Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1177088
17.10.19 16 TOWNSCAPES Explore the architectural elegance and cultural heritage of one of Malta's oldest cities WHEN a Grandmaster decides to ele- vate a village and give it the title of a city using the surname of his very own mother, it sure has to be an important place. Ferdinand von Hompesch, the last Grandmaster to reign in Malta, gave the title of Città Beland to the lo- cality of Żejtun in 1797. The origins of Żejtun go back to the Phoenician and Roman times. Orig- inally Żejtun, known as Terra Santa Catarina, covered the south east part of the island extending to the outskirts of the walls protecting Cottonera. Up until 1680, Żejtun primarily had two separate residential communities – one known as Bisqallin still referred today as Ir-Raħal t'Isfel and Ħal Ġwann and Ħal Bisbut, known as Ir-Raħal ta' Fuq. Development during the eigh- teenth century and the construction of the new parish church in between the two communities formed the present centre and linked the two to form one community. During the walking tour, partici- pants will gain a holistic appreciation of the urban fabric of Żejtun which is primarily immersed in traditional winding roads. Participants will be taken to see the aesthetical richness of several buildings of architectural and historic significance including the summer residences of Grand Master Perellos and Archbishop Cagliares, the Aedis Danielis Palace and other important landmarks within the city. The tour will also give participants a better appreciation of the various ini- tiatives that the Planning Authority have rolled out over the years from which Zejtun and its residents bene- fitted. Free transport will be provided and will leave from Floriana (in front of the Planning Authority Offices) at 9am. The tour will conclude by 12.30pm. To book a place for these tours call us on 2290 2021 or send an email on tours@pa.org.mt. These tours will be organised once a month and bookings will be taken on a first-come-first- served basis. A €3 fee will be charged per person. This year the fee will be donated to the Marigold Foundation. Dates of the Educational visits will be: 20 October 2019, 17 November 2019, 1 December 2019, 12 January 2020, 23 February 2020, 15 March 2020, 26 April 2020 and 24 May 2020. The Planning Authority's popular monthly architecture and heritage planning tour will this year take visitors to the south of Malta, to the city of Żejtun