Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/117671
Title: | The Maltese nobility and the last Gourgion |
Authors: | Saliba, Mario |
Keywords: | Gourgion Family -- History De Piro, Gio’ Pio, Marquis, 1673-1752 Malta -- History -- Knights of Malta, 1530-1798 Nobility -- Malta -- History Xewkija (Malta) -- Biography Carafa della Roccella, Gregorio, 1615-1690 Wignacourt, Adrien de, 1618-1697 Knights of Malta. Grand Masters Preti, Mattia, 1613-1699. The Virgin of Mercy with Souls in Purgatory Paintings -- Malta -- Victoria Collegiate Basilica of St. George (Victoria, Malta) Art donors -- Malta -- Gozo -- History -- 17th century Gourgion Tower (Xewkija, Malta) Lost architecture -- Malta -- Xewkija Towers -- Malta -- Xewkija -- History -- 17th century de Piro Family -- History de Piro, Igino, 1874-1942 Basilica of the Blessed Virgin of Ta’ Pinu (Għarb, Malta) -- History Depiro Gourgion, Gio Pio, 1881-1951 Gozo (Malta) -- History |
Issue Date: | 2023 |
Publisher: | University of Malta. Gozo Centre |
Citation: | Saliba, M. (2023). The Maltese nobility and the last Gourgion. The Gozo Observer, 47, 3-8. |
Abstract: | The Gourgion Tower, which was situated in Xewkija, was built during the time of the Knights. This was a large village house or a villa in the countryside that was built in such a way that it could withstand an attack by the Turks. So it was more of a fortified villa than a tower. It served the purpose of security and prestige for the owners. This building was unfortunately demolished by the Americans in the Second World War to make way for an airfield in those areas. Although there was the intention to rebuild it as it was after the war, the idea was never carried out and the owners took compensation in the form of cash instead of rebuilding the tower. It is said that the authorities had paid seven thousand pounds sterling to the owners, which in today’s money comes to around €641,340. This was a good sum at the time when you consider that a day’s wage of an unskilled worker was a shilling (1/-) or fifty cents of today. |
URI: | https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/117671 |
ISSN: | 19963114 |
Appears in Collections: | The Gozo Observer - Issue 47, 2023 The Gozo Observer - Issue 47, 2023 |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
---|---|---|---|---|
The Maltese nobility and the last Gourgion 2023.pdf | 1.38 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
Items in OAR@UM are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.