Description
This film footage from the TVM archives features the charming village of Xaghra in Gozo in the early 1980s.
It is said that Xaghra took its name from ‘Xaghret l-Ghazzenin’ which translates as ‘land of the lazy ones’.
Farmers from all over Gozo used to go there with their flocks of sheep and goats, and while the animals fed on the grass, the farmers would spend the day chatting and playing music.
Xaghra is one of the earliest inhabited parts of Gozo. It is home to the prehistoric temples of Ggantija, the Xaghra Stone Circle, as well as underground gems such as Ninu’s Cave and Xerri’s Grotto.
Consisting of two temples which date back to between 3600 and 3200 BC, the Ggantija Temples are included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The site is considered as one of the oldest free standing monuments in the world, preceding Stonehenge in Wiltshire and the Egyptian pyramids.
The parish church dominates the village square and is dedicated to Our Lady of Victories, whose feast is celebrated on September 8 each year.
Xaghra is also home to one of the most popular sandy beaches in the Maltese Islands, Ramla Bay, which attracts tens of thousands of tourists each year.