Naxxar’s history can be understood through different milestones: the parish church was granted parish status in 1436, the present church building was constructed more than a century later, and further evidence reaches back to prehistoric times. Towers and temple ruins add to this historical picture. When planning your stay, it is useful to distinguish these enduring cultural themes from specific occasions to visit, such as the village feast or the offerings at Palazzo Parisio.
Parish Church and Collection
Naxxar’s parish church was elevated to parish status in 1436. The present parish church, however, was built between 1616 and 1630. The dates therefore refer to two different milestones: 1436 marks its parish status, while the period from 1616 to 1630 marks the construction of the present church building. This makes it possible to place Naxxar’s ecclesiastical history in context without treating the elevation and construction period as a single event.
A description dated 2013 locates a small museum in the rear of the parish church, on the upper floor of the same building. It lists the Good Friday processional statues as part of the collection. This adds a specific connection to the religious tradition of the place to the history of the building; the description records both the museum’s location in the church building and its collection.
Towers and Military History
Għallis Tower was the second of thirteen towers. It was built in 1658 at a cost of 426 scudi and guarded the entrance to Salina. These details give the structure a clear historical profile: they identify its place in the sequence of towers, its year of construction, its cost and its purpose. Torri Gauci offers another perspective on Naxxar’s military history. Francesco Gauci built the tower in a square shape; it may have been built before the Knights Hospitaller arrived in Malta. While the focus for Għallis Tower is on its watch function and date, the early dating of Torri Gauci remains explicitly a possibility. Those interested in military architecture can thus distinguish between two different historical accounts.
Prehistoric Traces
The ruins of Tal-Qadi are the remains of a Neolithic temple. The caves of tal-Qattara are cited as evidence of Naxxar’s prehistoric past. Both references reach back to a much earlier period than the parish church and towers, but they emphasise different things: Tal-Qadi is specifically identified as a temple ruin, while tal-Qattara is linked to Naxxar’s prehistoric past. This distinction is useful when exploring the site’s themes, without attributing the same claim to both locations.
Village Feast and Offerings at Palazzo Parisio
Naxxar’s village feast is celebrated on 8 September; the week-long celebrations and events take place during the preceding week. If you would like to plan your trip around the feast, check the specific event dates for your chosen year. This helps distinguish the recurring feast date from a particular year’s programme.
Palazzo Parisio offers intimate tours of the house and gardens, as well as afternoon tea. A guided visit to the house and garden and an afternoon dining experience are therefore two distinct options. Details of the offerings may change; check them before your visit if either is important to your plans. Discover more destinations: Għajnsielem, Xlendi, Żejtun, Ta' Xbiex, Sannat, Munxar, Marsalforn, Ħal Kirkop.
For the broader travel overview: Malta.
