Marsalforn

Marsalforn (Marsa el-Forn) is a village on the north coast of Gozo, the second largest island of the Maltese archipelago. The village lies between the hill-top towns of Xagħra and Żebbuġ. The village forms part of the locality of Żebbuġ. Marsalforn is the most popular tourist resort on Gozo. It is well served with hotels, restaurants, bars, and beaches. There is only a small sandy beach in Marsalforn, however, along the rocky coastline there are a number of interesting swimming spots.

Marsalforn is a composite word. "Marsa" is an Arabic word meaning `port` or `bay.` There is disagreement on the origin of the second part of the word - `forn` -. Forn means "a bakery" in Maltese and Arabic, but it is highly improbable that this has anything to do with Marsalforn, for it is unlikely that a bakery would be built in an area with a small population. It is quite likely that this name, like that of other Gozitan ports, might refer to a type of ship. In that case it would derive from Liburna. an Illyrian type of a ship, which became livurna in Greek, and lifurna in Arabic. The name might also have been derived from forna, a word used by Gozitan fishermen to refer to "a cave hollowed out by the sea". There are several of these in Marsalforn, the best known being Ghar Qawqla `the cave at the steep hill`.

To the south of Marsalforn is a fertile valley named after the village. The valley is bounded by several hillocks and used to be known as the "haven of hillocks". The most famous of these is tas-Salvatur (Our Saviours Hill) also referred locally as Tal-Merzuq Hill (Ray of Light) due to the legends surrounding it, recorded by Giovanni Abela in the 17th Century.

This volcano like hill has acquired the attention of the people since 1901, when a large wooden cross was erected on its peak. Three years later, when Gozo was consecrated to Christ the Saviour, a stone statue of Christ replaced the cross. This was in turn replaced by a gigantic concrete statue towering twelve meteres above the hill, which remains to this day.

As recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, Paul the Apostle was shipwrecked in Malta, but legend maintains that it was from Marsalforn that he embarked for Sicily and Rome. Today, this legend is symbolised by the village's emblem, which consists of a viper encircling a sword. This refers to an episode involving Saint Paul when he remained unharmed after being bit by a viper. The village church of `Saint Paul Shipwreck` is also dedicated to the memory of Saint Paul departure from Marsalforn. The church, originally raised in the fourteenth century, has been rebuilt and enlarged many times. The foundation stone of the present church was laid in 1730. The feast is celebrated on 10th February every year.

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Wikipedia