Village of Ix-Xaghra (Gozo, Malta)

Caccia, Kaċċa, Kacca, Kacha, Shaghra, Xaghra

Last modified: 2011-05-28 by rob raeside
Keywords: xaghra | rectangles: 7 (yellow) | gozo |
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3:5     

3:5 both images by António Martins, 5 May 2002

• Description
• Coat-of-Arms

See also:

• Subnational Flags (Malta)
• Clickable map of Malta Island
• Malta

Other sites:

• Coat-of-Arms of Ix-Xaghra (click on About Xaghra then Coat of Arms) at the Local Council website

Description

Some of the Maltese municipal flags, which are banners of the municipal arms, pose some problems when drawing them in a ratio of 3:5. One of these not clear-cut situations is Ix-Xaghra.
António Martins, 5 May 2002

Clicking on About Xaghra then on Coat of Arms at the Xaghra local council website you come to:

The coat of-arms of Ix-Xaghra are Gules, part of a monolithic prehistoric temple Or; the motif on the shield is in one of the apses of the Ggantija Temples and it is symbolic representation of the goddess. Up to 1992, the coat of arms consisted of Azure two pallets Gules and, upon a chief Or, a mallard floating on water. The mallard, in Maltese kulvert, but called birka in Gozo, is a familiar winter visitor that must have frequently alighted upon the ponds of Ix-Xaghra. Sometimes the coat-of-arms of the surname Caccia was adjoined to the latter.

The Latin motto of the village is Librat et evolat, that is Poised and soaring — Tisseqqer u tittajjar. This motto suits the village perfectly. It compares the village of Ix-Xaghra to a migratory bird suspended in mid-air between the blue sky above Gozo and the Mediterranean sea. The village is indeed poised and soaring like a bird over the whole island of Gozo.

Santiago Dotor, 5 May 2002

Coat-of-Arms

image by António Martins, 5 May 2002