Pietà, Malta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Pietà | |
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 Coat of arms |
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| Official name: | Pietà |
| Inhabitants' name: | Pjetaniż (m), Pjetaniża (f), Pjetaniżi (pl) |
| Other names: | Gwardamanġia (code: PTA) |
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| Latitude: | 35°53 '35" N |
| Longitude: | 14°29 '37" E |
| Area: | 0.5km² |
| Population total: | 3,846 |
| Population density: | 8,515/km² |
| Borders: | Floriana, Ħamrun, Msida |
| Patron saint: | Our Lady of Fatima (Il-Madonna ta' Fatima) |
| Day of festa: | in May / June |
| Mayor: | Santo Attard (MLP) |
| Website: | pieta.gov.mt |
Pietà (or Tal-Pietà) is a small town located on the outskirts of Valletta, the capital city of Malta. Pietà is the suburb next-closest to the capital after Floriana. Its name is derived from Italian and signifies "mercy".
[edit] Description
The Maltese national hospital, St. Luke's, is located in Pietà, as well as the University of Malta Medical School. Pietà is a coastal town, and an old boathouse of notable historic interest is located on the waterfront. Also of historic interest, and visible in several medieval prints, is the little chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows, which dates from the seventeenth century, still in active use today.
The parish church, however, goes back only to 1968. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Fatima and is run by the Dominican Order. The town also hosts St. Augustine's College, which is run by the Augustinian Order. A couple of streets nearby bear the names of St. Augustine and his mother, St. Monica. Pietà is a departure point for ferries to Gozo and Sicily, and the patrol boat depot of the Armed Forces of Malta is located at the Haywharf. Within the boundaries of Pietà is the hamlet of Gwardamangia.
Also within the boundaries of Pietà are St. Ursuline's Orphanage; PBS, the national broadcaster; Villa Gwardamangia, which served as the residence of Princess Elizabeth of Great Britain, later Queen Elizabeth II when she lived in Malta between 1949 and 1951; the Ta' Braxia Cemetery Complex which is a Commonwealth Landmark Site and where many World War I and garrison veterans from the British army and navy are buried; and the headquarters of the Nationalist Party, currently the party in power. The party built its base here in 1969. Pietà is regarded as a suburb of Hamrun, Msida, and Valletta. Most of its resident population over the past 30 years hails from this area.
The population of Pietà and its hamlet, now close to 3,853 (Nov. 2005), has increased over the past few years, thanks to a new housing estate and the redevelopment of old homes over the past thirty years.
A large number of Maltese citizens have Pietà as their place of birth, because many women give birth at St. Luke's National Hospital. Pietà is not, however, considered by the Maltese born there to be their home town, that being considered instead the town or city they first lived in.
[edit] Pietà Main Roads
- Misraħ San Luqa (St Luke's Square)
- Triq ix-Xatt (Marina Road)
- Triq il-Mimosa (Mimosa Street)
- Triq San Luqa (St Luke's Road)
- Triq Santa Monika (St Monica Street)
- Triq San Guzepp (St. Joseph Street)
- Triq id-Duluri (Our Lady of Sorrows Street)
- Misraħ il-Madonna ta' Fatima (Our Lady of Fatima Square)
- Triq Zammit Clapp (Zammit Clapp Street)
- Triq Hookham Frere (Hookham Frere Street)
- Triq San Girgor (St Gregory Street)
- Triq is-Sorijiet ta' l-Ursolini (Ursoline Sisters Street)
- Sqaq Borton (Borton Lane)
[edit] External links
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