Gzira
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Gżira Il-Gżira |
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| Local council | |||
Gżira promenade
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| Motto: Flourishing with Justice | |||
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| Coordinates: 35°54′18″N 14°29′40″E / 35.90500°N 14.49444°ECoordinates: 35°54′18″N 14°29′40″E / 35.90500°N 14.49444°E | |||
| Country |
 Malta
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| Region | Central Region | ||
| District | Northern Harbour District | ||
| Borders | Msida, San Ġwann, Sliema, St. Julian's, Ta' Xbiex | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Conrad Borg Manchè (PL) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 1.5 km2 (0.6 sq mi) | ||
| Population (March 2014) | |||
| • Total | 8,029 | ||
| • Density | 5,400/km2 (14,000/sq mi) | ||
| Demonym(s) | Gżirjan (m), Gżirjana (f), Gżirjani (pl) | ||
| Time zone | CET (UTC+1) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | ||
| Postal code | GZR | ||
| Dialing code | 356 | ||
| ISO 3166 code | MT-12 | ||
| Patron saint | Our Lady of Mount Carmel | ||
| Day of festa | Second Sunday of July | ||
| Website | Official website | ||
Gżira (Maltese: Il-Gżira) is a town in the Central Region of Malta. It is located between Msida and Sliema, also bordering on Ta' Xbiex. It has a population of 8,029 as of March 2014. The word Gżira means "island" in Maltese, and the town is named after Manoel Island which lies just adjacent to the town. The seafront of Gżira is famed for its views of the walled city of Valletta, which are illuminated at night, forming a picturesque backdrop to Manoel Island, the yacht marina and a seafront public garden. Kappara is located close to Gżira.
Manoel Island in Gżira's Marsamxett Harbour, was originally known as l'Isola del Vescovo or il-Gżira tal-Isqof in Maltese (literally translated as "the Bishop's Island"). In 1643 Jean Paul Lascaris, Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta, constructed a quarantine hospital (Lazzaretto) on the island, in an attempt to control the periodic influx of plague and cholera on board visiting ships.
The island was renamed after António Manoel de Vilhena, a Portuguese Grandmaster of the Knights of Malta under whose leadership Fort Manoel was built in 1726. Fort Manoel is considered a marvel of 18th-century military engineering. The original plans for the fort are attributed to Louis d'Augbigne Tigné, and are said to have been modified by his friend and colleague Charles François de Mondion, who is buried in a crypt beneath Fort Manoel. At one time, the Knights of Malta considered developing a walled city on Manoel Island, but instead they settled on a fort designed to house up to 500 soldiers. The fort has a magnificent quadrangle, parade ground and arcade, and once housed a baroque chapel dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua, under the direct command of the Order.
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