| Qrendi Il-Kunsill Lokali tal-Qrendi |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Local council — | |||
| Il-Qrendi | |||
|
|||
| Motto: Tyrium Dirutas Servo Moles | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Malta | ||
| Island | Malta | ||
| District | |||
| Borders | Mqabba, Siġġiewi, Żurrieq | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Carmelo Falzon (MLP) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 4.9 km2 (1.9 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | 2,527 | ||
| • Density | 515.7/km2 (1,335.7/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym | Qrendi (m), Qrendija (f), Qrendin (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | |||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| Patron saint | St. Mary | ||
| Day of festa | 15th August (St. Mary); 1st Sunday of July (Our Lady of Lourdes) | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
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.
Contents |
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 suburb 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.
On Qrendi's coastline one can find the Maqluba, an enormous karstic depression, 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 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.
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.
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.
|
||||||||||||||||