Naxxar

Naxxar, an old town with a cute historical centre

Naxxar is built on a hill in the central-northern part of Malta, covering an area of 11 km² and a population of over 11 thousand. Naxxar is an old town, in fact it dates back to the pre-history as cart ruts, Punic tombs and Catacombs have been discovered in various areas.

Most probably Naxxar got its name from the shipwreck of St. Paul in Malta. Tradition says that the people of Naxxar were the first to help when the ship hit the rocks. Then St. Paul converted the villagers to Christianity and this is why many people connect Naxxar with Nassar which actually means 'conversion to Christianity'. This theory is further proved by the village motto ‘Prior credidi’ which means ‘The First People to Believe’.

Although Naxxar seems to be purely a residential town, a small stroll in the village shows you otherwise. In the main square of Naxxar, there is Palazzo Parisio and the Parish Church, while the old part of Naxxar hosts several narrow streets and quaint houses that make Naxxar a very picturesque town.

Naxxar: things to do and see

Palazzo Parisio: Palazzo Parisio was built in the 19th century by Marquis Giuseppe Scicluna as his own private residence. He enriched the palace with artistic designs, refined architecture and charming gardens.

Naxxar Parish Church: Naxxar Parish church was built in the 17th and is strategically located in the main square of Naxxar. The grand façade of the church is on the baroque style; having a massive bronze door and two clocks, one of which is a painting showing the time as quarter to twelve. On the inside, the main attractions are the painting shows the Birth of Our Lady by Mattia Preti (1613-1699) and the statue of the Vitorja (Our Lady of Victories), which holds a display of precious jewels that the Naxxar people offer the Vitorja in return for answering their prayers.

Defence towers and fortifications: When the Knights of St. John arrived in Malta they built a number of towers, two of which are in Naxxar: Tal-Kaptan Tower and Gauci Tower. Both were crucial during the Great Siege of 1565. After the Seige, the Knights saw the need to strengthen Malta’s defence line, and so they built another 13 towers, two of which are also in Naxxar. The Ghallis Tower guards the entrance to Salina Bay while the Qalet Marku tower is just a few hundred metres away. Both towers have recently been restored to their original state by the "Din l-Art Helwa" Foundation, and are open to the public by appointment. In the 1930’s, when Malta was under the British rule, a number of pill-boxes were built both along the coast and inland. One of these pill-boxes is at the summit of the “T'Alla w Ommu” Hill in Naxxar. It has a squarish shape and has two levels - the top level used to shoot at the enemy and the lower level used as lodging for soldiers.

Take a Walk: Take a walk in the old part of the town, start from the road opposite the Parish church, and discover the narrow streets, old houses, wooden balconies and bright coloured flowers that give Naxxar a magical and peaceful character. There are a couple of small chapels around the town that reflect the villagers’ dedication to religion. You can then relax in any of the public gardens that are in Naxxar or stop for a coffee at one of the cafeterias in the town centre.

Naxxar Festa: The Naxxar Festa is held on the 8th of September, in honour to Our Lady of Victory. Naxxar is thriving with activity during the week prior to the festa. The Parish Church and the main streets are decorated in bright festive colours and people go out to the centre to listen to brass bands playing cheerful music and watch the air and ground fireworks that fill the air with a beautiful array of colours. On the streets, there are stalls selling local delicacies, such as candy floss and Nougat – it is the typical Maltese Festa sweet made out of sugar paste and nuts.