Santa Venera 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 ...
, with a population of 8,834 (2021). It is located between the towns of
Birkirkara
Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...
and
Ħamrun
Hamrun (; ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014.
The people
The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who c ...
, and it also borders
Qormi
Qormi ( mt, Ħal Qormi ; pronounced in the Qormi dialect), also known by its title Città Pinto, is a city in the Southern Region of Malta, southwest of Valletta in the centre of the island. It has a population of 16,324 (as of March 2018), mak ...
and
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 ...
.
History
The
Old Church of Santa Venera
The Old Church of Santa Venera ( mt, Knisja l-Qadima ta' Santa Venera) is a Roman Catholic church in Santa Venera, Malta, dedicated to saint of the same name. It was built between 1658 and 1688 on a site of a 15th-century church. It was the town' ...
was built in 1473, and it was enlarged in 1500, rebuilt between 1658 and 1688 and again in the 19th century. This church remained as the parish church until 1989. A new church was blessed in 2005.
![Wignacourt Arch 2016-02-21](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Wignacourt_Arch_2016-02-21.jpg)
In 1610, Grandmaster
Alof de Wignacourt
Fra Alof de Wignacourt (1547 – 14 September 1622) was a French nobleman who was the 54th Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 10 February 1601 to his death in 1622. Unlike a number of the other Grand Masters, he was popul ...
financed the building of the
Wignacourt Aqueduct
The Wignacourt Aqueduct ( mt, L-Akwedott ta' Wignacourt) is a 17th-century aqueduct in Malta, which was built by the Order of Saint John to carry water from springs in Dingli and Rabat to the newly built capital city Valletta. The aqueduct was ...
to transport water from springs in
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 ...
and
Dingli
Dingli ( mt, Ħad-Dingli) is a village in the Northern Region, Malta, Northern Region of Malta, with a population of 3,865 as of 2021. It is from the capital Valletta and two kilometers () from the nearest town, Rabat, Malta, Rabat. The vill ...
to 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 ...
, passing through various towns along the way including Santa Venera. The Aqueduct was finished in 1615, and an
ornamental gateway was built where it crossed the road between what is now
Fleur-de-Lys
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
and Santa Venera. The arches stopped at a tower known as ''it-Turretta'' (the Turret) also known as ''Tower Guard'', also in Santa Venera. From this tower, water continued its journey to
Ħamrun
Hamrun (; ) is a town in the Southern Region, Malta, Southern Region of Malta, with a population of 9,244 as of March 2014.
The people
The townspeople are traditionally known as ''Tas-Sikkina'' (literally meaning 'of the knife' or 'those who c ...
,
Blata l-Bajda
Blata l-Bajda is a suburb in Ħamrun, Malta, on the way to Valletta
Valletta (, mt, il-Belt Valletta, ) is an administrative unit and capital of Malta. Located on the main island, between Marsamxett Harbour to the west and the Grand Ha ...
,
Floriana
Floriana ( mt, Il-Furjana or ''Il-Floriana''), also known by its title Borgo Vilhena, is a fortified town in the South Eastern Region area of Malta, just outside the capital city Valletta. It has a population of 2,205 as of March 2014. Floriana i ...
and
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 ...
through underground pipes.
Casa Leoni
Casa Leoni or Casa Leone ( mt, Dar l-Iljuni, meaning "House of the Lions"), also known as Palazzo Manoel or the Vilhena Palace ( mt, Il-Palazz Vilhena), is a palace in Santa Venera, Malta, which was built as a summer residence for Grand Master An ...
, also known as Palazzo Manoel, was built around 1730 during the reign of
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 Ma ...
. Its design is attributed to
Charles François de Mondion, the French military engineer who also designed Mdina Gate and parts of
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 ...
. During the
French blockade
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...
, Casa Leoni served as a Maltese insurgent command base, and it later served as a residence of
Governors of Malta, a depository of the Museums Department and a government primary school. It now houses the Ministry for Sustainable Development, the Environment and Climate Change. The palace has a large garden behind it, part of which was opened to the public in 1977 as Romeo Romano Gardens.
![Santa Venera feast 11](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b5/Santa_Venera_feast_11.jpg)
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the town of Santa Venera saw more development and various churches and institutes were built.
[ The town was considered as part of ]Birkirkara
Birkirkara (abbreviated as B'Kara) is a city in the central region of Malta. It is the second most populous on the island, with 24,356 inhabitants as of 2020. The town consists of five autonomous parishes: Saint Helen, Saint Joseph the Worker, Ou ...
until 1912, and it became a separate parish six years later in 1918.
A 7 Up
7 Up (stylized as 7up outside North America) is an American brand of lemon-lime-flavored non-caffeinated soft drink. The brand and formula are owned by Keurig Dr Pepper although the beverage is internationally distributed by PepsiCo. 7 Up comp ...
factory was located at Santa Venera until it was closed in 2002. The factory was demolished to make way for flats but the façades of the buildings were retained.
In 1990, a large church began to be built in Santa Venera. Although it is still unfinished as the belfries have not yet been built, it was consecrated in 2005 as the new parish church.
Symbols
The flag and coat of arms of Santa Venera are red with a white stripe in the middle and three red fleur-de-lys
The fleur-de-lis, also spelled fleur-de-lys (plural ''fleurs-de-lis'' or ''fleurs-de-lys''), is a lily (in French, and mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.
The fleur-de-lis has been used in the ...
on the stripe, taken from the coat of arms of the Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt
Fra Alof de Wignacourt (1547 – 14 September 1622) was a French nobleman who was the 54th Grand Master of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem from 10 February 1601 to his death in 1622. Unlike a number of the other Grand Masters, he was popul ...
who ruled the islands from 1601 to 1622. The flag was introduced when Malta's local councils were created in 1993.
Education
Santa Venera has a number of educational institutions which include the following:
*Saint Elias College a Catholic secondary school run by the Carmelite Friars. Its mission statement is to form a learning community where each individual is considered to be a child of God. Within a family framework, each individual has a unique value, irrespective of one's capabilities and achievements. In this manner, each individual can attain full growth through experiences which are academic, athletic, religious, creative, cultural and social.
* St Michael's College, a Catholic secondary school run by the Society of Christian Doctrine
The Society of Christian Doctrine ( la, Societas Doctrinæ Christianæ, it, Società della Dottrina Cristiana, mt, Soċjetà Duttrina Nisranija; abbreviated SDC), better known as MUSEUM, is a society of Catholic lay volunteers, made of men and wo ...
;
*Vincenzo Bugeja
Vincenzo Bugeja (1820-1890) was a Maltese businessman and philanthropist.
Bugeja made his wealth by gambling in the casinos of Europe, from Montecarlo onwards, where he earned the nickname as "the Maltese Matador". He is rumoured to have almost ...
Conservatory and
*Dun Xand Cortis.
Organizations
*St. Venera Band Club (Soċjeta' Filarmonika Santa Venera V.M. 1964)
*Kummissjoni Zghazagh Palmisti Santa Venera V.M. A.D. 1994
*Kumitat Festi Esterni Parrocca Santa Venera V.M - A.D.1971
*St.Venera United Youth Football Nursery
*Ghaqda tan-Nar 26 ta' Lulju - A.D 2009
*St. Venera Lightnings Football Club
*St. Venera Scout Group
*St. Venera Girl Guides
Main roads
*Triq il-Ferrovija (Railway Road)
*Triq il-Kanun (Canon Road)
*Triq il-Kappillan Mifsud (Parish Priest Mifsud Street)
*Triq il-Kbira San Ġużepp (St Joseph High Road)
*Triq Reġjonali (Regional Road)
Zones in Santa Venera
*Tal-Palazz l-Aħmar
*Hal Kaprat
Gieħ Santa Venera
This is an award given every year to personalities who have left a mark in the locality of Santa Venera. In 2016, the award was given to ALS Malta founder, Bjorn Formosa M.Q.R. Previous winners include Mario Coleiro and Mario Calleja.
Twin towns – sister cities
Santa Venera is twinned with:
* Orvieto
Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are compl ...
, Italy
* Barbazan, France
References
{{Authority control
Towns in Malta
Local councils of Malta