Santa Venera

Santa Venera is a town in the Central Region of Malta, with a population of around 6,932 (March 2014). It is located between the towns of Birkirkara and Ħamrun, and it also borders Qormi and Msida.

The football team of St. Venera is the St. Venera Lightnings F.C., which bears the colours of the town: yellow and blue.

History

The first Church of St Venera was built in 1473, and it was enlarged in 1500, rebuilt between 1658 and 1688 and again in the 19th century. This church remained as the parish church until 1990. A new church was blessed in 2005.

In 1610, Grandmaster Alof de Wignacourt financed the building of the Wignacourt Aqueduct to transport water from springs in Rabat and Dingli to the capital Valletta, passing through various towns along the way including Santa Venera. The Aqueduct was finished in 1615, and an ornamental gateway was built where it crossed the road between what is now Fleur-de-Lys and Santa Venera. The arches stopped at a tower known as it-Turretta (the Turret) also known as Tower Guard, also in Santa Venera. From this tower, water continued its journey to Ħamrun, Blata l-Bajda, Floriana and Valletta through underground pipes.