Gzira

At the heart of the town stands the Parish Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, affectionately known as the Carmelite Church. Its origins trace back to 1902, when locals believed a miraculous sign had occurred after a stone thrown by drunken sailors lodged beside an image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in a small roadside shrine. Interpreting this as divine protection, residents built a chapel to house the image. As Gżira’s population grew, a larger church was constructed between 1921 and

1935, with the present building consecrated in 1959. The original image and stone remain preserved inside the church, symbolising the parish’s deep-rooted Marian devotion.