Village of Lija
Until 1594, Lija was still part of Birkirkara Parish, so it had Saint Helen as its protector. However, on February 6, 1594, Lija was established as a separate parish under the protection of our Lord Jesus Christ the Savior.
In this village we find a large number of 18th century houses and villas. Among the villas we find that of Preziosi and Parisio. Due to these dwellings and a number of others, this area has become known as ‘Villa Lija’, thus giving you the impression that Ħal Lija is one villa from one end to the other of the village.
The motto of this village is: 'Suavi Fructo Rubeo' - I glow red with sweet fruit, and rightly so because this village produces many oranges and is considered to be home to the largest industry of this citrus fruit.
In 1610, the two small villages of Ħal Mann and Ħal Bordi on the outskirts of the parish were merged under the protection of the parish of Ħal Lija.
Wind Mill
The ancient windmill is located in the upper part of the village of Ħal Lija, in an area that formerly made part of the village of Ħal Bordi, a small village that was separated from the three villages of Ħal Lija, Ħ 'Attard and Ħal Balzan. Where before the original chapel of Ħal Bordi stood, today this windmill was built instead.
With so many fields flourishing around it, the wind blew in its sails and so it turned the husky granite stone that tended and crushed the wheat into flour, which then the people of the area would buy to make the daily bread. The wind blew strongly, especially when it came from the side of Mdina to the huge plain that reaches as far as “Tal_Mirakli”, as this area is known.
This mill is unique because it is was built in a round shape and to this day no one has found meaning why it was built that way. One meaning may be that when in 1664 Grandmaster Cottoner built the nearby Church of Our Lady of Miracles, some tombs were found next to the Windmill, so it is assumed that the windmill, as we know it today, was built on the foundations and remains of that ancient chapel that was built before it.
This mill, like other mills, continued to be used for many years - not only during the time of the Knights, but also after the Order of St. John. The importance of these windmills began to wane when the first steam mills appeared. They probably continued to work until the first thirty years of the twentieth century.
As each mill would have been leased by the Government to those who milled the grain, when they stopped, it was mostly used by blacksmiths whose job it was to make tools for the stone masons this can be attested by the signs of burnt stones where the forge used to be. Such signs can also be seen in this mill.
Belvedere Tower
The Belvedere was designed in 1857 by the Maltese architect Giuseppe Bonavia, the same architect who designed the Buttigieg and Francia Palace (or Palazzo Ferreria as it is sometimes known) at the entrance of Valletta. In 1857 the Marquis Depiro and his family, then the owners of Villa Gourigon, commissioned Bonavia to construct this folly in the middle of the orange groves and gardens. In fact, the Belvedere was consequently used as a place of relaxation by the residents and their guests.
Hence, The Lija Belvedere, or It-Torri ta’ Hal-Lija as it is also known formed part of the extensive gardens of Villa Gourigon prior to the opening of Transfiguration Avenue in the 1950s. The belvedere has retained its original position and has become a landmark building due to its monumentality and by its association with Villa Gourigon.
This beautiful piece of architecture and a landmark has very recently been curatively restored to its show the craftsmanship with which it is adorned. It today serves as a traffic Island in Transfiguration Avenue leading to the parish church and forms part of the heritage in Lija.