Kerċem ( mt, Ta' Kerċem) is an

administrative unit Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

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 ...

, on the island of

Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After t ...

, with a population of 1,938 people as of March 2014. The village of Kerċem lies close by to the south-west of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, spread between the picturesque Lunzjata Valley, the green hills of Tal-Mixta, Għar Ilma and Ta' Dbieġi, and stretching up to the Pond of Għadira ta' San Rafflu and

Xlendi Xlendi is an urban village in Malta situated in the south west of the island of Gozo. It is surrounded by the villages of Munxar, Fontana and Kerċem. The village is administered by Munxar, but has its own coat of arms and motto. From March 2010 ...

cliffs. Archaeological discoveries show that the sizeable area of Kerċem was inhabited as early as the

Għar Dalam phase The Għar Dalam phase, from approximately 5000 to 4100 BCE, is the first of the eleven phases of Maltese prehistory. It is named for Għar Dalam, a cave in the Wied id-Dalam, near Birżebbuġa Birżebbuġa (; sometimes shortened to B'Buġa) ...

(5000–4500 BC). The Roman Baths and an early Christian cemetery at Għar Gerduf, referred to by Gozitan historian

Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis Canon Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis ( mt, Ġan Piet Franġisk Agius de Soldanis, 30 October 1712 – 30 January 1770), often called de Soldanis ( mt, Sultana), was a Maltese linguist, historian and cleric from the island of Gozo. ...

as Roman Catacombs, are also significant discoveries. However, to date, these historic sites are not accessible to the public. Ta' Kerċem evolved into a village community in the late Middle Ages, around an ancient chapel dedicated to

Pope Gregory the Great Pope Gregory I ( la, Gregorius I; – 12 March 604), commonly known as Saint Gregory the Great, was the bishop of Rome from 3 September 590 to his death. He is known for instigating the first recorded large-scale mission from Rome, the Gregoria ...

built around 1581. The site gained historical importance due to the annual traditional St. Gregory procession from the Matrix church in Rabat (Victoria) to this medieval chapel, upon the saint's feast, namely on 12 March. The chapel was, however, replaced by the present parish church in 1851, which in turn was enlarged later on to its present state between 1906 and 1910. Ta' Kercem became a distinct parish on 10 March 1885 by Bishop Pietru Pace. The Ta' Kercem parish church is the only Gozitan church which is jointly dedicated to two saints. As referred earlier, it was traditionally dedicated to Pope Gregory, but, since 17 August 1885, the church was additionally co-dedicated to

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Our Lady of Perpetual Help (also known as Our Lady of Perpetual Succour) is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with a 15th-century Byzantine icon with an alleged Marian apparition. The icon is believed to have o ...

. The village of Ta' Kerċem has a population of around 1700 people. Cultural activities include the annual Għadira Fair, which is a popular traditional family fair in the countryside area of San Rafflu. The hamlet of Santa Luċija, Gozo, although in itself incorporated within Ta' Kerċem, is quite distinct with its rustic church square. Santa Luċija is inhabited by country folk with a few old houses built around an old chapel dedicated to

St. Lucy Lucia of Syracuse (283–304), also called Saint Lucia ( la, Sancta Lucia) better known as Saint Lucy, was a Roman Christian martyr who died during the Diocletianic Persecution. She is venerated as a saint in the Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, a ...

. In 2018, the former police station in the locality was vacated and put for sale.

Zones in Kerċem

*Fuq il-Blat *Għajn Abdul *Għar Ilma *Iċ-Ċnus *Ix-Xagħri *Klula *Lekx *Sarraflu *Ta' Berrini *Ta' Ċajplu *Ta' Ġanton *Ta' Katas *Ta' Majru *Ta' Summina *Ta' Xkura *Tal-Warda *Wardija *Wied il-Ġifna *Wied tal-Grixti

References

External links

Awarded "EDEN - European Destinations of Excellence" non traditional tourist destination 2008Images from the picturesque hamlet of Santa Lucija
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kercem Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta Gozo