Żebbuġ
- See also: Żebbuġ, Gozo for the small village on the island of Gozo.
Ħaż-Żebbuġ is one of the oldest towns in Malta. Its population is 11,290 as of 2005 making it the 10th largest town in Malta.
History and origins
The Parish Church is dedicated to Philip of Agira and the feast is celebrated on the 2nd Sunday of June, although the actual feast day falls on the 12th day of May. The name of the town literally means "olives" in Maltese; it derives from the large olive groves that stood in the current location of the church and the centre of the town. The town was accorded the title of Città Rohan by Grandmaster Emmanuel de Rohan-Polduc in 1777. As was the custom in such events, the people of Ħaż-Żebbuġ built an archway at the entrance to their hometown by way of marking the incipiency of its status as a city. The new gateway known as "Il-Bieb il-Ġdid" still stands today.
The territory is first mentioned in archaeological accounts of pre-historical finds as the "Żebbuġ phase". In 1380 a church dedicated to St. Philip of Agira was built in Casal Zebugi, a tract of land situated in the middle of the small communities which had developed during the previous Arab occupation of Malta, namely Ħal-Dwin, Ħal-Muxi and Ħal-Mula and which were eventually joined together forming the village known till today as Ħaż-Żebbuġ. Filippo de Catania "il-Kataniż" (Philip of Catania) a wealthy entrepreneur owning land in Ħaż-Żebbuġ funded part of the construction of St. Philip Church built on his own land. Long years after it became the parish church another one, designed by Tumas Dingli, was erected in its stead in the late seventeenth century. The Church boasts a magnificent titular painting by Luca Garnier and two spectacular murals by the great Maltese 18th Century painter of the Favray school, Francesco Zahra, which critics consider to be his best works. Among other treasures the Church possesses an artefact attributed to Guido Reni and several others by Antonio Sciortino. The statue of St. Philip, by sculptor Luigi Fontana, was created in 1864 and is regarded by connoiseurs as the most beautiful of its genre in the country.
When Malta was an independent principality under the sovereign Order of St. John, Ħaż-Żebbuġ was among the chief towns after Valletta and Mdina, first because of the presence of leading corsairs among its inhabitants, subsequently due to its major role in the cotton industry. The magnificence of St Philip's Church is the foremost evidence of the pre-eminent place Ħaż-Żebbuġ enjoys in Maltese history.
The locals or Żebbuġin as they are known in Malta are renowned for their business acumen amongst others, and there is a local saying to this end. A curious fact is that during the French rule in Malta (1798-1800), the local churches were plundered for their riches in order to fund Napoleon's campaign. The Żebbuġ locals open the main door to the church when they heard the French were coming and hastily hid the gold and silver religous iconography. When the French saw the open doors of the church they kept on going and the Żebbuġin retained their religious riches.
Today
Ħaż-Żebbuġ is renowned for its spectacular festas dedicated to the Patron Saint St. Philip of Agira and to St. Joseph, a secondary feast. There are three band clubs in Ħaż-Żebbuġ, all of which have respective fireworks factories: St. Philip's Band Club (established in 1851 as the first organised band in Malta), De Rohan Band Club (established in 1860) and the 12th May Band and Social Club (established in 1961).
Ħaż-Żebbuġ is the birthplace of various prominent Maltese personalities who have adorned the national cultural history down the ages, such as Mikiel Anton Vassalli (father of the written Maltese language), Dun Mikiel Xerri (patriot), Dun Karm Psaila (Malta's national poet), Antonio Sciortino (sculptor), Lazzaro Pisani (painter), Frans Sammut (leading contemporary author), and Alfred Chircop (foremost contemporary painter).
Ħaż-Żebbuġ boasts a relatively large number of chapels in both the urban and rural parts of this town.
Reference
- "Tageo.com". Republic of malta (MT).
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External link
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