Ta' Xindi Farmhouse ( mt, Ir-Razzett ta' Xindi), also known as the Ta' Xindi Headquarters and Kappara Outpost, is an 18th-century

farmhouse FarmHouse (FH) is a social Fraternities and sororities in North America, fraternity founded at the University of Missouri on April 15, 1905. It became a national organization in 1921. Today FarmHouse has 33 active chapters and four associate ch ...

built during the Order of St. John in

San Ġwann San Ġwann is a town in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of 14,244 as of 2021. Previous to its separate administration the town used to form part of two separate localities being Birkirkara and St. Julian's. Places and monuments ...

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 was originally designed to be a

but went through different

adaptive reuse Adaptive reuse refers to the process of reusing an existing building for a purpose other than which it was originally built or designed for. It is also known as recycling and conversion. Adaptive reuse is an effective strategy for optimizing the o ...

. The building served as a farmhouse for two hundred years and is found in the suburb of

Kappara Il-Kappara is a hamlet in Malta, situated between San Ġwann, St. Julian's and Gżira. Kappara is mainly part of San Ġwann. Buildings in Kappara * Antonio Bosio Secondary School * Chiswick House School * Ta' Ċieda Tower * Ta' Xindi Farmhou ...

. During the

French occupation of Malta The French occupation of Malta lasted from 1798 to 1800. It was established when the Order of Saint John surrendered to Napoleon Bonaparte following the French landing in June 1798. In Malta, the French established a constitutional tradition in M ...

, the building served as the

headquarters Headquarters (commonly referred to as HQ) denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the to ...

for the rise of the Maltese against the French, known as the ''Gharghar rise'' and led by the building's owner

Vincenzo Borg Vincenzo Maria Borg ( mt, Ċensu Maria Borg, 1773 – 18 July 1837), also known by his nickname Brared (or ''Braret''), was a Maltese merchant who was one of the main insurgent leaders during the French blockade of 1798–1800. He was a lieutena ...

. A plaque was attached on the façade, during the British period, commemorating Borg's role in the revolt. The building came to national attention when it was mentioned in the

Maltese Parliament The Parliament of Malta ( mt, Il-Parlament ta' Malta) is the constitutional legislative body in Malta, located in Valletta. The parliament is unicameral, with a democratically elected House of Representatives and the President of Malta. By cons ...

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

Lawrence Gonzi Lawrence Gonzi, (born 1 July 1953) is a Maltese people, Maltese politician, retired Nationalist Party (Malta), Nationalist politician and lawyer, who served for twenty-five years in various critical roles in Maltese politics. Gonzi was Prime M ...

, then followed by its scheduling by the

Malta Environment and Planning Authority The Malta Environment and Planning Authority (MEPA, mt, L-Awtorità ta' Malta dwar l-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar) was the national agency responsible for the environment and planning in Malta. It was established to regulate the environment and planning ...

. Today the building is a national cultural monument. The building is a private property and following its refurbishment it is used as a residential home.

Description and Location

The Ta' Xindi Farmhouse was built by unknown Maltese farmers sometime during the period of Hospitaller rule in Malta. It is a vernacular building with a modest design, built according to local customs to function like any other farm of its time. When the building was constructed, it was located within the limits 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 ...

, but today is under the jurisdiction of the

Local Council, in a suburb known as

. The farmhouse is situated on a hill overlooking farmland along with the

Mater Dei Hospital Mater Dei Hospital (MDH; mt, Sptar Mater Dei), also known simply as ''Mater Dei'', is an acute general and teaching hospital in Msida, Malta. It was opened in 2007, replacing St. Luke's Hospital. It is a public hospital affiliated to the Univers ...

History

By the late 18th century the building belonged to

, who was famously known by his nickname, Brared. In 1798 Malta was invaded by the French led by

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...

who were on their way to conquer

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

. After expelling the

Hospitallers 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 Church, Catholic Military ord ...

from the islands, Napoleon left a garrison of 4000 men in order to keep control of the

Maltese archipelago 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 ...

Initially the Maltese had supported the French but having not received what they expected, growing in disappointment and propagated by

landlords A landlord is the owner of a house, apartment, condominium, land, or real estate which is rented or leased to an individual or business, who is called a tenant (also a ''lessee'' or ''renter''). When a juristic person is in this position, the te ...

and the

Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

, the Maltese rose up against the French in different battalions around Malta. In such context the Ta' Xindi Farmhouse became also known since then as the ''San Ġwann Headquarters'' when Vincenzo Borg took the lead for the rising against the French, famously known as the ''Gharghar rise''.

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 ...

, the then bishop of Malta, was well informed about the insurgency of the Maltese.

Alexander Ball Sir Alexander John Ball, 1st Baronet ( it, Alessandro Giovanni Ball, 22 July 1757 – 25 October 1809) was a Rear-Admiral and Civil Commissioner of Malta. He was born in Ebworth Park, Sheepscombe, Gloucestershire. He was the fourth son of Rober ...

initially did not trust Vincenzo Borg in the belief that Borg was after power over the Maltese. During the conflict the farmhouse, now an outpost, was secretly used as headquarters while the French soldiers kept control of the

fortifications of Malta The fortifications of Malta consist of a number of walled cities, citadels, forts, Watchtower, towers, Artillery battery, batteries, redoubts, Entrenchment (fortification), entrenchments and Pillbox (military), pillboxes. The fortifications we ...

. The building manned more than 550 native Maltese soldiers of mixed capacities. The soldiers safeguarded and over the surrounding areas and generally attacked at once with other outposts such as

and

Mosta Mosta ( mt, Il-Mosta) is a small but densely populated city in the Northern Region of Malta. The most prominent building in Mosta is the Rotunda, a large basilica built by its parishioners' volunteer labour. It features the world's 3rd largest ...

. On 2 September the Maltese resurgence managed to acquire two 18-pounder cannons that were stored and at times used at the farmhouse. The flag of

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

was raised for the very first time in Malta in 1799 by Vincenzo Borg himself of which a plaque was inaugurated on the façade of the farmhouse that includes this historic event. During the insurgency the farmhouse was also used as an emergency hospital.Cassar, Paul
"Hookham Frere in Malta
pp. 61-62, Melitensiawth.com Despite being small, the building had to cater as a hospital for a large number of families which included people who took refuge in the countryside from the fortified cities that were occupied by the French. In 1833 Borg was awarded the Order of St. Michael and St. George by the British.

John Hookham Frere John Hookham Frere (21 May 1769 – 7 January 1846) was an English diplomat and author. Early life Frere was born in London. His father, John Frere, a member of a Suffolk family, had been educated at Caius College, Cambridge, and became Sec ...

had such a good friendship with, and an appreciation for Vincenzo Borg's role against the French that when Borg died Frere had inscribed by documenting this on Borg's grave at the St Helen's Basilica in

Recent

The farmhouse came to public attention to be preserved after some sections of it were being demolished during refurbishment. Back then Prime Minister in Office

has made reference to the farmhouse and its rich history. Since then measures of preservation have taken place. The building remains to be a private residence and not a museum. It is currently being used by its owners as a family home. A

plaque Plaque may refer to: Commemorations or awards * Commemorative plaque, a plate or tablet fixed to a wall to mark an event, person, etc. * Memorial Plaque (medallion), issued to next-of-kin of dead British military personnel after World War I * Pla ...

is found on the façade of the building, commemorating the ''Gharghar rise'' against the French and Vincenzo Borg's heroic role at the same time.

Plaque

On the commemorative plaque it is written:

Heritage

The Ta' Xindi Farmhouse is scheduled by the

(MEPA) as grade 1 national monument. It is also listed on the

National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands The National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands (NICPMI) is a heritage register listing the cultural property of Malta. The inventory includes properties such as archaeological sites, fortifications, religious buildings, mon ...

References

{{Use dmy dates, date=May 2017 Limestone buildings in Malta Headquarters in Malta French occupation of Malta Vernacular architecture in Malta Farmhouses in Malta National Inventory of the Cultural Property of the Maltese Islands Birkirkara San Ġwann Architecture in Malta Defunct hospitals in Malta Buildings and structures completed in the 18th century