Saint Julian's ( mt, San Ġiljan) 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 ...

. As of 2020, its registered number of inhabitants stands at 13,792. It is situated along the coast, north of the country's 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 ...

. It is known for

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

-oriented businesses, such as

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a ref ...

restaurant A restaurant is a business that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearan ...

s and

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

s which are centred mainly in an area known as

Paceville Paceville ( sometimes abbreviated PV) is a district in St Julian's which is the main nightlife hub in Malta, being heavily populated with nightclubs, bars, stripclubs, pubs and restaurants, it is hence also known as 'Malta's Sin City'. Pacevill ...

Etymology, feast and traditions

The town is named after its patron saint; Saint Julian who is widely known as

Julian the Hospitaller Julian the Hospitaller is a Roman Catholic saint, and the patron of the cities of Ghent and Macerata. History The earliest known reference to Julian dates to the late twelfth century. Another tradition connected with the feast of this locality is Musketterija''. Starting in 1982, this tradition sees Hunters firing blank cartridges filled with black powder from the roof of the parish church as the statue of the patron saint is brought out of the church. Many say this tradition is in line with the history of the locality which used to be hunting grounds for the Knights of Malta.

Locations and areas

The town is subdivided into informal districts which are

Ta' Ġiorni Saint Julian's ( mt, San Ġiljan) is a town in the Central Region of Malta. As of 2020, its registered number of inhabitants stands at 13,792. It is situated along the coast, north of the country's capital, Valletta. It is known for tourism-or ...

Tal-Għoqod Tal-Għoqod is one of the subdivisions of Swieqi, 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, a ...

and St Andrew's, as well as the regions surrounding St George's Bay, Spinola Bay,

Balluta Bay Balluta Bay is a bay on the northeast coast of Malta within St. Julian's. It is a popular recreation spot used for swimming, diving, and water sports, with a triangular ''pjazza'' surrounded by cafés and shaded by Judas trees. Its skyline is ...

, and Il-Qaliet cliffs. St Julian's is a tourist destination, especially during the summer months. PortomasoStJulians

The

Portomaso Business Tower The Portomaso Business Tower (often referred to by locals as simply "Portomaso") is a high-rise office building in Malta. The tower stands in the Portomaso section of St. Julian's, a town just north of Malta's capital city, Valletta. Opened in 200 ...

, which is Malta's tallest building at a height of 97.54 metres, is located in St. Julian's.

History

Old Parish Church

The earliest documentary evidence of this church is of the pastoral visit of Bishop Tommaso Gargallo of 1601, which he says was built in 1580 and was dedicated to Saint Julian. In 1736, when Monsignor Alpheran de Bussan re-visited Saint Julian's, he noted that the locality was already known as ''Portus Sancti Juliani'', meaning "St Julian's port". In 1854, the 600 or so residents of Saint Julian's appealed to the church authority, in order to make it a parish. The chapter at

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 ...

protested strongly against such an application and consequently the application was denied; but it was granted at reapplication in 1891. Dun Guzepp Scerri became the first parish priest. The parish church was designed by Maltese architect Arturo Zammit and its first stone was laid in 1961. It was used for the first time in 1968 when it was still not fully built. The church welcomed

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II ( la, Ioannes Paulus II; it, Giovanni Paolo II; pl, Jan Paweł II; born Karol Józef Wojtyła ; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 until his ...

on his first visit to Malta on 27 May 1990. The

Millenium Chapel A millennium (plural millennia or millenniums) is a period of one thousand years, sometimes called a kiloannum (ka), or kiloyear (ky). Normally, the word is used specifically for periods of a thousand years that begin at the starting point (ini ...

designed by Maltese architect Richard England was inaugurated in 2000. It houses a meditation garden inaugurated in May 2018 as a refuge for contemplation and tranquility right in the heart of the entertainment Zone of

. Built on the initiative and run by Fr Hilary Tagliaferro this church is run by Augustinian monks through the Millenium Chapel Foundation. Paceville The Millenium Chapel 1

Up till the nineteenth and early twentieth century, St. Julians was a very peaceful coastal town known for its Latin architecture such as the Spinola Palace and greenery surrounding it. Moreover, Spinola bay was characterized by its fishermen and farmers dwelling the countryside. It has seen one of the largest infrastructure developments on the island with many old houses being demolished to construct blocks of apartments. In 2020 plans to develop a tourist Ferry point within Balluta Bay have been met with public concern and protests by individuals, local council and NGOs.

Spinola Palace

Royal Army Medical Corps; Hospital in Malta Wellcome L0025687

Because of fear of attacks by Muslims, the northern coastal area remained undeveloped until the diminished attacks after the

Great Siege of Malta 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 ...

in 1565. The building of Spinola Palace, coming as it does in 1688, is to be regarded as the stepping stone for the coastal reclamation of San Ġiljan. The palace, together with the surrounding gardens, was built by Fra Paolo Raffaele Spinola for the public entertainment as stated in the inscription above the

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

. The palace was enlarged in 1733 through the efforts of Fra

Giovanni Battista Spínola Giovanni Battista Spinola (1681–1752) was a Roman Catholic Cardinal. He was the nephew of Giambattista Spínola (iuniore). Early in his life he served as the governor in Benevento in 1711 and the governor in Rimini in 1717–1719. He also s ...

, successor to his uncle as rector and Curator of the Abbazia. During the French occupation of these islands in 1798, St Julians was the first town in Malta to be conquered by French troops. In fact it was General Claude Henri Vaubois who led the French forces into Spinola bay.

Notable places in St. Julian's

Bays

*Spinola Bay Balluta Buildings 08

* St. George's Bay *St. Julian's Bay

Notable places and locations

Balluta Buildings Balluta Buildings is an Art Nouveau apartment block overlooking Balluta Bay in St Julian's, Malta. It was built in 1928 for the Marquis John Scicluna, and it was constructed to designs of Giuseppe Psaila. The building is considered to be among ...

Palazzina Vincenti Palazzina Vincenti is a residential building overlooking Balluta Bay in St Julian's, Malta. It was built in 1948 by architect Gustavo R. Vincenti as his own residence, and it is considered to be one of the best examples of Modernist architecture ...

* Dragonara Point *Il-Qaliet *

Portomaso The Portomaso Business Tower (often referred to by locals as simply "Portomaso") is a high-rise office building in Malta. The tower stands in the Portomaso section of St. Julian's, a town just north of Malta's capital city, Valletta. Opened in 20 ...

Mercury Tower The Mercury Tower is a high-rise building under construction in St. Julian's, Malta. At tall, it has been Malta's tallest building since 2020 when it overtook the Portomaso Tower upon its topping out. The building will have 32 floors of mixed ...

* Ta' Giorni *Villa Rosa *Wied Ħarq Ħamiem *Wied tal-Balluta *Love Statue by Richard England * Villa Leoni * Villa Priuli * Villa Blanche * Villa Cassar Torreggiani *

Saint George's Tower Saint George's Tower ( mt, Torri ta' San Ġorġ; it, Torre San Giorgio) is a small watchtower in St. Julian's, Malta. It was built in 1638 and is one of the Lascaris towers. Today, it is located in the grounds of a hotel. History Saint Geor ...

*Monument of

Ċensu Tabone Vincent "Ċensu" Tabone, (; 30 March 1913 – 14 March 2012) was the fourth president of Malta who also served as Minister and Nationalist MP. Early years Vincent Tabone was the son of Niccolò and Elisa Tabone, the youngest of ten children. Hi ...

Religious monuments and churches

* Statue of St. Julians in Triq il-Kbira * Statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Xatt ta' Spinola * Church of the Immaculate Conception in Triq San Gorg * Statue of the Assumption in Triq Lapsi * Niche of the Immaculate Conception in Telgha ta' Birkirkara * Church of the Madonne of Good Council in Triq il-Knisja * Church of Santa Rita * Millenium Chapel * Poor Clares' Monastery * Carmelite Convent * Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus School

Local council

The local council is made up of the following members: Albert Buttigieg (Mayor) Clayton Luke Mula (Deputy Mayor) John Agius Patricia Camilleri Guido Dalli Rita Dimech Portelli Adrian Dominic Ellul Sean Gauci Martin John Sultana Paul Spiteri (Executive Secretary)

Notable events

*The St Julian's

feast A banquet (; ) is a formal large meal where a number of people consume food together. Banquets are traditionally held to enhance the prestige of a host, or reinforce social bonds among joint contributors. Modern examples of these purposes i ...

is held on the last Sunday of August. *The Battle of Malta poker tournament

Sports

St. Julian's is represented by the football team

Melita F.C. Melita Football Club is a Maltese football club that represents the town of St. Julian's. Melita was recently promoted to the Maltese top flight for the first time ever, only to be relegated again the following season. Having finished first in ...

, formed in 1933. Their greatest honour in Maltese football to date is their 4–0 victory over neighbours

Sliema Wanderers Sliema Wanderers Football Club, nicknamed "tax-Xelin" ( of the shilling), is a professional Maltese football club. It is the most successful team in Malta and hails from the seaside town of Sliema. It currently plays in the Maltese Premier Leag ...

in the

Maltese Cup The FA Trophy, currently known as the IZIBET FA Trophy for sponsorship reasons, is an annual football cup competition that takes place in Malta. The cup was founded in 1933; following a match between England and Italy, played in Rome in May 1933, ...

final in 1939. In recent years, Melita have also competed in the

Maltese Premier League The Maltese Premier League, known as BOV Premier League for sponsorship reasons with Bank of Valletta (colloquially known as ''Il-Kampjonat Premjer''), is the highest level of professional football in Malta. Managed by the Malta Football Associa ...

and presently compete in the 3rd tier of Maltese football in the newly formed National Amateur League. Waterpolo is the sport that brings people to this town. Neptunes WPSC, the local Waterpolo team has been in the top of Maltese Waterpolo league tables since it was established in 1929. The club enjoys well equipped training facilities situated along the beach front. Nearby San Giljan A.S.C has also been a strong player on the local scene with consecutive title wins as well as winners of the league in 2015. Squash is also a common sport to play in St. Julian's.

References

External links

St Julian's local council
English language homepage of St Julian's local council
List of monuments in St. Julian'sNeptumes WPC websiteSan Giljan Waterpolo Club websiteSt Julians Local Council
{{Authority control Towns in Malta Local councils of Malta