Swieqi
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Swieqi | |
|---|---|
| Official name: | Is-Swieqi |
| Inhabitants' name: | Tas-Swieqi or Swieqin |
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| Latitude: | 35°55 '15" N |
| Longitude: | 14°28 '48" E |
| Population total: | 8,099 |
| Borders: | San Ġwann, Pembroke, St. Julian's, Naxxar, Għargħur |
| Patron saint: | Immacualte Conception (il-Kunċizzjoni) |
| Day of festa: | December 8 |
| Website: | swieqi.gov.mt |
Swieqi (or Is-Swieqi) is a town in northeastern Malta. The name Swieqi alludes to the watering channels that used to criss-cross what used to be farm land. It is situated 15 minutes by bus from Sliema.
Its quiet environment and central location, combined with its beautiful townhouses have made it popular with the upper-middle/high class population of the island. In fact, vacant property in this area is notorious for its scarcity and despite its high appreciation, most owners are unwilling to sell. Swieqi has seen its population rise over the years. It now accommodates 8,099 people (Nov 2005) and is essentially a dormitory town, although a number of cottage, service industries, mainly in IT and English language schools is now taking root.
Swieqi also assimilates Ibraġ, Madliena and part of St. Andrews. The Hamlet of Madliena owes its origin to the Chapel of St. Mary Magdalen which was built in the Fifteenth Century. Ta' l-Ibrag is a newly developed Hamlet which over the past decade has almost reached its maximum development potential. Its coat of arms features boulders (the meaning of bragg), watering courses (swieqi in Maltese) and the cross of St. Andrew's. Although Swieqi has its own local council, it borrows its postcode from a larger district called St. Julian's. The town was in fact hived off from St. Julian's, Birkirkara, San Gwann, and Gharghur. The town's parish church is dedicated to The Immaculate Conception Mother of the Church. Very few historical sites can be found in Swieqi. These are located in Madliena, consisting of the Victoria Lines, Madliena Fort, the Batteria San Giovanni and the Madliena Chapel.
Swieqi is a predominantly Nationalist-oriented town, and at one time, the PN even polled 85% of the total votes. There has been a decline in PN fortunes over these past few years though perhaps due to the emergence of Professor Arnold Cassola who is now a General Secretary of the Green Party in Europe. He lately successfully contested the Italian elections. Swieqi is also the hometown of Dolores Cristina who is now the Minister for Social Welfare. Dr. Joseph Borg, former minister and now EU Commissioner for Fisheries also lives here.
A twinning agreement has been signed between the Swieqi Local Council and the Council of Taormina. This partnership was signed by the Mayor of Taormina Dott. Mario Bolognari and Swieqi Mayor Mr. Paul Abela. It is the aim of the Councils to lay out the foundations for a new and profound relationship of friendship and solidarity. The twinning should serve to strengthen the existing links between the Maltese and Sicilian Populations. Its aim is also to facilitate exchanges, with youths as the protagonists, in the sector of language studies, tourism and commerce.
In July 2002, eleven youths from Swieqi participated in a Youth Exchange Programme, mainly financed by the European Union's programme YOUTHS. The title of the project was "Intercultural Learning and European Awareness through our traditions". The aims of the exchange were "To create an intercultural awareness for disadvantaged youths in Malta and Ireland, to give Malta and Ireland a better understanding of youths and culture within an EU Country and an applicant country, to create a greater union with the EU and to take a holistic approach with young people from a disadvantaged background". The group visited Galway, the Aaran Islands and Connemara. The partner for this project was Foroige, a youths organization in Ireland.
In April 2004, just one month before Malta's membership in the EU, on 1st May, 14 youths from Swieqi participated in a Youth Exchange held in Malta titled ‘Youth Participation in an Enlarged EU’. The partner group was from Kerimaki, Finland. The group was also received by the President of the Republic and the Minister for Tourism and Culture.
Swieqi Day is celebrated on the 9th of September. In the Middle Ages, when the area of the Swieqi Local Council formed part of the Birkirkara Parish, Swieqi was just a stretch of public land void of any buildings. In the first few twenty years of the sixteenth century, a certain Augustinu Borg occupied a piece of land in Swieqi, in an area known as Nadur Callel. Apart from occupying this land, Borg also decided to build a house and a garden without a legal permit. Therefore, one could say that the first known habitant of Swieqi was an illegal builder called Augustinu Borg!
A couple of Birkirkara residents, amongst them Ġorġ Lanza Zarb, could not bear to see public land to be stolen so selfishly. Therefore, they joined forces and filed a law suit against Augustinu on the 9th of September 1527.
Justice was not served before six whole years. On the 29th of August 1533, the court decided that the plot on which Augustinu Borg built was public land and therefore it ordered that this be classified as ‘reduci ad pristinum publicum statum’, meaning that the land was to be restored to its original state.
In remembrance of this historical event, the Swieqi Local Council adopted the 9th of September as Swieqi Day. Additionally, the Local Council decided to harbour the motto - reduci ad pristinum publicum statum – in order to raise a conscience against the development of illegal property.
The next Swieqi Local Council election will take place on the 10th March 2007, when the fifth Council will be elected.
[edit] Swieqi Main Roads
- Triq il-Keffa
- Triq il-Madliena (Madliena Road)
- Triq il-Miżura
- Triq is-Sidra
- Triq is-Swieqi (Swieqi Road)
- Triq Sant' Andrija (St Andrew's Road)
- Triq Ta' l-Ibraġ (Ta' l-Ibrag Road)
[edit] External links
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