History of Zebbug

In 1380 a church dedicated to St. Philip of Agira was built in Casal Zebugi, a tract of land situated in the middle of the small communities which had developed during the previous Arab occupation of Malta, namely Ħal-Dwin, Ħal-Muxi and Ħal-Mula and which were eventually joined together forming the village known till today as Ħaż-Żebbuġ. Filippo de Catania "il-Kataniż" (Philip of Catania) a wealthy entrepreneur owning land in Ħaż-Żebbuġ funded part of the construction of St. Philip Church built on his own land. Long years after it became the parish church another one, designed by Tumas Dingli, was erected in its stead in the late seventeenth century. The Church boasts a magnificent titular painting by Luca Garnier and two spectacular murals by the great Maltese 18th Century painter of the Favray school, Francesco Zahra, which critics consider to be his best works. Among other treasures the Church possesses an artefact attributed to Guido Reni and several others by Antonio Sciortino. The statue of St. Philip, by sculptor Luigi Fontana, was created in 1864 and is regarded by connoisseurs as the most beautiful of its genre in the country.

When Malta was an independent principality under the sovereign Order of St. John, Ħaż-Żebbuġ was among the chief towns after Valletta and Mdina, first because of the presence of leading corsairs among its inhabitants, subsequently due to its major role in the cotton industry. The magnificence of St Philip's Church is the foremost evidence of the pre-eminent place Ħaż-Żebbuġ enjoys in Maltese history.

The locals or Żebbuġin as they are known in Malta are renowned for their business acumen