Set the scene.
Gżira’s council explains the name through Manoel Island, lying in Marsamxett Harbour. The mainland locality is named for the island beside it.
Here’s the twist.
That island’s own name remembers Grand Master Manoel de Vilhena. The first houses of the developing Gżira settlement appeared in the mid-nineteenth century.
Why it still matters.
One view therefore holds two naming stories: a geographical relationship and a person commemorated. Look across the harbour and follow the chain from town to island to Grand Master.
🧠 One to think about +
What does this story change about the way you see Malta today? Pick one detail you’d tell a friend — then check its source below.