. To this day, French-era cannonballs are to be seen in a household wall in the city's older parts and some are also in the church museum after being retrieved from the old church dome.

British Era

During the British era a number of forts and batteries were built in the area. These were

Fort Saint Rocco Fort Saint Rocco ( mt, Forti Santu Rokku), also known as Fort Saint Roca on some maps, is a polygonal fort in Kalkara, Malta. It is located east of Rinella Battery and seaward of the village of Santu Rokku, and forms part of the complex of shor ...

, Fort Saint Leonardo, Delle Grazie Battery and Żonqor Battery. Fort Saint Rocco was built between 1873 and 1875. It was later expanded and 3 cannons were fitted. Also, Fort Saint Leonardo was fitted with 4 cannons. These two forts took care of the neighboring seas. The two batteries also took care of the area altogether with the

Rinella battery The Rinella Battery ( mt, Batterija ta' Rinella) is a Victorian battery in Kalkara, Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an arc ...

which contains the 100 ton

Armstrong Gun An Armstrong gun was a uniquely designed type of Rifled breech-loader, rifled breech-loading field and heavy gun designed by William George Armstrong, 1st Baron Armstrong, Sir William Armstrong and manufactured in England beginning in 1855 by the ...

1951

A memorable date for the ''Żabbarin''. The then Metropolitan Archbishop of Malta Michael Gonzi crowned the miraculous image of Our Lady of Grace venerated in her Sanctuary. A large crowd gathered in front of the Sanctuary on Sunday 2 September 1951. During 2001 a twelve star silver diadem was placed on it by Archbishop Joseph Mercieca, in celebration of the

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু ...

Recent history

More recently, on 14 October 1975, Vulcan B. 2, XM645 of No.9 Squadron RAF, exploded over the village with many parts of it falling on the school and one wing full of fuel on Sanctuary Street, the main street of the village. The children were having their break at that time and were safely evacuated by the supervising teachers and headmaster. The whole accident, which involved other parts of the city, due to the violent explosion, claimed six victims. Five of them were crew members trapped in the plane. The sixth was a civilian, who was hit by an electricity cable torn down by the falling wing. Various items (including the aircraft undercarriage) can be seen at the Żabbar Sanctuary Museum. Some parts of this wing are now in custody of Charlene, which was present and vividly remembers this incident.

Culture

The city is very devout, particularly to

Our Lady of Grace Our Lady of Grace is a Titles of Mary, Title of Mary. The feast day associated with this title is February 7. The title of Our Lady of Grace is venerated in many countries throughout the world under various aspects. Many parishes, churches, and sch ...

, to whom the city Sanctuary is dedicated. A vast number of paintings and other artefacts can be found in the Sanctuary Museum, most of which have 'VFGA' in some way or other imprinted on them. This is the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

abbreviation for ''Votum Fecit, Gratiam Accipit'', meaning that a grace has been asked for and it had been granted due to intercession by the ''Madonna tal-Grazzja'' (Our Lady of Grace). The paintings are about marine subjects and give large detail about ships of the

Knights of Malta The Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM), officially the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta ( it, Sovrano Militare Ordine Ospedaliero di San Giovanni di Gerusalemme, di Rodi e di Malta; ...

era. The

Mattia Preti Mattia Preti (24 February 1613 – 3 January 1699) was an Italian Baroque artist who worked in Italy and Malta. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Saint John. Life Born in the small town of Taverna in Calabria, Preti was called ''Il Cava ...

painting is found in the town's museum.

The Sanctuary

The building of the Church of Our Lady of Graces was started in 1641 at the instigation of the Parish Priest Don Francesco Piscopo and was completed around 1718 according to the commemoration plaque of the Consecration by Bishop

Vincenzo Labini Vincenzo Labini (28 April 1735 – 30 April 1807) was an Italian archbishop who served as Bishop of Malta from 1780 till 1807. Biography Labini was born in Bitonto, Italy on April 28, 1735. In 1758 he was ordained priest of the Sovereign Milita ...

in 1784. A Maltese proverb says "a church is never finished", which is another way of stating that the people in a particular parish are never satisfied with their own church and, depending on their means, are forever the ambition that the church in one's village be better and bigger than the church in the next parish. The good people of Ħaż-Żabbar are no exception. Largely from the private funds of the Parish Priest Andrea Buhagiar, in addition to money collected from the people of Ħaż-Żabbar, work on embellishing the church was started in 1738. The Maltese architect Giovanni Bonavia redesigned the façade and two belltowers were erected; in addition the church was paved in marble and provided with a crypt. The main painting of the Madonna and Child is a work by the painter

Alessio Erardi Alessio Erardi (1669–1727) was a Maltese painter. He was the son of the artist Stefano Erardi and his wife Caterina Buttigieg. He initially studied art with his father, and eventually spent five and a half years in Rome between 1695 and 1701. H ...

Feasts

Ħaż-Żabbar hosts a village feast on the first Sunday after 8 September, which features a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

and

bicycle A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-powered assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. Bic ...

pilgrimage each starting from Mosta and

Rabat Rabat (, also , ; ar, الرِّبَاط, er-Ribât; ber, ⵕⵕⴱⴰⵟ, ṛṛbaṭ) is the capital city of Morocco and the country's seventh largest city with an urban population of approximately 580,000 (2014) and a metropolitan populati ...

respectively. This is done because

is the patron of cyclists. Strong competition exists between the village's two band clubs, locally known as the

Società Filarmonica Maria Mater Gratiæ The Società Filarmonica Maria Mater Gratiæ is a band club in Żabbar, Malta. Founded in 1883 by Francesco Saverio Briffa, the organization was initially known as "Societa del Żabbar" or "the village band". The club's main aim is cultivating a ...

(sporting blue and known as ''Tal-Baqra'') and the Għaqda Madonna Tal-Grazzja Banda San Mikiel (sporting green and known as ''Tal-Bajda''). Another feast celebrated in Ħaż-Żabbar includes St. Michael the Archangel on the third Sunday after 8 September. This feast includes a solemn mass at the Zabbar Sanctuary. During the evening a brass band march is held in the town centre. The band accompanies the statue of St. Michael the Archangel. The most sensational moment during this march is when the statue of St. Michael the Archangel passes in front of the monumental statue of Our Lady of Graces, the patron of Żabbar. A procession of Our Lady of the Rosary is also held on 7 October. Ħadd in-Nies or People's Sunday is celebrated on the first Sunday of Lent. An afternoon pilgrimage accompanied by the titular statue, having a different starting point each year, is led by the Archbishop of Malta and ends at the Our Lady of Grace Sanctuary where a pontifical mass is celebrated. Among the celebrations for this feast one can mention the Classical Music Concerts held by the two local band clubs in the Notre Dame Hall.

Band Clubs

*Maria Mater Gratiae Philarmonic Society (Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Marija tal-Grazzja). Founded in 1883. *Our Lady of Graces Club - St. Michael Band (L-Għaqda Madonna tal-Grazzja - Banda San Mikiel). Founded in 1883.

Holy Week

The Maria Mater Gratiae Philarmonic Society organises an annual Holy Week exhibition held inside the club where it is situated. The exhibition, which is named Pesah, consists of :- life sized last supper, various models of the passion of the Christ, pictures made out of coloured semolina, a fretwork exhibition and other symbols which transform the whole building in an exhibition. The Għaqda Madonna Tal-Grazzja Banda San Mikiel organises an annual Holy Week exhibition. This exhibition, held inside the World War 2 Shelter in the square where the Għaqda Madonna Tal-Grazzja Banda San Mikiel club is situated, includes life size figures depicting the Passion of Christ.

Attractions

* Żabbar Sanctuary Museum *

Hompesch Gate The Hompesch Gate ( mt, Il-Mina ta' Hompesch) is a commemorative arch in Żabbar, Malta. It was built in 1801 to commemorate the locality's status as a city, which had been granted by Grand Master Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim on 14 Septemb ...

*Mediatrix Place (War Memorial, Hompesch Monument and Mgr. Joseph Zarb Monument) *Sanctuary Street *Saint James Square *

Fort Leonardo Fort Leonardo ( mt, Il-Fortizza San Leonardu), also known as Fort San Leonardo or Fort San Anard, is a polygonal fort in Żabbar, Malta. It was built between 1872 and 1878 by the British between the villages of San Leonardo and Żonqor above the s ...

* Il-Foss football ground

Other churches

Annunciation Church

This chapel is situated in Main Street between the Labour Party and St.Patrick F.C. Clubs. It is dedicated to the

Annunciation The Annunciation (from Latin '), also referred to as the Annunciation to the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Annunciation of Our Lady, or the Annunciation of the Lord, is the Christian celebration of the biblical tale of the announcement by the ange ...

Santa Marija Chapel

Dedicated to the

Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution ''Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by Go ...

, this chapel is found in one of the oldest quarters of Ħaż-Żabbar. A painting on the altar shows Mary being transported into Heaven with her body and soul united. A very nice statue of Our Lady of Sorrows is found in this chapel.

Holy Cross Church

This church was inaugurated in 1993 to serve the growing community in the most modern part of Ħaż-Żabbar. The area where the Holy Cross Church is situated is known as ''Sant' Andrija'' (''St. Andrew's'')

Maria Bambina Centre

This is used for the teaching of Catechism and Mass on certain days of the week.

Saint Andrew Church

Built in the 15th century this chapel is found next to Santa Domenica Church. Nowadays it is used, together with Santa Domenica Church, as the headquarters of the local scout group.

Santa Domenica Church

This was rebuilt in 1954 after being damaged during World War 2. Together with Saint Andrew's Church, Santa Domenica Church is nowadays used as part of the local scout group's headquarters.

Our Lady of Mercy Church

This chapel is found in the town's cemetery. It is used for funeral services and for mass.

Our Lady of the Pillar Church

This is a very small church. In 1585 Ġuzeppi Testaferrata donated money and helped to organise the feast dedicated to Our Lady. Currently the chapel is not being used.

Local Council

The current local council members are: *

Quinton Scerri Quinton Scerri Taylor is a Maltese television personality and former Labour politician from Żabbar, Malta. He started his television career in 2003 with One TV and since 2014 a presenter on TVM, the Public Broadcasting Services until present ...

(mayor, PL) *Domenic Agius (PL) *Mark Grech (PL) *John Pace (PL) *Joseph Agius (PL) *Marc Vella Bonnici (PL) *Joseph Vella (PL) *Joseph Bonnici (PL) *Joseph Buttigieg (PN) *Brian Spiteri (PN) *Anna Calleja (PN)

Twin towns – sister cities

Żabbar is twinned with: *

Villabate Villabate ( Sicilian: ''Villabbati'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Palermo in the Italian region Sicily, located about southeast of Palermo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 19,441 and an area of .All d ...

, Italy (since September 1997) * Eschborn, Germany The Council was officially invited to

when Dr. Fina, as a ''Comissario Straordinario'', was responsible for the running of the day-to-day business. The invitation was the result of an annual reciprocal activity with regard to the ''Onorificenza Cittadino Del Anno.'' This commitment is now being honoured on a reciprocal basis. Besides the Twinning with Villabate the Council also has a Partnership Agreement with two other European towns,

Montgeron Montgeron () is a commune in the southeastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is northeast part of the Department of Essonne. It is located from the center of Paris. The café ''Au Reveil Matin'' at 22 Avenue Jean Jaurès was the departure point ...

and Povoa' de Varzim. The Partnership Agreement was signed in July 2001 during the International Youth Summer Camp organised by Ħaż-Żabbar.

Sports

Ħaż-Żabbar's main

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson (academic), Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interde ...

is Zabbar St. Patrick FC., including St. Patrick's Nursery FC. There are two amateur football teams in the town, and these are Ħaż-Żabbar Crystal Blues and Ħaż-Żabbar Athletics. Other sports clubs include Ħaż-Żabbar Shooting Club, Ħaż-Żabbar Boċċi Club, St Peters Boċċi Club, Ħaż-Żabbar Subbuteo Club, Zabbar Chievo Futsal Club and Ħaż-Żabbar Amateur Racing Club.

Personalities

President of Malta

Agatha Barbara Agatha Barbara, (11 March 1923 – 4 February 2002) was a Maltese politician, having served as a Labour Member of Parliament and Minister. She was the first woman to serve as president of Malta, and remains the longest-serving woman Member ...

(d.2002) Bishop Mons. Paolo Darmanin Politicians Dr Giuseppe Agius Muscat (d. 1951) Renato Agius Muscat (d. 2011) Dr Francis Agius, Espedito Catania (d. 1985) Dr Helena Dalli Dr Josie Muscat Alfred Portelli Leli Tabone (d. 1980) Former Parish Priest Mons. Joseph Zarb (d. 1985) Writers Karmenu Bonavia (d.2017) Karmenu Ellul Galea (d. 2007) Dr Carmel Mallia Prof. Daniel Massa Achille Mizzi Alfred Palma George Peresso P. Mattew Sultana (d. 1986) Educationist Dr Frans Chetcuti (d. 1983), Footballer Clayton Failla (national team; ex St Patrick's FC) TV Presenters

(TVM) Newscasters Keith Demicoli (TVM) Fabian Demicoli (NET) Musicians Mro John. J. Pace
Mro Wiġi Bongailas (d. 1985) Marvic Monreal (mezzo-soprano) Artists William Azzopardi (watercolourist)
Mario Portelli (illustrator)
James Vella Clark (landscape, abstract)

Radio stations

* Radju Hompesch (90 FM). Owned by Gordon Caruana in Ħaż-Żabbar * Radju MMG FM (97.5 FM). Ħaż-Żabbar * TRN Radio. Owned by Tony Cilia in Ħaż-Żabbar

References

External links

Parroċċa Ħaż-Żabbar

Soc. Filar. Maria Mater Gratiæ Ħaż-Żabbar - A.D. 1883; Official Website

Ħaż-Żabbar ŻAK

Society of Our Lady of Grace's, Saint Michaels Band Club; Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zabbar Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta