Għajnsielem

Għajnsielem is a city on Gozo, Malta. It includes the island of Comino. It has a population of 3,200 residents (as of March 2014).

Understand

Its name originated from the water spring, around which in 1700, Grandmaster Perellos built an arcade containing public wash basins and fresh water spouts.

Get in

It is 4.2 km from Victoria (Rabat) — 8 min by car, 17 min on bus 301 from Value in Gozo, or 50 min on foot,

See

• 1 Lourdes Chapel. With its sharp steeple and underlying niche of Our Lady of Lourdes. (updated Dec 2019)
• 2 Fort Chambray. Built in the mid-18th century by the Order of Saint John. The fort was meant to be the citadel of a new city which was to replace the Cittadella as the island's capital, but this plan never materialized. Nowadays the fort is turned into a luxury accommodation. (updated Dec 2019)
• 3 Ghajnsielem Parish Church (Parish Church of Our Lady of Loreto). Roman Catholic neo-gothic parish church. Its construction started in 1924, but it was consecrated only in 1989. (updated Dec 2019)
• 4 Mġarr ix-Xini Tower. open to the public on Saturdays. The largest of the coastal watchtowers that the Knights of Malta erected on the island of Gozo. It was completed in 1661 and has been restored. (updated Dec 2019)
• 5 Santa Cecilia Tower. It was built in 1613 by a member of the Order of St. John, and it could relay messages across the island. Today, the tower is in good condition and it is a private residence. (updated Dec 2019)
• 6 Santa Cecilia Chapel. Open to the public free of charge on the last Saturday of every month from 11:00 to 13:00. Group visits can be arranged by appointment. Built in around 1540, but it was deconsecrated in 1644, being converted into an ancillary building for the nearby Santa Cecilia Tower. (updated Dec 2019)

Do

• Għajnsielem F.C.. The oldest-still-active club in Gozo, it was founded in 1936. The club has won the Gozo Football League First Division seven times. (updated Jan 2018)