Qormi
Qormi (pronounced 'Or'mee), also known as Ħal Qormi or Città Pinto, is a city in Malta with a population of 16,576 (as of November 2005). The town is located southwest of Valletta in the centre of Malta. The town enjoys a Mediterranean climate with hot, dry, sunny summers and short, cool winters.
The neighbouring towns of Qormi are Marsa, Luqa and Żebbuġ. Qormi sits just off a main road between Mdina and Valletta.
The patron saint of Qormi is Saint George while the protector is Saint Sebastian. For two weeks in summer, the town celebrates the feast of its Saints. The town is also known for its Good Friday procession with over 500 people participating each year, outgoing from the church of Saint George.
The area was settled as early as the Bronze Age. A number of tombs discovered in the past century indicates that the Phoenicians traded with the population. In the fifteenth century, Qormi was established as one of the first parishes in Malta and had the largest parish church in Malta at that stage.
It was known as Casal Fornaro, which means Baker's Village, back in the old days, due to the number of bakers that existed. The town provided bread to most of Malta. The name it has for production of bread has stayed as established bakeries do their utmost to keep up with the name.
Qormi today
Qormi is run by a local council established in 1993 under the Local Councils Act. On March 4th, 2007, the Local Council inaugurated a new office block in Triq il-Vitorja (Victory Street), which although they are a few metres away from the old ones, they are now in a much more central position, helping to reach the citizens' needs easier.
Qormi also houses a number of bakeries.
Band Clubs
- Anici Band & Social Club (L-Għaqda Mużikali u Soċjali Aniċi)
- St. George's Band Club (L-Għaqda Mużikali San Ġorġ Martri)
- Pinto Philarmonic Society, St. Sebastian Band (Is-Soċjetà Filarmonika Pinto, Banda San Sebastjan)
Media
- Qormi houses a community (parish) radio station Bastjanizi FM, broadcasting on 95FM. This radio station in Qormi is considered to be one of the most professional community radio stations in Malta and transmits 24hrs a day. The website of Bastjanizi FM includes live streaming.
- The only form of newspaper is a quarterly issue by the Local Council named "Id-Dielja" (The Grapevine), referring to the concentration of vineyards in the old times); (In Malta, newspapers are of national importance).
- Qormi was the first Maltese locality to have an IRC channel, #Qormi.[citation needed]
Sports
- Qormi is home to Qormi FC, the football team of the city, playing in yellow and black.
- Qormi is also home to the Qormi Basketball Club, which is an established team in Maltese Basketball.
- Qormi Hockey Club
Qormi Hockey Club was founded in 1971 when a group of students from Guze' Galea secondary school in Qormi started playing Hockey under coach and then teacher "Chossie" Kerr. Many years have passed and Hockey is still being played and now it is one of the main sports disciplines in Qormi.
At the beginning it was very difficult. Young players used to meet in a garage or in a cellar of Qormi F.C. until the club settled in the Manwel Dimech Sports Complex where at present there are excellent facilities where Hockey can be played. It is of great satisfaction for this club to announce that it is the first Hockey Club in Malta to own a synthetic pitch. This has been the Club's ambition for a very long time.
The Club owns 2 artificial turf pitches adjacent to eachother complete with dressing rooms, children's area and a Bar. The size of both pitches together is equivalent to the FIH's size of an indoor Field Hockey pitch.
Qormi Hockey Club is an active member in the Hockey Association of Malta. Our club takes part in every competition organised by the HAM including a Senior team, a Reserves team and Junior teams in both U-14 and U-16.
Schools
Kindergarten
- Ġużé Galea Kindergarten, San Ġorġ
- Ġużé Muscat Azzopardi Kindergarten, San Bastjan
- St Joseph School (Private Independent School) - Żbandola Street, Qormi
Primary
- Ġużé Galea Primary School, San Ġorġ
- Ġużé Muscat Azzopardi Primary (A,B), San Bastjan
- St Joseph School (Private Independent School) - Żbandola Street, Qormi
Secondary
- Liceo Vassalli Junior Lyceum, Tal-Ħandaq
- Ġużé Galea Area Secondary, San Ġorġ
- St. Michael's (Church) School, Limits of Qormi
Qormi Main Roads
Qormi (San Ġorġ)
- By-Pass ta' l-Imrieħel (Mrieħel By-Pass)
- Misraħ San Franġisk (St. Frances Square)
- Pjazza Maemple (Maemple Square)
- Triq Ġużè Duca (Guzè Duca Road)
- Triq il-Ħelsien (Freedom Street)
- Triq il-Kardinal Xibberas (Cardinal Xibberas Street)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Vittorja (Victory Street)
- Triq il-Wied (Valley Street)
- Triq is-Sagħtar (Thyme Street0
- Triq l-Isqof Scicluna (Bishop Scicluna Street)
- Triq l-Aniċi (Anici Street)
- Triq l-Ghaqda (Union Street)
- Triq San Gorg (Saint George's Road)
Qormi (San Bastjan)
- Dawret il-Ħamrun u l-Marsa (Marsa-Hamrun By-Pass)
- Triq Ġużè Duca (Guzè Duca Street)
- Triq l-Imdina (Mdina Road)
- Triq Ħal-Luqa (Luqa Road)
- Triq Ħal-Qormi (Qormi Road)
- Triq il-Ġdida (New Street)
- Triq il-Kanun (Canon Road)
- Triq il-Kbira (Main Street)
- Triq il-Masġar (Garden Street)
- Triq il-Mitħna (Mill Street)
- Triq Manwel Dimech (Manoel Dimech Road)
- Triq San Bartilmew (St Bhartolomeo Street)
- Triq San Bastjan (St Sebastian Street)
- Triq San Dwardu (St Edward Street)
References
- W&R Chambers Limited and Cambridge University Press, Chambers World Gazeteer: an A-Z of Geographical Information, 5th edition, 1988, page 528
- Barry Turner (ed.), The Statesman's Yearbook: The Politics, Cultures and Economies of the World 2005, Palgrave Macmillan, page 1113
External links
- Qormi Local Council
- Site on Good Friday procession
- Maltese Government page on Qormi local council
- Youth Commission on behalf of St. George's Band Club of Qormi AD. 1893
- Anici Band Club Official Website
- cittapinto.com
- Demm Gorgjan
- Qormi Hockey Club
