Città Pinto: Exploring Qormi, Malta’s Town of Bread and Tradition

Words by Lea Hogg

Discover Qormi The “North of the South”

Take a stroll through Qormi’s historic streets and stories. From the Tal-Ħlas Chapel to the twin parishes of St George and St Sebastian, this town also proudly known as Città Pinto is a place where community, faith, and food come together.

Locals call it the north of the south, reflecting its central position in Malta. Qormi blends the warmth of a village with the heritage of a city a place where bread is not only baked but celebrated, and where feasts fill the air with music, fireworks, and tradition.

First Impressions of Qormi

My walk began in Wied is-Sewda (Black Valley). Despite the name, the morning was warm with golden light and the scent of wild fennel. I then wandered into the lively Qormi market, where traders called out over crates of peaches and prickly pears, and shoppers filled narrow lanes with bags brimming with produce.

From there, I followed the streets towards the Tal-Ħlas Chapel, first recorded in 1492 and dedicated to the Assumption of Our Lady. Rebuilt in the 16th century and expanded in 1690 by Maltese architect Lorenzo Gafà, the original chapel now serves as the sacristy. Even today, the Tal-Ħlas area remains a peaceful corner of Qormi.

Meeting Qormi’s Historian

Local historian Dr Joe Grima born in Qormi in 1945 and author of over 300 works on Maltese history shared the town’s story with the warmth of someone speaking about an old friend.

“The older part behind St George’s Parish is a maze of narrow alleys,” he explained. “The St Sebastian area is more orderly with straighter streets, while the outskirts are modern flats and new buildings.”

He urged me to see Pinto’s Loggia, built in 1772 for Grand Master Manuel Pinto da Fonseca. This pavilion, once part of a farmhouse with stables, remains a proud local landmark and a reminder of Qormi’s title: Città Pinto.

Qormi and Its Daily Rhythm

Joe described a childhood where children played football on church steps after Mass and mothers quizzed them on the priest’s vestments to be sure they had really attended. Life has changed, but the town’s rhythm remains: traffic before 9am, quiet streets by evening, and mornings alive with activity around Qormi’s bakeries.

“Bread is part of our identity,” Joe said. Between 1730 and 1760, Qormi was known as Casal Fornaro the village of bakers. By 1861, some 500 locals worked in the bread trade. In the 1960s, a single street Triq San Ġużepp had 26 bakeries.

Even today, Qormi’s bakeries are its beating heart. Though horse carts have given way to delivery vans, the ovens still fire day and night. Each bakery has its own specialty, and locals each have their favourite.

Bread, Innovation and Tradition

One example of Qormi’s bread-making tradition evolving is baker Jonathan Spiteri, who once worked with the Saudi royal family. His latest creation? A Maltese loaf infused with za’atar oregano, sumac, sesame, and olive oil producing a delicate green-hued crust and subtle Middle Eastern twist.

“Being a baker from Qormi means 24 hours of hard work,” he admitted. “But it’s worth every second.”

Churches, Rivalry, and Feasts

Qormi’s skyline is dominated by two churches:

• St George’s, a late-14th-century baroque parish church

• St Sebastian’s, a 20th-century parish founded in 1936

Their histories are centuries apart, but their festas are equally vibrant. Rivalry between the two parishes plays out in band marches, fireworks, and processions. On Good Friday, more than 500 locals participate, some carrying statues often fathers and sons together in a living tradition.

The Festa ta’ San Ġorġ (last Sunday of June) is marked by crimson banners and dramatic marches. The Festa ta’ San Bastjan (third Sunday of July) dresses the town in blues and gold. To outsiders, it may look like rivalry; to Qormi, it’s heritage.

Qormi Today

Though modern life has changed it “we used to leave our front doors unlocked,” Joe recalls Qormi remains a town where bread, faith, and community bind people together. Its chapels, palazzos, and piazzas reveal centuries of history, while its bakeries and festas ensure traditions live on.

For visitors, Qormi is both timeless and evolving a place to taste, walk, and celebrate.

PASSAĠĠI Tips How to Fall in Love with Qormi

• Visit Qormi’s Saturday Market (7am to noon) for fresh produce and local colour.

• See Il-Kerrejja ta’ Pinto, an 18th-century palace in St George’s parish with three historic coats of arms.

• Pick up half-price bread just before bakeries close a Qormi tradition.

• Experience festa season with aerial fireworks, confetti-filled streets, and houses lit up in celebration.

Qormi on Your Calendar

• Festa ta’ San Ġorġ: Last Sunday of June

• Festa ta’ San Bastjan: Third Sunday of July

👉 Whether you’re exploring Qormi’s churches, tasting its legendary bread, or joining the colour of its festas, Città Pinto remains a town where Malta’s past and present meet.