Three Villages

View of Attard and the surrounding area from the walls of Mdina.

The Three Villages (Maltese: It-Tliet Irħula) refers to the Maltese villages of Attard, Balzan, and Lija located around the centre of the island.[1] The Three Villages are known as such because of their close proximity to one another. In some cases, one side of a street is part of one village while the opposite side of the same street is part of another village.

The three villages are also very similar in layout and age.[2][3][4]

History

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During the Order of St. John, the three villages were sought after for country residences and hunting lodges, of which many built there large palaces as a symbol of nobility and to some extent even superiority over the rest of Maltese society.[5]

Demographics

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From 1993 to 2014, the population of Attard and Lija increased by 70%, whilst Balzan's population decreased by 20% and grew in age.[6]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Richards, Brian (2008). Malta. London: New Holland Publishers. p. 89. ISBN 978-1845378714.
  2. ^ Planet, Lonely. "The Three Villages travel - Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet.
  3. ^ Rix, Juliet (26 January 2018). Malta. Bradt Travel Guides. p. 232. ISBN 9781841624525.
  4. ^ Bain, Carolyn (26 January 2018). Malta & Gozo. Lonely Planet. p. 133. ISBN 9781741045406.
  5. ^ Ciappara, Frans (1998). Society and inquisition in Malta 1743-1798. Durhem E-Theses. Durham University. p. 29-30.
  6. ^ Debono, James (4 August 2015). "Marsa loses half of its population in 20 years". Malta Today. Retrieved 26 January 2018.