Xlendi

Xlendi
Suburb
Ix-Xlendi
A Panoramic View of Xlendi
Coat of arms
Motto: Navium Tutela
Xlendi
Coordinates: 36°1′47″N 14°13′8″E / 36.02972°N 14.21889°E / 36.02972; 14.21889Coordinates: 36°1′47″N 14°13′8″E / 36.02972°N 14.21889°E / 36.02972; 14.21889
Country	Malta
Island	Gozo
Suburb of	Munxar
Demonym(s)	Xlendin
Time zone	CET (UTC+1)
• Summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	MXR
Dialing code	356
Patron saint	Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Website	Munxar Local Council

Xlendi is a village in Malta situated in the south west of the island of Gozo. It is surrounded by the villages of Munxar, Fontana and Kerċem. The village is administered by Munxar, but has its own coat of arms and motto. From March 2010, Xlendi has had its own 5-person "mini council" responsible for the main activities of the area.

The name Xlendi is of Byzantine origins as it is named after a galley of the period, that was wrecked along the coast, that was called Shilandi. Evidence of this was retrieved near the entry of the bay, at the bottom of the sea, in the 1960s. Since then the site became a popular diving site.

Also Tombs dating Punic-Byzantine times were found in Xlendi, some at St. Simon Point (under St Simon Street) and some others in Xlendi Valley.Romans used to port in Xlendi as it has features that can protect from the wind for its cliffs around the bay. In the middle of the bay there is a reef that many ships shipwrecked against it. These ships left a large number of Roman amphora on the sea bed in the mouth of the bay.

The Xlendi Tower guarding the mouth of the bay was built by the Grandmaster Juan de Lascaris-Castellar on 29 June 1650. This was built so pirates or Turks could not disembark from this bay. This tower is still standing. It has, until recently been abandoned with substantial damage caused to the outer walls of the tower. Responsibility for the tower was passed to the Local Council and Din l-Art Ħelwa in 2010. It is anticipated that restoration work will be commenced during 2011. The Tower was quite important for the British Army in Malta as it was the only tower in the southwest of the island. It was entitled Tower B (secondly in place) to show its importance.

It is strange that in Xlendi in the middle 17th century had a total of 4 chapels. These were: St Simon Chapel (St Simon Point) which also had a cemetery and when profaned, the bishop ordered that a stone cross should be carved in the rocks; St Domenica which was an underground chapel located roughly on the cliffs over the valley of Xlendi on the side of Munxar and was difficult to reach it so it was profaned soon after it was established; St Catherine was established over Xlendi on the cliffs on the side of the village of Kercem. It was built over a cliff which bears the same name. It is said that there was a small community in the areas of this chapel; 'Vizitazzjoni ta' Forn il-Gir' was not much visited by people. It was established between Munxar and Xlendi but very little is known about it. All of these chapels were profaned between the 1650s and the 1680s.