About
Xagħra
Xagħra is built on a hill to the central north-east of the island of Gozo. It lies just under four kilometres from Rabat, the town of the island. Ix-Xagħra was one of the earliest inhabited areas of Gozo. In early modern documents, the plateau is referred to as Xagħret l-Għażżenin. In modern times, the people first settled on the hill’s highest point, aptly called tal-Qaċċa. A sector in Xagħra is called Sant’ Anton after the dedication of a late Medieval chapel dedicated to Saint Anthony the Abbot. A third sector of the village that developed on the eastern part of the hill became known as Ta’ Gajdoru. This section is now referred to as tan-Nazzarenu, after the dedication of still another chapel that was built in the area early in the twentieth century.
Ix-Xagħra hija mibnija fuq għolja lejn iċ-ċentru tal-grigal tal-gżira Għawdxija. Tinsab ftit inqas minn erba’ kilometri l- bogħod mir-Rabat, il-belt kapitali tal-gżira. Ix-Xagħra kienet waħda mill-ewwel żoni abitati ta’ Għawdex. F’dokumenti moderni bikrin, din l-art bdiet tissejjaħ Xagħret il-Għażżenin. Fi żminijiet moderni, in-nies abitaw għall-ewwel darba fuq l-ogħla punt tal-għolja, hekk imsejjaħ tal-Qaċċa. Parti mir- raħal jissejjaħ Ta’ Sant’Anton minħabba d-dedikazzjoni lejn kappella taż-żmien medjevali, ddedikata lil Sant’Anton Abbati. It-tielet settur tar-raħal li żviluppa fin-naħa tal-Lvant tal-għolja li kien magħruf bħala ta’ Gajdoru. Din is-sezzjoni issa tissejjaħ tan-Nazzarenu, wara d-dedikazzjoni ta’ kappella oħra li nbniet fiż-żona kmieni fis-seklu għoxrin. L-abitanti tar-raħal jissejħu Xagħrin.
