Kerċem

Coordinates: 36°2′26″N 14°13′47″E / 36.04056°N 14.22972°E / 36.04056; 14.22972
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Ta' Kerċem
Local council
View of Ta' Kerċem
UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
KCM
Dialing code356
ISO 3166 codeMT-22
Patron saintsSt. Gregory
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
WebsiteOfficial website

Ta' Kerċem is an administrative unit of Malta, on the island of Gozo, with a population of 1,938 people as of March 2014.[1]

The village of Ta' Kerċem lies south-west of

Victoria, spread between the picturesque Lunzjata Valley, the green hills of Tal-Mixta, Għar Ilma and Ta' Dbieġi, and stretching up to the Pond of Għadira ta' San Rafflu and Xlendi
cliffs.

Archaeological discoveries show that the sizeable area of Ta' Kerċem was inhabited as early as the

Għar Gerduf, referred to by Gozitan historian Giovanni Pietro Francesco Agius de Soldanis
as Roman Catacombs, are also significant discoveries. However, to date, these historic sites are not accessible to the public.

Ta' Kerċem evolved into a village community in the late Middle Ages, around an ancient chapel dedicated to

Pope Gregory the Great built around 1581. The site gained historical importance due to the annual traditional St. Gregory procession from the Matrix church in Rabat (Victoria) to this medieval chapel, upon the saint's feast, namely on 12 March. The chapel was, however, replaced by the present parish church in 1851, which in turn was enlarged later on to its present state between 1906 and 1910. Ta' Kerċem became a distinct parish on 10 March 1885 by Bishop Pietru Pace. The Ta' Kerċem parish church is the only Gozitan church which is jointly dedicated to two saints. As referred earlier, it was traditionally dedicated to Pope Gregory, but, since 17 August 1885, the church was additionally co-dedicated to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The village celebrates the summerly feast of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
every second week of June.

The village of Ta' Kerċem has a population of around 1700 people. Cultural activities include the annual Għadira Fair, which is a popular traditional family fair in the countryside area of Sarraflu. Ta' Kerċem is home to Kerċem Ajax Stadium, one of the biggest stadiums in Gozo. It is mainly used for Gozo Football League Second Division games. The stadium is the home stadium of Kerċem Ajax F.C.

Incorporated within Ta' Kerċem is the hamlet of

St. Lucy
.

In 2018, the former police station in the locality was vacated and put for sale.[2]

Notable people

Virginia De Brincat was baptised here in 1862. She co-founded the Franciscan Sisters of the Heart of Jesus and was known as Mother Margerita.[3]

Zones in Ta' Kerċem

  • Fuq il-Blat
  • Għajn Abdul
  • Għar Ilma
  • Iċ-Ċnus
  • Ix-Xagħri
  • Klula
  • Lekx
  • Sarraflu
  • Ta' Berrini
  • Ta' Ċajplu
  • Ta' Ġanton
  • Ta' Katas
  • Ta' Majru
  • Ta' Summina
  • Ta' Xewka
  • Ta' Xkura
  • Tal-Warda
  • Wardija
  • Wied il-Ġifna
  • Wied tal-Grixti

References

  1. ^ "Estimated Population by Locality 31st March, 2014". Government of Malta. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 21 June 2015.
  2. ^ "The Police Station Town House". Maltapark.com. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
  3. ^ "Pope Francis decrees Madre Margerita De Brincat as Venerable". Gozo News. 28 January 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kerċem.
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