About Safi

Safi is a small village with narrow lanes and streets that wind their way to the village core and this adds undeniable charm to this small close-knit community. Safi’s simple charms centre on its beautiful village core which contains some of the finest buildings of the community.

This small village is one of the most enchanting villages in Malta. Here you can find several houses of character, some of which belonged to the Knights of St. John, as well as delightful terraced houses and quite recently, apartments and maisonettes on the outskirts of the village.  This village has a quiet atmosphere and can be compared to a Gozitan one because it has the feeling that time stands still here. Learn more about other localities containing enchanting Malta properties for sale or rent in the southern part of the island.

History of Safi

The word Safi means pure in Maltese. The village in the Southern Region of Malta is within a short distance from Malta’s international airport. The settlement started out as a hamlet, and it was always a stopping spot for farmers who wanted to rest and talk. The settlement barely started to take shape 700 years ago.

Safi sprang out of the expanding settlement of Gudja (bir il-Miftuh) and was established as a parish 400 years ago. For Hal-Safi to become a parish, the people of the village had to pay the Parish Priest an annual sum of money on the feast of St. Paul’s Conversion. 

The square is dominated by the parish church where you can also find the small church of St. Mary. In Safi, you will find a number of archeological remains from a previous era.  Two very important sites are a Roman wall still visible in Zurrieq Road and the remains of a Roman Tower called Ta’ Gawhar.

Safi feast 

The village feast is held at the end of August, and the parish church is dedicated to St. Paul. The community’s main attraction is St. Paul’s Band Club, which is located in the village centre.

What to See & Do in Safi?

Here are some ideas of what to see and do in the locality of Safi.

The Roman Wall

Towards the village’s main street, Triq San Pawl, stands the most visible remnant of the village’s ancient roots. This is a stretch of wall known as the Roman Wall because it dates back to Roman times and which probably formed part of a Roman Villa which once stood there.

Tax-Xarolla Windmill and Catacombs

Tax-Xarolla is Malta’s best preserved windmill. This stands a few metres away from the Roman Wall. The windmill’s immediate precincts include a medieval chapel and the remains of Christian catacombs.  These catacombs date back to the 3rd-4th century A.D. and are still not sully excavated but they served as catacombs to an early group of Christians who lived in the early centuries of Christian Malta.  These catacombs consist of complex tombs and small catacombs.  Some of the tombs have ornamental rock-cut pilasters decorating their entrances.  Parts of these catacombs were first discovered in 1926 and 1936.

Sir Alexander Ball Garden

Sir Alexander Ball Garden stands on the periphery of Safi.  This garden was created by the British militia in Malta and in fact, it is named after the islands’ first British Governor.

The Dejma Cross

The Dejma Cross was built in the 17th century to serve as a community boundary marker. The Dejma troops (local militia) used to congregate there, and significant edicts were given to the inhabitants of Safi from the same location. The Dejma Cross is the island’s best-preserved cross. The parish borders were originally denoted by these crosses.

Ta’ Gawhar Tower

Ta’ Gawhar Tower is a round Punic-Roman tower and is the best preserved one of the six Punic-Roman towers in Malta.  It is seven wall courses high.  The tower was built at the time of the Punic Wars before its destruction in the 3rd century A.D.

Villino Vella

The construction of Villino Vella was finished in 1926.  It boasts a pleasant blend of Doric and Ionic styles and is surrounded by a well-kept garden.

The Palace

This Palace, next to the Parish Church, was built during the times of the Knights of St. John.

Gollcher Palace

Gollcher Palace is named this way because some years ago it belonged to the Gollcher family.  This palace was also built during the times of the Knights of St. John.

Safi Property

Real Estate in Safi

If you are looking for Malta property for sale or rent containing charm and serenity in a typical Maltese village, then Safi is the place for you. Here you can enjoy typical village life in peace and quiet. There is lack of activity in the empty tranquil roads which is a rare commodity these days.

The village roads can be divided into two. There are the old roads which formed part of the old village and the newly constructed ones.  The older streets are all named after saints whilst the other ones have more modern names.  The choice of what kind of property you require is yours.

The main activity in the village is the village core where you can find the square, the Parish Church and the local Band Club.  The climax of the social life in Safi is the celebration of the village festa which is celebrated on the last week of August.  The patron saint of Safi is St. Paul.

There are also a few social clubs where one can go and mingle with the locals while enjoying a drink or a snack. As well as enjoying snacks and the atmosphere at the local festa, you can also enjoy a fantastic firework display which takes place every August against the black Maltese sky. Read more about the types of regions in Malta.

Coordinates
35.8348786,14.4750933
Area
2.3 km (sqr)
Population
2,280
Patron Saint
St. Paul