Gudja

Gudja: a small village in the South of Malta

Gudja is a village located on a small hill close to the Malta International Airport and almost forms part of the village of Zejtun. Gudja has 2,901 inhabitants living in an area of 2.3 km² and the village dates back to the 14th century. The medieval church St Mary Ta’ Bir Miftuh, which is one of the first twelve parishes in Malta, and the narrow winding streets of Gudja bear witness just how old the village is. The Gudja parish church is the only church in Malta with three bell towers and is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The oldest procession statue in Malta can be found in this church.

Gerolamo Cassar, an architect of many of Valletta’s buildings during the Knights of St. John period was born in Gudja. The famous pop singer Madonna chose to reside in Gudja during her visit to Malta.

Gudja: Things to do and see

Parish Church: Dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, this church holds a titular painting by the Italian painter Pietro Gagliardi, and other interesting pieces of art, such as the painting “The Death of Saint Joseph” by Domenico Bruschi. In this church one can find a wooden sculpture from 1807 by Maltese Vincenzo Dimech, which is the most important sculpture in the church. It is the titular statue of the Assumption of Our Lady and is the oldest procession statue in Malta featuring the Assumption of Our Lady.

Chapel of Santa Marija of Bir Miftuħ: This medieval chapel dates back to 1435 and contains unique medieval fresco fragments of the Last Judgement. It is open to the public only on the first Sunday of the month, from 09:30 to 12:00

Palazzo Bettina: It is said that Napoleon himself stayed in Palazzo Bettina during his stay in Malta at the time when Malta was ruled by the French.