Żebbuġ ( mt, Iż-Żebbuġ) 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 ...

, in the northwest coast of 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 ...

. It is located close to

Għarb Għarb ( mt, L-Għarb) is an administrative unit of Malta, located at the westernmost point of the island of Gozo, with a population of 1,539 people (as of March 2014). History Għarb started as a small hamlet which developed around the middle ...

and

Għasri Għasri ( mt, L-Għasri) is an administrative unit of Malta, in the western part of the island of Gozo, with a population of 525 people (as of March 2014). By population, it is the smallest village in Gozo after San Lawrenz, and the third-small ...

and is built on two hilltop plateaus, Ta' Abram and Ix-Xagħra taż-Żebbuġ. The fishing port and tourist resort of

Marsalforn Marsalforn (Pronounced: ''Marsa el-Forn, , '' Maltese: ''Marsalforn''), also written as M'Forn for shortcut purposes, is a town on the north coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The town lies between the hi ...

lies within the Żebbuġ Council. The village has a population of 2,956 (as of March 2014), which makes it the fifth largest in

, after

Xewkija Xewkija ( mt, Ix-Xewkija, it, Casal Xeuchia, pronounced and written as Casal Sceuchia) is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo. The population of Xewkija is 3,300 as of March 2014. History Xewkija, which is situated between G ...

. With an area of 7.6 km², Żebbuġ is the largest local council in Gozo by land area. The word ''Żebbuġ'' means "olive trees", a crop for which the village used to be noted, although nowadays very few olive trees remain on the slopes of Żebbuġ. The village is also well known for its fine lacework and for its nearby coastal beauty spots.

History

The areas around Żebbuġ have been inhabited for millennia. There are

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

remains on Ta' Kuljat hill, and even older remains can be found to the north, close to Qbajjar Bay. Punic tombs were also found at Qbajjar. Over the following centuries, the area was then inhabited only by a few farmers. A community began to take shape in the 13th century, and eventually a small chapel was built. In 1643, plans were made to build a fortified city in

, to serve as Gozo's capital instead of the ancient

Cittadella Cittadella ( vec, Sitadeła) is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around ...

, but the project was eventually abandoned due to a lack of funds. The parish of Żebbuġ, which is 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 ...

( mt, Santa Marija), was established on 28 April 1688 by bishop

Davide Cocco Palmieri Davide Cocco Palmieri was an Italian, Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Malta from 1684 until 1711. Biography Cocco Palmieri was born in Southern Italy in March 1632. He was ordained priest of the Sovereign Military Order of Mal ...

. The village's

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

is the oldest one in Gozo, apart from St George's basilica (1678) and the cathedral (1714) in

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 ...

. From 1715 onwards, a chain of fortifications were built along the Żebbuġ coastline, especially at Marsalforn. Most of these have been destroyed over the years, with the only surviving vestige being

Qolla l-Bajda Battery Qolla l-Bajda Battery ( mt, Batterija tal-Qolla l-Bajda or ) is an artillery battery in Żebbuġ, Gozo, Malta. It was built by the Order of Saint John between 1715 and 1716 as one of a series of coastal fortifications around the coasts of the Mal ...

between Qbajjar and Xwejni Bays. In 1738, deposits of

calcite Calcite is a Carbonate minerals, carbonate mineral and the most stable Polymorphism (materials science), polymorph of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). It is a very common mineral, particularly as a component of limestone. Calcite defines hardness 3 on ...

travertine Travertine ( ) is a form of terrestrial limestone deposited around mineral springs, especially hot springs. It often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, cream-colored, and even rusty varieties. It is formed by a pro ...

(referred to locally as

alabaster Alabaster is a mineral or rock that is soft, often used for carving, and is processed for plaster powder. Archaeologists and the stone processing industry use the word differently from geologists. The former use it in a wider sense that includes ...

, or, though it is related to neither, as '

onyx Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The c ...

marble' on account of its banded appearance when cut) were discovered in a field known as Taċ-Ċaqra or Is-Sagħtrija. The travertine was used to decorate the interior of the parish church of Żebbuġ, as well as in some other churches in Gozo and Malta.

Places of interest

* Parish Church of the Assumption of Mary – Originally built as a chapel in 1644, replaced by a church built between 1690 and 1726. It was further enlarged between 1938 and 1942. *

– a

coastal The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in n ...

battery Battery most often refers to: * Electric battery, a device that provides electrical power * Battery (crime), a crime involving unlawful physical contact Battery may also refer to: Energy source *Automotive battery, a device to provide power t ...

built in around 1716. It is one of two surviving examples on Gozo.

Żebbuġ main roads

*Triq Għajn Melel (Għajn Melel Street) *Triq il-Knisja (Church Street) *Triq il-Ponta (Point Street) *Triq iż-Żebbuġ (Żebbuġ Street)

Twin towns – sister cities

Żebbuġ is twinned with: *

Maletto Maletto ( scn, Malettu) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Catania in the Italian region Sicily, located about east of Palermo and about northwest of Catania. Maletto borders the following municipalities: Adrano, Belpa ...

, Italy

References

External links