User:Santalucija/Santa Lucija, Gozo

Santa Lucija, Gozo

Santa Lucija lies to the west of Victoria, the capital city of Gozo, Malta. It is positioned between three hills namely Ghar Ilma, Il- Mixta and Santa Lucija, each of which bear a natural water spring, making the surroundings one of the most fertile areas of Gozo.

It is generally agreed that the first people to inhabit the Maltese islands were farmers and came over from Sicily more than 5000 BC. The first Neolitic Sicilians might have been encouraged to explore and finally settle down on the little island across the sea visible to the south on very clear cloudless mornings. With them they brought stone tools, domesticated animals, seeds and characteristic pottery. It was this pottery, found at Il-Mixta in Santa Lucija Gozo that in recent research was claimed to be of a purer Sentinello type than that of any Ghar Dalam pottery. This makes the Il-Mixta area the oldest inhabited place in the Maltese Islands.

Very little is known about the early medieval history of the Maltese islands. The next encounter in our village is a settelment of late medieval houses around the Ghar Ilma plateau, many of which face the south overlooking the village itself.

In 1551 The island of Gozo was overrun by Baxa’ Sinan and nearly all the population carried in slavery. Hence in a pastoral visit in 1575 the village church was closed down being in a state of disrepair. But by 1598 it was reopened meaning the some, probably farmers have escaped slavery or returned.

By the middle of the seventeenth century this area known as il-Qabbieza continued to develop In a census carried in 1667, our village, in those days known as Santa Caterina, is documented as a major district under which there were the smaller principalities of Dwejra, Ghajn Abdun, Ghar Ilma, ta’ Kercem and San Lawrenz.

After the French occupation and the arrival of the British, Santa Lucija saw in 1840 the building of the enormous under ground tunnels and reservoirs under its streets and main square. Those at Qasam San Gorg are connected to what today remains of the aquadot. Thus Victoria, by 1843 was supplied with water taken from the natural springs of Ghajn Abdun and Ghar Ilma. This aquadot was extended also to Kercem to a fountain in lower St Gregory Street.

During the twentieth century Santa Lucija developed like all other parts of the Maltese islands. But her sons fought in both the first and second world wars. Later many emigrated to the USA, Australia, and Canada causing a drop in population.

By 1959 Santa Lucija was supplied for the first time with electricity and the modern realities of this small village began to develop.

Presently, Santa Lucija is again experiencing a growth in population, brought about by a number of people taking up residence in the village. Moreover, it has become a popular preference with regards to foreigners taking up permanent residence. In fact a substantial amount of farmhouses have been converted in luxorious residences for both Maltese and foreign residents.