About Malta – Maltese Villages and their Charm
Apart from the few ‘cosmopolitan’ areas on the tiny island of Malta there are many small villages that, although are a stone’s throw away from one another, are completely different in their character and charm. Each town has its own church, architecture and history and provides interesting getaways from the busy towns or the popular Malta sightseeing sites such as Rabat and Valletta.
Places to Visit in Malta
Zurrieq is a town with a long history, which has produced remains from the megalithic, Punic and Roman phases. Many of the houses here were built in the 15th and 16th Centuries and thus have some splendid architecture which can be appreciated just by walking along the streets. The importance of the town can be felt from the Bronze Age, where it was guarded by means of small towers. In fact it is now a parish and has been given special importance because of its antiquity! The church that is present in the town was built in the 1630s and survives in perfect condition, save for the two bell-towers that were changed in the 1800s. The church is also important because it serves as somewhat of a museum for the work of the famous artist, Mattia Preti, who also lived in this town at the time when the plague had spread in the capital city of Valletta. Zurrieq was also very important in the setting up of the cotton industry in Malta and by 1647 there were over 1500 people producing and working cotton!
Zebbug is another important town, particularly when it comes to prehistory. There is a very important prehistoric temple known as Skorba Temple which is related to Zebbug. In fact, there is even a phase in Maltese prehistory know as the ‘Zebbug Phase’. The temple is made of stone and provided