Focus On: Naxxar

Naxxar Parish Church

Although it is not easy to determine when Naxxar started to become a village, it is considered to be one of the oldest villages in Malta. Cart ruts that can be found on the outskirts of the village date back to the Bronze Age and are proof at how old Naxxar actually is. Nowadays, Naxxar is more like a town rather than a village as it has grown to around 11sqkm in size and has a population of over 13,000. As a whole, the village, or town, is divided into 8 districts - Naxxar centre, Sghajtar area, San Pawl Tat-Targa, Birguma, Maghtab, Salina, Bahar ic-Caghaq and part of Madliena.

According to tradition, the people of Naxxar were amongst the first to help St. Paul when he was shipwrecked in Malta. For this reason, it is thought that the name Naxxar comes from the word "nassar" (Nasra) which means "conversion to Christianity". Other scholars believe that the name comes from the words "nsara" or "nazaroei" which mean "those who believe in the teachings of Christ". Wherever the name originates from, one thing that is certain is that Naxxar has very strong religious links, and this is evident in the number of chapels that can be found scattered across Naxxar. In fact, there are a total of 11 chapels that can be found in Naxxar.

What to See & Do:

Palazzo Parisio

Palazzo Parisio - Originally the hunting lodge of Grand Master Don Antonio Manoel de Vilhena who ruled the Order between 1722 and 1736, this property was lived in by noble families. The Scicluna family, who currently own the Palazzo, have done so since 1898. The Marquis Scicluna, a wealthy Maltese banker and merchant, created a showcase for Maltese art which closes the eclectic style of the 19th century. The project started at the start of 1900, and the majority of the work was fini
shed by 1906. The Marquis Scicluna together with his wife and son moved into the property despite there being some finishing touches which needed to be completed. Unfortunately the untimely death of the Marquis Scicluna meant that he never saw the project completely finished; However, throughout the years, his family have made sure that the Palazzo's original decoration was preserved and that his vision for the property has been kept as intended so that many generations may be inspired by his artistic ideas. 

Village Walks - the Naxxar Local Council have put together a website with routes for four different walks around the different districts of Naxxar. Each walk has it's own list of landmarks to look out for as well as some information about each individual landmark. You can click here to view the different routes. 

Where to Eat:

Flora's Coffee Shop & Tea Room - is a small but charming coffee shop and tea room that can be found in the village square, just across the road from the Parish Church. Having opened it's doors just a few months ago, Flora's is known for their colourful cupcakes, and their afternoon tea. This place is ideal for people who just want to have a quiet break after walking around the village. 

Luna the Restaurant - this restaurant is found in Palazzo Parisio and is known for it's fine dining both during the day and in the evening. During the day Luna services breakfast, snacks and lunch but it is most popular amongst locals for brunch and tea. In the evening, the restaurant offers an elegant and luxurious decor that serves creative and stylish food interpretations. 

If you would like more information about Naxxar, or would like us to organise one of the walks, please feel free to drop us a line by clicking here.