Zejtun

Żejtun is one of the older settlements on Malta, named for the olives grown around it, and it holds three things worth the trip: the parish church of St Catherine, a large Baroque building designed by Lorenzo Gafà in the 1690s; the older church of St Gregory, whose walls conceal passages in which human remains were found in the twentieth century; and the Roman villa and olive pressing site excavated in the grounds of the local school.

Background

Żejtun carries the traditional title Città Beland, granted in 1797 by Ferdinand von Hompesch zu Bolheim, grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, and before that it was called Casale Santa Caterina, after its patron saint. The old cores of Bisqallin and Ħal Bisbut keep their narrow medieval streets and old boundaries. The town core sits on a hill 60 metres above sea level, between the ancient harbours of Marsa, Marsaxlokk and Marsascala. The parish already existed in 1436, and its first church, built in the 12th century, was rebuilt in 1492. Housing projects in the 1970s and 1980s brought heavy growth, and 12,783 people lived here in July 2024.

Source: Wikipedia, "Żejtun"

The main sights

• St Catherine's church - Lorenzo Gafa's Baroque parish church of the 1690s.
• St Gregory's church - the older church with concealed passages found in its walls.
• The Roman villa - an excavated villa and olive pressing site at the school.
• The old core - the lanes and squares of one of Malta's older settlements.

When to go

Year round; the town is quiet outside the June festa. Church opening follows service times. The Roman villa is open on limited days.

Good to know

The Roman villa site has very restricted opening and is inside a school. St Gregory's passages are not generally accessible. The town has few facilities for visitors.

Nearby

Marsaxlokk is southeast, and the Three Cities are north.

Key facts