Gudja
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Gudja Il-Gudja |
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| Local council | |||
View of pre-historic landmark stones in Gudja
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| Motto: Pluribus parens (Mother of many children) |
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| Coordinates: 35°50′54″N 14°30′9″E / 35.84833°N 14.50250°ECoordinates: 35°50′54″N 14°30′9″E / 35.84833°N 14.50250°E | |||
| Country |
 Malta
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| Region | Southern Region | ||
| District | South Eastern District | ||
| Borders | Għaxaq, Luqa, Santa Luċija | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | John Mary Calleja (PL) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 2.3 km2 (0.9 sq mi) | ||
| Population (March 2014) | |||
| • Total | 2,997 | ||
| • Density | 1,300/km2 (3,400/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Gudjan (m), Gudjana (f), Gudjani (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | GDJ | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | MT-11 | ||
| Patron saints | Assumption of Mary; Our Lady of Rosary; Our Lady of Consolation | ||
| Day of festa | 15 August; 1st Sunday of October; last Sunday of October | ||
Gudja is a village in the Southern Region of Malta with a population of 2,997 as of March 2013. The village is located on a small hill south of the city of Valletta overlooking Malta International Airport.
Gudja's coat of arms bears the motto "PLURIBUS PARENS", which means "Mother of many children". These children are Safi, Kirkop, Ħal-Farruġ, Luqa, Mqabba, Birżebbuġa and Tarxien, which at one time were all part of the parish church of Gudja. From Tarxien then, another three parishes emerged: Fgura, Santa Luċija and the Christ the King Parish of Paola. Then again, from the latter, another parish emerged: the Our Lady of Lourdes parish at Paola.
A palace known as Palazzo Dorell is located in Gudja. It served as the headquarters for British forces under General Graham during the French blockade of 1798–1800.
The parish church is dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and it's the only one in Malta with 3 bell towers. The most conspicuous of these is the William Baker Tower, built in the 1858 by this English architect.
The Church inside offers some interesting objets d'arte. The titular painting of the Assumption of the Virgin was painted by the Italian painter Pietro Gagliardi in 1887. The same painter was commissioned with the painting 'Our Lady of Mount Carmel' in 1889. Another interesting painting is 'The Death of Saint Joseph', painted by the Italian artist Domenico Bruschi in 1894. The most important sculpture inside the church is the titular statue of the Assumption of Our Lady, sculpted out of solid wood in 1807 by the Maltese Vincenzo Dimech. It is the oldest processional statue in the Maltese Islands featuring the Assumption of Our Lady.
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Wikipedia