Qrendi
Encyclopedia
Qrendi is a small village in the southwest of Malta
, with a population of 2,527 people (December 2008). It isġ near Mqabba
and Żurrieq
. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra
and Ħaġar Qim. In this village two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or on the first Sunday of July, with the August 15 the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Maria
.
developments has been built and an open space with a bus terminus has been created in front of the Parish Church by removing the walled grounds from an old villa.
The village is very quiet, as many of the Qrendin keep themselves to themselves, which gives the visitor a sense of relaxation and tranquillity in the narrow streets. There are no tourist cafes in the centre of the village. However the residents are friendly and will usually give a cheery greeting to any passers-by and also might say 'il gurnata t tajba' which in English means good day. One must not forget the lovely rocky beach Wied iz-Zurrieq.
, which fell from the cliff during a storm in 1343. According to legend a small chapel
at its entrance was there at the time, which must make it one of the oldest surviving Christian buildings in Malta.
There are seven churches and chapels in the parish
, most of them constructed on the site of earlier structures. The first parish was set up in 1436, when the village was within Żurrieq
's parish. Qrendi became a separate parish in 1618.
The ornate baroque
Parish Church, designed by Lorenzo Gafà
the architect of Mdina
Cathedral, was completed in 1720.
There are two in the locality, each owned by one of the two band clubs based in the village. These are Saint Mary's Fireworks Factory and Lourdes Fireworks Factory. The latter has recently introduced pyrotechnic-musical shows, the first factory to introduce them, and have become a staple part of Qrendi's Our Lady of Lourdes feast. Work is underway to expand such displays into other feasts.
On 30th April 2011, Lourdes Fireworks Factory won the 2011 edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival.
During the 1950s, an explosion at the Lourdes Fireworks Factory killed one worker and injured another, which caused the buildings to close. It was eventually reopened in another building on November 11, 1976.
On May 22, 1972, an explosion at Saint Mary's Fireworks Factory occurred which killed local villager John Falzon. This prompted plans and preparations for a new, more modern factory to be built, which began in September that year. On the February 10, 1974, another terrible accident occurred when Emanuel Aquilina, Martin Mallia and Jack Bugeja lost their lives whilst manufacturing some fireworks. In the midst of this latest disaster for the Society the joy of Qrendi's firework production turned became monotonous and emotional.
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, with a population of 2,527 people (December 2008). It isġ near Mqabba
Mqabba
Mqabba is a town in the south of Malta. Situated at the heart of a soft limestone area, the surrounding of the village is barren and stripped with quarries. Mqabba is renowned for the construction industry, and holds more than a quarter of the quarries in Malta...
and Żurrieq
Zurrieq
Żurrieq is one of the oldest towns in Malta, and has a population of 12,000 inhabitants . Żurrieq is situated in the South West of Malta. The first documentation about it being a parish dates back to 1436 dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The island of Filfla is administratively a part of...
. Within its boundaries are two well-known Neolithic temples called Mnajdra
Mnajdra
Mnajdra is a megalithic temple complex found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. Mnajdra is approximately 500 metres from the Ħaġar Qim megalithic complex...
and Ħaġar Qim. In this village two feasts are held annually. The feast of Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes
Our Lady of Lourdes is the name used to refer to the Marian apparition said to have appeared before various individuals on separate occasions around Lourdes, France...
is celebrated either on the last Sunday of June or on the first Sunday of July, with the August 15 the titular feast of the Ascension of Our Lady. This feast is popularly known as the feast of Santa Maria
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
.
Qrendi Today
Although the majority of the village's old core buildings remain today, Qrendi has changed considerably in recent times. A bypass road has been built to divert through-traffic away from the village, modern suburbSuburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
developments has been built and an open space with a bus terminus has been created in front of the Parish Church by removing the walled grounds from an old villa.
The village is very quiet, as many of the Qrendin keep themselves to themselves, which gives the visitor a sense of relaxation and tranquillity in the narrow streets. There are no tourist cafes in the centre of the village. However the residents are friendly and will usually give a cheery greeting to any passers-by and also might say 'il gurnata t tajba' which in English means good day. One must not forget the lovely rocky beach Wied iz-Zurrieq.
Churches and Chapels in Qrendi
On Qrendi's coastline one can find the Maqluba, an enormous karstic depressionKarst topography
Karst topography is a geologic formation shaped by the dissolution of a layer or layers of soluble bedrock, usually carbonate rock such as limestone or dolomite, but has also been documented for weathering resistant rocks like quartzite given the right conditions.Due to subterranean drainage, there...
, which fell from the cliff during a storm in 1343. According to legend a small chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
at its entrance was there at the time, which must make it one of the oldest surviving Christian buildings in Malta.
There are seven churches and chapels in the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
, most of them constructed on the site of earlier structures. The first parish was set up in 1436, when the village was within Żurrieq
Zurrieq
Żurrieq is one of the oldest towns in Malta, and has a population of 12,000 inhabitants . Żurrieq is situated in the South West of Malta. The first documentation about it being a parish dates back to 1436 dedicated to St. Catherine of Alexandria. The island of Filfla is administratively a part of...
's parish. Qrendi became a separate parish in 1618.
The ornate baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Parish Church, designed by Lorenzo Gafà
Lorenzo Gafà
Lorenzo Gafà was a Maltese baroque architect.Born in Vittoriosa , Gafà began his working life as a stone carver and his brother was the renowned sculptor Melchiorre. By the early 1660s he had developed a strong interest in architectural design and in 1661 is known to have been involved in the...
the architect of Mdina
Mdina
Mdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...
Cathedral, was completed in 1720.
Band Clubs in Qrendi
There are two band clubs in Qrendi: the Saint Mary’s Band and the Lourdes Band. They play during village's feast period, as well as prepare the fireworks, elaborate decorations and entertainment for the festivities, and play a central role in Qrendi's society and culture.Firework factories in Qrendi
Qrendi's firework factories, which produces the pyrotechnics for Qrendi's feasts and those of many of the other villages on the Maltese Islands, are made by volunteers.There are two in the locality, each owned by one of the two band clubs based in the village. These are Saint Mary's Fireworks Factory and Lourdes Fireworks Factory. The latter has recently introduced pyrotechnic-musical shows, the first factory to introduce them, and have become a staple part of Qrendi's Our Lady of Lourdes feast. Work is underway to expand such displays into other feasts.
On 30th April 2011, Lourdes Fireworks Factory won the 2011 edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival.
Accidents
Both factories has been involved in a number of accidents duriwng its existence, which has cost the lives of five people.During the 1950s, an explosion at the Lourdes Fireworks Factory killed one worker and injured another, which caused the buildings to close. It was eventually reopened in another building on November 11, 1976.
On May 22, 1972, an explosion at Saint Mary's Fireworks Factory occurred which killed local villager John Falzon. This prompted plans and preparations for a new, more modern factory to be built, which began in September that year. On the February 10, 1974, another terrible accident occurred when Emanuel Aquilina, Martin Mallia and Jack Bugeja lost their lives whilst manufacturing some fireworks. In the midst of this latest disaster for the Society the joy of Qrendi's firework production turned became monotonous and emotional.
Zones in Qrendi
- Għar ix-Xagħra
- Gwejdija
- Ħaġar Qim
- Ħal Lew
- Il-Fulija
- Il-Ħatba
- Il-Ħnejja
- Il-Ħofra
- Il-Maqluba
- Iż-Żellieqa
- L-Ilsna
- MnajdraMnajdraMnajdra is a megalithic temple complex found on the southern coast of the Mediterranean island of Malta. Mnajdra is approximately 500 metres from the Ħaġar Qim megalithic complex...
- Qasam tal-Warda
- Ras il-Bajjada
- San Niklaw
- Ta' Gana
- Ta' Guarena
- Ta' Ħarmanin
- Ta' Ħassajtek
- Tal-Gawwija
- Ta' Ħniena
- Tas-Siġra
- Tas-Suldati
- Wied Ħoxt
Qrendi Main Roads
- Pjazza Tal-Maqluba (Tal-Maqluba Square)
- Triq Ħaġar Qim (Hagar Qim Road)
- Triq Rokku Buhagiar (Rocco Buhagiar Street)
- Triq San Mattew (St. Matthew Street)
- Triq Santa Katerina (St. Catherine Street)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq is-Salvatur (Our Saviour Street)
- Triq is-Siġġiewi (Siġġiewi Road)
- Triq it-Tempesta
- Triq iż-Żurrieq (Zurrieq Road)
- Triq l-Imqabba (Mqabba Road)
- Triq Wied iż-Żurrieq (Wied iz-Zurrieq Road)
External links
- Qrendi Local Council
- Saint Mary's Band Club
- Lourdes Band Club
- Qrendi Scout Group - MALTA
- {http://www.parroccaqrendi.org The parish of Qrendi Official Website