Gudja
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Gudja is a village in Malta with a population of 3,050. The village is located on a small hill south of the city of Valletta overlooking Malta International Airport.
On Gudja's coat of arms, there's written "PLURIBUS PARENS", which means "Mother of many children". These children are Safi, Kirkop, Ħal-Farruġ, Luqa, Mqabba and Tarxien, which at one time these were all part of the parish church of Gudja.
The village has a palace called Palazzo Bettina and it is believed that Napoleon lived there during his short stay in Malta, when Malta was being ruled by the French.
The parish church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and it's the only one in Malta with 3 bell towers. The most conspicuous of these is the William Baker Tower, built in the 1880s by this English Architect.
The Church inside offers some interesting objets d' arte. The titular painting of the Assumption of the Virgin was painted by the Italian painter Pietro Gagliardi in 1887. The same painter was commissioned with the painting 'Our Lady of the Carmel' in 1889. Another interesting painting is 'The Death of Saint Joseph', painted by the Italian artist Domenico Bruschi in 1894. The most important sculpture inside the church was sculpted out of solid wood in 1807 by the Maltese Vincenzo Dimech.
Gudja also has a famous 500 year-old chapel of Bir-Miftuħ (which means open well).
An architect who is famous for his architectural projects during the Knights of St. John era, Girolamo Cassar, was born in Gudja.
Pop singer Madonna stayed in Gudja during her short visit in the island.
External links
- [link], Gudja Local council
| [http://encycl.opentopia.com/ edit ] | Local Councils of Malta |
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| Malta Island | ||
| Attard | Balzan | Birgu | Birkirkara | Birżebbuġa | Bormla (Cospicua) | Dingli | Fgura | Floriana | Gudja | Gżira | Għargħur | Għaxaq | Ħamrun | Iklin | Isla (Senglea) | Kalkara | Kirkop | Lija | Luqa | Marsa | Marsaskala | Marsaxlokk | Mdina | Mellieħa | Mġarr | Mosta | Mqabba | Msida | Mtarfa | Naxxar | Paola | Pembroke | Pietà | Qormi | Qrendi | Rabat | Safi | St. Julian's (San Ġiljan) | Santa Luċija | St. Paul's Bay (San Pawl il-Baħar) | San Ġwann | Santa Venera |Siggiewi| Sliema | Swieqi | Ta' Xbiex | Tarxien | Valletta | Xgħajra | Żabbar | Żebbuġ | Żejtun | Żurrieq
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| Gozo Island | ||
| Fontana | Għajnsielem | Għarb | Għasri | Kerċem | Munxar | Nadur | Qala | Victoria (Rabat) | Ramla Bay | Saint Lawrence (San Lawrenz) | Sannat | Xagħra | Xewkija | Żebbuġ | ||
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