Xarolla Windmill

Xarolla Windmill

The Xarolla Windmill at Żurrieq, Malta is one of the windmills constructed by the Knights of Malta in the villages and towns of Malta.

In 1674 Grand Master Nicolas Cotoner built five windmills around Malta. One of these was the windmill built in Nigret, Zurrieq, known as Tal-Qaret.

In 1724, Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena built another windmill next to it, known as Ta' Marmara, which was the surname of the first person to work in the same windmill, Luret Marmara.

The windmill known as Tas-Salib, was built by the Gafà family, and owes its name to the village cross situated just to the south west of the same windmill.

Another windmill, that known as Tax-Xarolla, was built by Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, in 1724. In 1992, this was restored to its original working order. It is now the only functioning windmill on the islands of Malta and Gozo. George Sammut is the curator of the windmill. The late Emmanuel Sammut, George's father, had a major role in the restoration of this windmill. Having himself lived his entire life in a windmill in the heart of Żurrieq, Emmanuel was very knowledgeable about the functioning of the windmill and his advice was indeed an asset during the period of restoration. This is a valuable witness of local culture and heritage; it still has parts of the original mechanisms and can still grain the wheat. In the year 2000, this building was passed over to be administered by the Żurrieq Local Council and is intended to serve also as a cultural centre.